In-depth control over football players' speed abilities at sport specialization stage

ˑ: 

PhD, Professor A.V. Zakharova1
PhD, Associate Professor K.R. Mekhdieva1
S.V. Kondratovich1
Postgraduate student V.E. Timokhin1
1 Ural Federal University named after First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg

Keywords: speed qualities, comprehensive tests, football.

Background. Speed qualities are in special priority in most of the modern team sports as they directly contribute to the sports dynamism and entertaining aspects. Speed qualities may be defined as the unique individual abilities with a variety of psycho-physiological aspects (testable by the response and decision-making speed rating tests) that provide a basis for progress in strength and motor skills claimed by multiple unpredictable sports conditions. Since the speed qualities are composed of and determined by multiple components and factors and manifested in high-speed actions, coaches may not always be effective enough in the efforts to fairly rate the speed qualities or find reasons for some players lagging behind in the speed qualities in the field tests. Modern 12-15 year old players in the sports specialization groups are known to be in the sensitive speed qualities progress period [2] when all the SQ-responsible bodily systems are relatively well formed albeit still need being mobilized. These age groups, therefore, have a special need for comprehensive speed qualities tests and analyses for the coach and athlete being fully aware of the peaks and falls in the speed qualities trainings to be able to timely and effectively correct the trainings for technical and tactical progress.

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of a comprehensive speed qualities test set and individual speed qualities progress profiling system for the 14-15 year old football players.

Methods and structure of the study. In March 2019 we run laboratory psycho-physiological tests using NeuroSoft-PsychoTest system to rate the simple visual-motor responses and complex visual-motor responses to 30 red flash lights; plus 30-second tapping test; Wingate test on a Monark Ergomedic 894E Peak Bike vertical cycle ergometer (made by Monark, Sweden); vertical jump tests using a pressure platform MARAFON-Electro (Yekaterinburg); and performance in the flash-light training wall (Fitlight Sports Corp., Canada) test. Field test set included a 30m sprint test; long strike test; long jump test; and a shuttle sprint T-test: see Figure 1a.

Figure 1. а – shuttle sprint T-test; b – Fitlight training wall assisted speed qualities test

Start and finish

We sampled for the study 24 football players born in 2004 with the average body lengths and masses of 170.83±6.13cm and 59.85±10.67kg, respectively, and maximal oxygen consumption of 51.93±5.52ml/ kg/ min. Having informed the athletes and their families on the mission, goals and methods of the study, we received their informed consents in writing for the tests and publications as required by the Helsinki Declaration of the World Health Organization. The laboratory tests were run at the Sports Selection and Rehabilitation Lab of the Ural Federal University; and the field tests were run at Children and Youth Olympic Reserve Sport School (CYORSS) on an artificial football field.

Results and discussion. We assumed that speed qualities are genetically predetermined i.e. depend on the innate individual qualities including the mobility of nervous processes, CNS specifics, efficiency of the neuromotor mechanism, fast to slow muscle fiber ratio, etc.; plus the individual neuromuscular coordination, motor apparatus mobilizing and accurate decision making abilities. The latter abilities may be improved by the relevant speed qualities training methods and tools. We made an attempt to cover the whole range of the speed qualities by the above test sets, with the test data grouped as follows:

1. Simple visual-motor responses test data yielded by the color-unspecific flash light test; and complex visual-motor responses test data provided by the color-specific (red light only) test.

2. 5-second tapping test data to rate the CNS ability to control the high-intensity work; and Wingate top-cadence test data.

3. Vertical jump test data to rate the single move speed, push-off time and jump height by the pressure platform; plus long jump test and long strike test data. It should be noted that complex speed qualities are ratable by the tests combining the elementary speed qualities with some other motor skills.
4. The combined speed qualities were rated by the Fitlight test wall assisted test to profile the special coordination abilities by the time claimed to touch by lower limbs 30 randomly activated flash lights: see Figure 1b.

5. Shuttle sprint T-test data indicative of the movement control abilities: see Figure 1a.

6. And the straight movement speed was tested by the 30m sprint test; maximal alactic endurance rating Wingate test and mobilization speed rating power peak reach time in the Wingate test.

As a result, we obtained 6 groups of test rates reasonably well covering the sport-specific speed qualities and summarized them to estimate the group averages (see Table 1 hereunder) and produce the individual speed qualities profiles of the sample: see Figure 2.

