Latest research in football - week 5 - 2020

#1 Pedagogical Function of Referees in Youth Sport: Assessment of the Quality of Referee-Player Interactions in Youth Soccer
Reference: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Feb 1;17(3). pii: E905. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17030905.
Authors: Firek W, Płoszaj K, Czechowski M
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/3/905/pdf
Summary: We assume that all institutions and individuals involved in the organization of sport for children and young people should utilize the educational potential of sport. We assessed the quality of referee interactions with children during sports competitions in soccer. Based on the developmental theory and research suggesting that interactions between kids and adults are the primary mechanism of their development and learning, we focused on the quality of the referee-player interactions in terms of (1) emotional support, (2) game organization, and (3) instructional support. Twenty-five soccer referees who refereed matches for children aged 9-12 years were recruited. The Referee Educational Function Assessment Scoring System (REFASS) was used to assess the quality of the referee-player interactions. This tool was developed based on Classroom Assessment Scoring System-Upper Elementary. Regarding the REFASS dimensions, the mean scores for positive climate, Sensitivity, behavior management, content understanding and quality of feedback were in the medium range, while productivity and negative climate in the high range. In the case of the positive climate variable, the lowest mean ratings were recorded compared to other assessed dimensions. The assessments of the quality of referee-player interactions obtained for particular dimensions translated into the ratings for the specified domains. The highest ratings were given to game organization (6.0 ± 0.8; Me = 6.0), whereas the emotional support and instructional support were in the medium range (4.6 ± 1.5; Me = 4.5, and 5.2 ± 1.8; Me = 6.0, respectively). Referees are usually not aware of their pedagogical function and the complexity of their respective responsibilities. They are commonly considered to be ordinary technicians and evaluators of performance in competition. Based on the results, a postulate was formulated that referees should consciously perform a pedagogical function in the youth sport. Therefore, it is necessary to train them in educational methods and techniques appropriate to the age and needs of the child. The referees will then be prepared to take actions to prevent negative behavior of players on the field and to encourage prosocial behavior.


#2 Biomechanical and Physiological Responses to 120 min of Soccer-Specific Exercise
Reference: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2020 Feb 5:1-13. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2019.1698698. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Field A, Corr LD, Haines M, Lui S, Naughton R, Page RM, Harper LD
Summary: The purpose of the study is to investigate biomechanical and physiological responses to soccer-specific exercise incorporating an extra-time period (ET) and assess the test-retest reliability of these responses. Twelve soccer players performed 120 min of soccer-specific exercise. Tri-axial (PLTotal) and uni-axial PlayerLoad™ in the vertical (PLV), anterior-posterior (PLA-P), and medial-lateral (PLM-L) planes were monitored using a portable accelerometer. Likewise, respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was recorded throughout exercise. At the end of each 15-min period, players provided differential ratings of perceived exertion for legs (RPE-L), breathlessness (RPE-B) and overall (RPE-O), and capillary samples were taken to measure blood lactate (BLa) concentrations. The soccer-specific exercise was completed twice within 7 days to assess reliability. A main effect for time was identified for PLTotal (p = 0.045), PLV (p = 0.002), PLA-P (p = 0.011), RER (p = 0.001), RPE-L (p = 0.001), RPE-O (p = 0.003), and CMJ (p = 0.020). A significant increase in PLTotal (234 ± 34 au) and decrease in RER (0.87 ± 0.03) was evident during 105-120 versus 0-15 min (215 ± 25 au; p = 0.002 and 0.92 ± 0.02; p = 0.001). Coefficients of variations were <10% and Pearson's correlation coefficient demonstrated moderate-to-very strong (0.33-0.99) reliability for all PL variables, RPE-B, BLa, and RER. These results suggest that mechanical efficiency is compromised and an increased rate of lipolysis is observed as a function of exercise duration, particularly during ET. These data have implications for practitioners interested in fatigue-induced changes during ET.


#3 Constraints on visual exploration of youth football players during 11v11 match-play: The influence of playing role, pitch position and phase of play
Reference: J Sports Sci. 2020 Feb 2:1-11. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2020.1723375. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: McGuckian TB, Cole MH, Chalkley D, Jordet G, Pepping GJ
Summary: Visual exploratory action, in which football players turn their head to perceive their environment, improves prospective performance with the ball during match-play. This scanning action, however, is relevant for players throughout the entire match, as the information perceived through visual exploration is needed to guide movement around the pitch during both offensive and defensive play. This study aimed to understand how a player's on-pitch position, playing role and phase of play influenced the visual exploratory head movements of players during 11v11 match-play. Twenty-two competitive-elite youth footballers (M = 16.25 years) played a total of 1,623 minutes (M = 73.8). Inertial measurement units, global positioning system units and notational analysis were used to quantify relevant variables. Analyses revealed that players explored more extensively when they were in possession of the ball, and less extensively during transition phases, as compared to team ball-possession and opposition ball-possession phases of play. Players explored most extensively when in the back third of the pitch, and least when they were in the middle third of the pitch. Playing role, pitch position and phase of play should be considered as constraints on visual exploratory actions when developing training situations aimed at improving the scanning actions of players.


