Reliability and validity of the newly developed tests of football specific change of direction speed and reactive agility in youth players

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Foretic ◽  
Barbara Gilic ◽  
Damir Sekulic
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Factorial Validity ◽  
Specific Change ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Youth Football ◽  
Reactive Agility

Purpose: Agility is an important determinant of success in football (soccer), but there is a lack of reliable and valid tests applicable in the evaluation of different agility components in youth football players. In this study we evaluated the reliability and factorial validity of the two newly developed tests of agility in male youth football players. Methods: The sample comprised 44 youth football players (all males, 14–15 years of age) who were tested on anthropometrics (body height and mass), newly developed tests of foot-ball specific reactive agility (FS-RAG) and change of direction speed (FS-CODS), one stand-ard test of CODS (20-yards), and sprinting over 20-m distance (S20M). The relative reliability is evaluated by calculation of Intra-Class-Correlation coeficients (ICC), while the absolute reliability was evaluated by calculation of the coeficient of variation (CV). Further, systematic bias was checked by analysis of variance for repeated measurements (ANOVA). The asso-ciations between studied variables were evidenced by Pearson’s correlation. Finally, factor analysis was calculated to define the factorial validity of agility tests (FS-RAG, FS-CODS, 20-yards). Results: The newly developed football-specific tests were found to be reliable, with better re-liability of FS-CODS (ICC: 0.81, CV: 6%), than of FS-RAG (ICC: 0.76, CV: 9%). The ANOVA evidenced significant (p < 0.05) learning effects for FS-RAG, but post-hoc analysis indicated stabilization of the results until the third testing trial. Factor analysis extracted one significant factor under the Guttmann-Kaiser criterion (Explained Variance: 1.67), showing the appro-priate factorial validity of newly developed tests in comparison to standard agility indicator 20-yards. Meanwhile, the significant correlations between all agility performances with S20M (Pearson’s R: 0.52–0.63; all p < 0.01) revealed that sprinting capacity significantly influence agility performances and that conditioning capacities of youth football players are not yet discriminated. Conclusion: Results showed appropriate reliability and validity of the newly developed tests of football specific change of direction speed and reactive agility. Therefore, here proposed FS-CODS and FS-RAG can be used as reliable and valid measures of agility components in youth football players. Further studies should evaluate the discriminative validity of the here proposed tests (i.e. identification of position-specific or performance-related differences), as well as reliability in younger players than those studied herein.

scholarly journals Importance of Agility Performance in Professional Futsal Players; Reliability and Applicability of Newly Developed Testing Protocols

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damir Sekulic ◽  
Nikola Foretic ◽  
Barbara Gilic ◽  
Michael R. Esco ◽  
Raouf Hammami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Height ◽  
T Test ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Reactive Agility ◽  
Testing Protocols ◽  
Level Group ◽  
Dominant Side

The purpose of this study was to determine the inter- and intra-testing reliability of newly developed tests of the change of direction speed (CODS) and reactive agility (RAG) in competitive futsal players. Additionally, the developed tests were evaluated for their validity with regard to the differentiation of two performance-levels. Thirty-two professional male futsal players (age = 26.22 ± 5.22 years; body height = 182.13 ± 5.99 cm, body mass = 77.43 ± 8.00 kg) participated in the study. The sample was divided into two groups based on their level of futsal performance: A top-level-group (n = 12) and a team-level-group (n = 20). The variables included body height, mass, body mass index, a sprint over a 10-m distance (S10M), and eight newly developed futsal specific CODS and RAG tests. The CODS and RAG tests were performed by dribbling the balls (CODS_D and RAG_D) and without dribbling (CODS_T and RAG_T), and the performances on the dominant and non-dominant sides were observed separately. All CODS, and RAG tests performed on dominant side and RAG_T tests performed on the non-dominant side had good inter-testing (CV = 5–8%; ICC = 0.76–0.89) and intra-testing (CV = 4–9%; ICC = 0.77–0.91) reliability. However, RAG_D performed on the non-dominant side was not reliable (ICC = 0.60, CV = 10%). The top-level-players outperformed the team-level-players in the CODS and RAG tests that involved dribbling (t-test: 4.28 and 2.40, p < 0.05; effect sizes (ES): 0.81 and 1.5, respectively), while the team-level players achieved better results in the CODS_T (t-test: 2.08, p < 0.05; ES: 0.60). The proposed CODS and RAG tests that involved dribbling over a 3.2-m distance, especially on the dominant side, appeared to be reliable, as well as valid for distinguishing the performance level in futsal players.