Table 1. Average speed qualities of the sample (n=24)

Test rates

M±SD (min-max)

Norm

Simple visual-motor response, ms

198,13±15,26 (178,14-239,11)

180

Complex visual-motor response, ms

297,51±27,81 (235,62-341,59)

270

5s tapping test, count

38,49±3,72 (28,3-45,3)

40

Top cadence, rpm

140, 86±12,92 (112-168,3)

̶

Jump push-off time, ms

40,1±2,07 (36,9 -43)

̶

Vertical jump, m

0,27±0,04 (0,21-0,36)

0,22

Long jump, cm

218,67±13,07 (190-245)

210

Long strike, m

41,41±5,06 (30-51)

-

FitLight test, ms

919±89,77 (739-1169)

-

Shuttle sprint T-test, s

9,28±0,22 (8,93-9,67)

9,5

Maximal alactic endurance, MAErel, W/ kg

12,44±1,27 (9,2-15,1)

12,5

Maximal alactic endurance reach time, s

2,6±1,05 (1,1-5)

2-3

30m sprint tests, s

4,18±0,22 (3,8-4,6)

4,20

For the individual speed qualities profiling (see Figure 2), we took Xnorm values from the Table as the reference points, or, when they were not available, the average group age norms. Then we computed in Microsoft Excel using the formula Xnorm - Xi / Xnorm (1) the individual lags or leads versus the norm. A horizontal line indicates good speed qualities for a 14-15 year-old player, with the segment above corresponding to the excellent speed qualities. The segments below the line show drawbacks in the individual speed qualities – the longer is the segment, the greater is the lag; with the–0.05 to +0.05 zone considered within the norm.

Figure 2. Individudal speed qualities profiles

The individual speed qualities profiles (Figure 2) make it possible to find the speed qualities deficiencies. Thus Footballer 1 was recommended to give a special priority to the movement frequency and long jump training. Since his vertical jump (secured by the quadriceps) was rated excellent, the long jump deficiency may be due to the imperfect execution technique or substandard strength of the thigh biceps of limiting effect on the long jumping and running skills [1]. Footballer 2 was tested with only one weakness on the simple visual-motor response scale indicative of the relatively low thinking speed. He was recommended a few thinking speed improvement trainings including fast reading and reporting practices, double-speed watching of movies; and commentaries in the sports events.

Conclusion. Comprehensive speed qualities tests and analyses require combinations of the sports research laboratory and field tests, with the extensive test data used for the individual speed qualities profiling to find the progresses and drawbacks in the sport-specific speed qualities.

The study was run under Contract #02.A03.21 pursuant to the Government of RF Decree # 211

References

  1. Seluyanov V.N. Middle distance runner training. Moscow: SportAkademPress publ., 2001, 104 p.
  2. Chirva. B.G. Junior footballer training design in view of sensitive periods of formation of technical skills. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2007. No. 4. pp.16-18.

Corresponding author: sport_tsp@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of a comprehensive speed qualities test set and individual speed qualities progress profiling system for the 14-15 year old football players.
Methods and structure of the study. The laboratory test toolkit included: a psychophysiological test used to obtain the central nervous system functionality rates. The pedagogical test toolkit included: 30m run from standing start, flying ball strike, standing long jump and football T-test  ̶  speed run with changing directions. Sampled for the study conducted in March 2019 were 24 football players of 2004 of birth (body length - 170.83±6.13 cm, body weight - 59.85±10.67 kg, maximum oxygen consumption - 51.93±5.52 ml/kg/min). The athletes and their parents were informed in detail on the ongoing research goals, objectives and methods and gave a written consent for the study and publication of the data obtained. The work was carried out in accordance with the WMA Declaration of Helsinki.
The laboratory tests were conducted in the laboratory "Technologies of Sports Rehabilitation and Selection" of the Common Use Center of Ural State University, field tests  - on the grass pitch of the Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve "VIZ".

Study results and conclusions. During the study, there were formed 6 groups of indicators that fully characterized the speed ability components as required by the specifics of football. The testing revealed the mean group indicators and made it possible to form individual speed ability profiles.
The control over the football players' speed abilities requires differentiation in conditions of the scientific sports laboratory. The in-depth control over the speed abilities of each football player in the laboratory and field conditions may help determine the leading and trailing links in the structure of their speed skills.