#4 Analyzing the effects of combined small-sided games and strength and power training on the fitness status of under-19 elite football players
Reference: J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2020 Jan;60(1):1-10. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09818-9.
Authors: Querido SM, Clemente FM
Summary: The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to characterize a common microcycle considering both internal and external training loads; and 2) to identify the effects of small-sided games (SSGs) and of power and strength training on the fitness status of football players. Fifteen male football players (age: 18.55±0.39 years) participated in this study. Ninety-two consecutive training sessions were monitored and analyzed over a period of nineteen weeks. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE ) was used as an internal load marker, and the distances covered at different speed thresholds and accelerations/decelerations were used as external load markers to characterize the common microcycle. Participants' body composition, vertical jumping ability, maximal strength, speed, and agility were assessed twice before and after the training monitoring process. The results revealed that match day -5 (MD-5) and MD-1 were associated with the lowest RPE scores (4.2 and 3.8 A.U., respectively). MD-4 and MD-3 were associated with the highest RPE values (9.2 and 8.8 A.U., respectively). Meaningful changes in RPE were found between training days. External load monitoring revealed that MD-4 had the highest values of accelerations and decelerations >2 m/s2/min (4.22 and 3.17, respectively) and MD-3 had the highest values of distance covered at high intensity (6.11 m/s2/min). Meaningful moderate improvements in jumping performance (d=0.90) and maximal strength parameters (d=0.83) were also found between assessments. It was identified that the concurrent approach had meaningful impacts on the fitness development of players and should be considered by coaches for future training interventions.


#5 Soccer Matches but Not Training Sessions Disturb Cardiac-Autonomic Regulation During National Soccer Team Training Camps
Reference: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2020 Feb 6:1-9. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2019.1708843. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Muñoz-López A, Nakamura F, Naranjo Orellana J
Summary: Heart rate variability (HRV) can be used to monitor changes in autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. Monitoring HRV via the natural log of the root-mean-square difference of successive normal RR intervals (lnRMSSD), a decrease was related to lower parasympathetic activity and a fatigued state, and an increase was related to higher parasympathetic activity and better physical conditioning. This study analyzed daily ANS function changes among professional soccer players at national team training camps during preparation for the UEFA Eurocup 2016. 23 professional soccer players were distributed into two groups: First eleven (players who played more than 60 minutes per soccer match) and Reserves (the rest of the players). HRV and session training load (s-TL) were monitored. Between-group daily differences were assessed using two-way mixed repeated measures ANOVA. s-TL significantly increased (p < .05) at the beginning of each camp and significantly decreased the day before the soccer match (p < .001). There was a significant time by group interaction in lnRMSSD (p = .024). Changes were found in the First eleven group from match day +1 to match day +2 (+0.523 ms, p = .003). After the soccer match, there were between-group differences (p < .05) at +24h and +72h in lnRMSSD. During national team training camps, ANS function was only modified 24h and 72h after playing soccer matches, in players who played a minimum of 60 minutes. This knowledge can help coaches to monitor the impact of soccer matches during training camps to detect fatigue and improve recovery.


#6 Global and region-specific patient-reported outcomes pre and post a division I football season
Reference: Phys Ther Sport. 2020 Jan 25;42:146-150. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.01.014. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Parcell B, Simon JE
Summary: Determine the change in global and region-specific PROMs among athletes from one NCAA Division I football team during one season. Fifty-three Division I collegiate football athletes (n = 54) were eligible (20.1 ± 1.4 years, 187.7 ± 8.3 cm, and 113.5 ± 25.6 kg) for analyses participated in this study. Participants completed five PROMs (Disablement in the Physically Active Scale [DPA], Epworth Sleep Score [ESS], Headache Impact Test [Hit-6], Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand [DASH], and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale [LEFS]) before the season and the same five PROMs after the season. A multivariate repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted for all dependent variables. Alpha level was set at ɑ = 0.05. The overall multivariate repeated measures ANOVA was significant for time (p = 0.01). Follow up one-way ANOVA's indicated the DPA (p < 0.01, mean decrease/worse of 6.6 points) and LEFS (p = 0.01, mean decrease/worse of 4.1 points) were statistically significant between time points. Division I football can be detrimental to the physical, mental, and emotional health of the athletes. From these data, global and one region-specific PROM decreased over one season in one NCAA Division I football team.


