Change of direction frequency off the ball: new perspectives in elite youth soccer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of change of directions (COD) and examine the influences of position, leg dominance and anthropometrics on COD in elite youth soccer match play.

Methods: Twenty-four elite male English Premier League (EPL) academy players (19.0 ± 1.

Contextualised peak periods of play in English Premier League matches.

The present study aimed to determine the physical-tactical trends of elite players/teams during peak 1-, 3- and 5-min periods of match-play. A total of 50 English Premier League matches (n = 583 player observations) were analysed by coding the players' physical-tactical activities through the synchronisation of tracking data and video. The contextualised data showed that during the peak periods (i.

Injury risk is greater in physically mature versus biologically younger male soccer players from academies in different countries.

Objectives: To investigate if maturity status was associated with injury risk in male academy soccer players.

Design: Prospective cohort surveillance study.

Setting: Professional soccer academies.

Playing Position and the Injury Incidence Rate in Male Academy Soccer Players.

Context: Whether playing position influences injury in male academy soccer players (ASPs) is unclear.

Objective: To determine if playing position was associated with injury in ASPs.

Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Physiological characteristics and acute fatigue associated with position-specific speed endurance soccer drills: production vs maintenance training.

: The study aimed to compare the physiological characteristics and acute fatigue associated with position-specific speed endurance production (SEP) and maintenance (SEM) soccer drills.: Twenty male soccer players performed a position specific drill consisting of 8 exercise bouts each lasting ~30 s interspersed by 150 s (SEP) and 60 s (SEM) of passive recovery. A selection of players (n = 10) completed neuromuscular assessments pre and post drill.

The genetic association with injury risk in male academy soccer players depends on maturity status.

It is currently unknown if injury risk is associated with genetic variation in academy soccer players (ASP). We investigated whether nine candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated (individually and in combination) with injury in ASP at different stages of maturation. Saliva samples and one season's injury records were collected from 402 Caucasian male ASP from England, Spain, Uruguay, and Brazil, whose maturity status was defined as pre- or post-peak height velocity (PHV).

Maturity-associated considerations for training load, injury risk, and physical performance in youth soccer: One size does not fit all.

Biological maturation can be defined as the timing and tempo of progress to achieving a mature state. The estimation of age of peak height velocity (PHV) or percentage of final estimated adult stature attainment (%EASA) is typically used to inform the training process in young athletes. In youth soccer, maturity-related changes in anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics are diverse among individuals, particularly around PHV.

An injury audit in high-level male youth soccer players from English, Spanish, Uruguayan and Brazilian academies.

Objectives: To identify the most common injury types/locations in high-level male youth soccer players (YSP).

Design: Prospective cohort surveillance study.

Setting: Professional soccer club academies.

Are Current Physical Match Performance Metrics in Elite Soccer Fit for Purpose or Is the Adoption of an Integrated Approach Needed?

Time-motion analysis is a valuable data-collection technique used to quantify the physical match performance of elite soccer players. For over 40 years, researchers have adopted a "traditional" approach when evaluating match demands by simply reporting the distance covered or time spent along a motion continuum of walking through to sprinting. This methodology quantifies physical metrics in isolation without integrating other factors, and this ultimately leads to a 1-dimensional insight into match performance.

Physiological response, time-motion characteristics, and reproducibility of various speed-endurance drills in elite youth soccer players: small-sided games versus generic running.

Purpose: To quantify the physiological responses, time-motion characteristics, and reproducibility of various speed-endurance-production (SEP) and speed-endurance-maintenance (SEM) drills.

Methods: Sixteen elite male youth soccer players completed 4 drills: SEP 1 v 1 small-sided game (SSG), SEP running drill, SEM 2 v 2 SSG, and SEM running drill. Heart-rate response, blood lactate concentration, subjective rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and time-motion characteristics were recorded for each drill.