Search results for "Soccer"

Identification of Defensive Performance Factors in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

2016

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of defensive play in elite football, to identify variables associated with the direct recovery of ball possession, and to propose a model for predicting the success of defensive transitions. We analyzed 804 transitions in the final stages of the Fedération Internationale Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2010, and investigated the following variables using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses: duration of defensive transition, possession loss zone, position of players at the start and end of the defensive transitions, defensive organization, general defensive approach, time of the match, position of defense, zone in which t…

Effects of specific training on hormone levels in female athletes.

2008

Comparison of conventional hamstring/quadriceps ratio between genders in level-matched soccer players

2017

Abstract Objectives: The main goal of our study is to compare the hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q) ratio at different knee angles between level-matched male and female soccer players and to determine whether differences in the H/Q ratio exist between the dominant and the non-dominant leg. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to compare an isometric H/Q ratio and functional isokinetic ratio (between hamstring in eccentric contraction and quadriceps in concentric contraction) between males (n = 14) and females (n = 14). These ratios were studied at two different speeds of movement (60° s−1 and 180° s−1) and in five different positions (40°, 50°, 60°, 70° and 80° degrees of knee flexion)…

Longitudinal Associations between Physical Activity and Educational Outcomes

2017

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Comparing self-reported leisure-time physical activity, subjective health, and life satisfaction among youth soccer players and adolescents in a refe…

2013

The aim of the study was to examine to what extent young people who play organised soccer rate their leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, life satisfaction, and health more positively and higher than a same-aged population-based reference group (including some adolescents who also played organised soccer). Data from two samples of five countries (England, France, Greece, Norway, and Spain) were included: a sample of soccer players aged 10-14 years who participated in the Promoting Adolescent Physical Activity project [Duda, J.L., Quested, E., Haug, E., Samdal, O., Wold, B., Balaguer, I., …  Cruz, J. (2013). Promoting Adolescent health through an intervention aimed at improvi…

Relationship between heart rate variability and repeated sprint exercise in young soccer players

2014

Aim: The sport of soccer is characterized by neuromuscular performance resulting in short bursts interspersed by brief recovery periods over an extended period of time. Several studies suggest that the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) may provide useful information regarding the functional adaptations to training stimulus. Although HRV has often been associated with aerobic power and cardiovascular fitness, the influence of sympathovagal balance on neuromuscular performance in young athletes is not well assessed. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the autonomic system on the performance of repeated sprints, involving predomina…

Match Load Physical Demands in U-19 Professional Soccer Players Assessed by a Wearable Inertial Sensor

2023

Background: Wearable inertial sensors are poorly used in soccer to monitor external load (EL) indicators. However, these devices could be useful for improving sports performance and potentially reducing the risk of injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the EL indicators (i.e., cinematic, mechanical, and metabolic) differences between playing positions (i.e., central backs, external strikers, fullbacks, midfielders, and wide midfielder) during the first half time of four official matches (OMs). Methods: 13 young professional soccer players (Under-19; age: 18.5 ± 0.4 years; height: 177 ± 6 cm; weight: 67 ± 4.8 kg) were monitored through a wearable inertial sens…

The Quest for Twelfth Man: Evidence from Italian Professional Soccer

2008

INJURY PREVENTION IN YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS: RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY

2012

Risk factors for soccer injuries and prevention have been discussed by several authors, but only few have investigated the effectiveness of preventive interventions, in particular in the last few years. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a prevention program on the incidence of soccer-related injuries in three different categories of younger players (Allievi, Giovanissimi e Primavera). The soccer teams took part in a prevention program to decrease injury risk, for two agonistic seasons (2005-06, 2006-07). Before identifying training programs, we valued the younger fitness status: each youth soccer players (aged 13 to 19) performed exercise tests of functional capaci…

Athletes' feeling states related to best and worst soccer games and the coaches' ability to recognize them

2014

The coach-athlete relationship is an important factor linked to the performance and well-being of athletes. Athlete’s feeling states prior to performance and the ability of a coach to monitor these states are equally important. However, this area still lacks the study of the coach’s ability to effectively “read” their players in their successful and unsuccessful performances. The purpose of this study was to examine the feeling states of eleven selected starters from a female Finnish 1st division football team prior to their best and worst games. A secondary aim was to assess the ability of the coaches to recognize their athletes’ feeling states prior to their successful and unsuccessful ga…