#7 Understanding the relative contribution of technical and tactical performance to match outcome in Australian Football
Reference: J Sports Sci. 2020 Feb 7:1-6. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2020.1724044. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Young CM, Luo W, Gastin PB, Dwyer DB
Summary: The aim of this study was to assess if tactical and technical performance indicators (PIs) could be used in combination to model match outcomes in Australian Football (AF). A database of 101 technical PIs and 14 tactical PIs from every match in the 2009-2016 Australian Football League (AFL) seasons was merged. Two outcome measures Win-loss and Score margin were used as dependent variables. The top 45 ranked technical and tactical PIs from a feature selection process were used to model match outcome using decision tree and Generalised Linear Models (GLMs). Of the top 45 selected features, this included seven tactical PIs. The Win-loss-based Decision tree model achieved a classification accuracy of 89.0% and GLM 93.2%. A Score margin-based GLM achieved a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 6.9 points. A combined approach to the classification of match outcomes provided no improvement in model accuracy compared with previous literature. However, this study has established the relative importance of technical and tactical measures of performance in relation to successful team performance in AF.


#8 Reproducibility of Internal and External Training Load During Recreational Small-Sided Football Games
Reference: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2020 Feb 5:1-6. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2019.1697794. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Milanović Z, Rađa A, Erceg M, Trajković N, Stojanović E, Lešnik B, Krustrup P, Randers MB
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of internal and external load parameters during recreational small-sided football games. Ten healthy untrained young adult males (age: 20.2 ± 1.9 yr, body mass: 69.2 ± 6.3 kg, height: 175.4 ± 5.9 cm, body fat: 19.7 ± 5.2%) performed two 2 × 20-min sessions of four versus four plus goalkeeper small-sided games (SSG) 1 week apart on a standard, outdoor, 40 × 20-m artificial grass pitch. Twelve external (total distance, peak speed, player load, work rate and distance covered at 0-2, 2-5, 5-7, 7-9, 9-13, 13-16, 16-20 and >20 km/h) and seven internal load parameters (heart rate and time spent in different heart rate zones [<70%, 71-80%, 81-90%, 91-95%, 96-100%, 91-100%]) were measured. Reproducibility was reported as intraclass coefficient correlation (ICC), the coefficient of variation (CV), and the typical error of measurements (TE). No statistical differences (p> .05) between sessions were found in any measures. Minimal test-retest variability was noted for mean and peak heart rate (HRpeak) relative to HRpeak with CV values of 3.4% and 2.6%, respectively. Acceptable variability (CV<10%) was demonstrated for total distance covered, distance covered at 2-5 km/h, and peak speed. Distance covered in different speed zones (CV = 15.7-47.6%) and percentage of time in each HR zone showed large-to-very large variability (CV = 36.2-128.4%). Mean heart rate (HRmean), HRpeak, distance covered at 5-7, 13-16 and >20 km/h, and percentage of time above 95%HRpeak were the most reliable variables (ICC = 0.74-0.79), followed by total distance covered, peak speed, and percentage of time at 80-90% HRpeak (ICC = 0.39-0.67). The lowest reliability was observed for distance covered in the moderate speed zones 7-9 km/h (ICC = 0.12) and 9-13 km/h (ICC = -0.09), and percentage of time at 70-80% HRpeak (ICC = -0.01). Small-sided games can be used when planning training-induced exercise responses in relation to total distance covered, peak speed, and mean heart rate. This evidence further supports the use of SSG when organizing recreational football training, in young adult males, with the purpose of improving health profile due to the high reproducibility of HRmean and total distance covered.


#9 Uncovering EEG Correlates of Covert Attention in Soccer Goalkeepers: Towards Innovative Sport Training Procedures
Reference: Sci Rep. 2020 Feb 3;10(1):1705. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-58533-2.
Authors: Jeunet C, Tonin L, Albert L, Chavarriaga R, Bideau B, Argelaguet F, Millán JDR, Lécuyer A, Kulpa R
Download link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-58533-2.pdf
Summary: Advances in sports sciences and neurosciences offer new opportunities to design efficient and motivating sport training tools. For instance, using NeuroFeedback (NF), athletes can learn to self-regulate specific brain rhythms and consequently improve their performances. Here, we focused on soccer goalkeepers' Covert Visual Spatial Attention (CVSA) abilities, which are essential for these athletes to reach high performances. We looked for Electroencephalography (EEG) markers of CVSA usable for virtual reality-based NF training procedures, i.e., markers that comply with the following criteria: (1) specific to CVSA, (2) detectable in real-time and (3) related to goalkeepers' performance/expertise. Our results revealed that the best-known EEG marker of CVSA-increased α-power ipsilateral to the attended hemi-field- was not usable since it did not comply with criteria 2 and 3. Nonetheless, we highlighted a significant positive correlation between athletes' improvement in CVSA abilities and the increase of their α-power at rest. While the specificity of this marker remains to be demonstrated, it complied with both criteria 2 and 3. This result suggests that it may be possible to design innovative ecological training procedures for goalkeepers, for instance using a combination of NF and cognitive tasks performed in virtual reality.


