Influence of football size on kicking performance in youth Australian rules footballers.

In Australian rules football structured increases in ball size during development end with the transition to the Size 5 (adult) ball at the Under-15 age group. This study assessed changes in kick technique and performance in experienced junior performers when using Size 4 and 5 Australian rules footballs. Participants (n = 22, 13.77 ± 0.61 years) performed drop punt kicks in 2 representative tasks; a Decision-Making Test (DMT) (n = 14) and Set-Shot Test (SST) (n = 14 + 8). Results indicate participants sustained their level of kick performance (accuracy and quality of ball spin) in both tests when using a Size 5 football. Sustained kick performance in the DMT primarily resulted from adaptations to time-point technical measures at ball release. No significant differences were detected for technical measures between ball sizes in the SST. A dynamic kicking task (DMT) in combination with ball size manipulation may have placed greater demand on skill execution in comparison to a self-paced kicking task (SST). Results provide initial support for the utility of challenging representative dynamic and self-paced tasks, such as the DMT and SST used here for Australian football, for skill testing and practice in sport.