#10 Prevalence of Asymptomatic Intra-articular Changes of the Knee in Adult Professional Soccer Players
Reference: Orthop J Sports Med. 2019 Nov 27;7(11):2325967119885370. doi: 10.1177/2325967119885370. eCollection 2019 Nov.
Authors: Bezuglov EN, Lyubushkina AV, Khaitin VY, Tokareva AV, Goncharov EN, Gorinov AV, Sivakova EY, Sereda AP
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6967194/pdf/10.1177_2325967119885370.pdf
Summary: Currently, there are few data on the association between participation in soccer and the condition of the knee joints in adult professional players. The hypothesis was that a high percentage of professional soccer players will have asymptomatic intra-articular changes of the knee. The condition of the intra-articular structures (osteophytes, cartilage, and menisci) in 94 knee joints of 47 adult professional soccer players (mean ± SD age, 25.7 ± 4.6 years; body mass index, 22.8 ± 1.4 kg/m2) was analyzed. A 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner was used to perform the imaging, and the anonymized data were analyzed by 2 experienced radiologists. Cartilage of both knee joints was affected in 97.9% of soccer players. Meniscal lesions were detected in 97.8% of joints, affecting both joints in 93.6% of athletes. Grade 2 cartilage lesions were the most prevalent (36%-60% depending on the lesion site), and grade 4 lesions were detected in 12.7% of joints. The medial femoral condyle and medial tibial plateau were most frequently affected by cartilage lesions (85.1%). Among meniscal lesions, grade 2 lesions were the most prevalent, being detected in 71% of the cases. Grade 3 lesions were detected in 13.8% of the joints. The posterior horn of the lateral meniscus was the most common site of meniscal lesions (affected in 95.7% of the joints). Osteophytes were detected in 4.2% of joints. The prevalence of asymptomatic cartilage and meniscal lesions in the knees of adult professional soccer players is extremely high and is not associated with the reduction of sports involvement. This research should promote the correct interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from soccer players with acute trauma and the reduction of the number of unwarranted surgical procedures.


#11 Injury epidemiology in Australian male professional soccer
Reference: J Sci Med Sport. 2020 Jan 24. pii: S1440-2440(19)31442-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.01.006. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Lu D, McCall A, Jones M, Kovalchik S, Steinweg J, Gelis L, Duffield R
Summary: The purpose was to describe the injury epidemiology of the Australian male professional soccer league (A-League) over 6 consecutive seasons. Match-loss injury data was collected from each A-League club (n=10) for each competition match (n=27/season) over 6 seasons (2012/13-2017/18). Injuries were collected weekly through a standardised protocol and were classified by setting, mechanism, severity, the type and location on the body. Generalised Linear Models were used to estimate the injury incidences (injury/round/season), whilst rate ratios were reported for total injuries and within abovementioned injury classifications. Overall injury incidence was not significantly different ranging from 4.8 (95%CI:4.1-5.8) to 6.7 (95%CI:5.8-7.8) between seasons 2012/13 to 2017/18 (p>0.05). Match injuries remained stable whilst training injuries decreased across the 6 seasons (exp(β) 0.59[95%CI:0.36-1.0]; p=0.04). Respectively, contact and non-contact injuries were not significantly different across the 6 seasons, although non-contact injuries were more common than contact injuries (p>0.05). Mild severity injuries decreased (exp(β) 0.64 [95%CI:0.4-0.9];p=0.02), whilst moderate severity injuries increased (exp(β) 1.7 [95%CI:1.0-2.8];p=0.04) in season 2017/18 compared to 2012/13. The most common injuries were at thigh (23-36%), of which the majority were hamstring injuries (54%-65%) of muscle/tendon type (50-60% of total injuries/season). Injuries remained stable across the seasons by type and location (p>0.05 and p>0.05, respectively). Injury rates, mechanisms, locations and types have remained relatively stable over recent seasons of the A-League. Current Australian professional soccer league medical practices may have contributed to the stability of injury rates.