Reliability and Generality of Measures of Acceleration, Planned Agility, and Reactive Agility

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon L. Oliver ◽  
Robert W. Meyers
Keyword(s):  
Light Stimulus ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Reactive Agility ◽  
Physical Abilities ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Visual Light

Purpose:The purpose of the current study was to assess the reliability of a new protocol that examines different components of agility using commercially available timing gates.Methods:Seventeen physically active males completed four trials of a new protocol, which consisted of a number of 10-m sprints. Sprints were completed in a straight line or with a change of direction after 5 m. The change of direction was either planned or reactive, with participants reacting to a visual light stimulus.Results:There was no systematic bias in any of the measures, although random variation was reduced in the straight acceleration and planned agility when considering only the fnal pair of trials, with mean coefficients of variation (CV) of 1.6% (95%CI, 1.2% to 2.4%) and 1.1% (0.8% to 1.7%), respectively. Reliability of reactive agility remained consistent throughout with mean CVs of approximately 3%. Analyses revealed a high degree of common variance between acceleration times and both planned (r2 = .93) and reactive (r2 = .83) agility, as well as between the two agility protocols (r2 = .87).Conclusion:Both planned and reactive agility could be measured reliably. Protocol design and use of a light stimulus in the reactive test emphasize physical abilities comparable with other test measures. Therefore, inclusion of a reactive light stimulus does not appear to require any additional perceptual qualities.

Predicting futsal specific change of direction speed and reactive agility; analysis of specific correlates in top-level players

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Zeljko ◽  
Miodrag Spasic ◽  
Damir Sekulic
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Predictive Validity ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Strength Index ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Reactive Agility ◽  
National Champions ◽  
Specific Influence

Purpose: Change of direction speed (CODS) and reactive agility (RAG) are important qual-ities in futsal, but studies rarely examined the predictors of these conditioning capacities in players of advanced level. This study aimed to evaluate predictive validity of certain an-thropometric and conditioning capacities in evaluation of futsal specific CODS and RAG in top-level players. Methods: The sample comprised 54 male players from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, members of teams competing at the highest national rank, including national champions for the 2017–2018 competitive season in both countries. The variables comprised set of pre-dictors (body mass, body height, triceps skinfold, reactive strength index [RSI], sprint 10 m [S10M], and broad jump [BJ]; and four criteria: futsal specific CODS and RAG, performed with and without dribbling (CODS_D, CODS_WD, RAG_D, RAG_WD). To identify the asso-ciation between variables Pearson’s correlation and multiple regressions were calculated. Results: Observed predictors explained statistically significant (p < 0.05) percentage of vari-ance for all four criteria (Rsq: 0.28, 0.30, 0.23 and 0.25, for CODS_WD, CODS_D, RAG_WD, RAG_D, respectively). Body mass was significant predictor for all criteria (Beta: 0.35–0.51), with poorer performances in heavier players. In both performances which involved dribbling, significant predictors was RSI (Beta: −0.27 and −0.31 for CODS_D and RAG_D, respective-ly), with superior performances in players with better RSI. The S10M and BJ were not identi-fied as being significantly correlated to studied RAG and CODS performances. Conclusion: Study confirmed specific influence of studied predictors of futsal specific CODS and RAG with consistent negative influence of body mass on studied performances. Almost certainly this can be explained by specifics of RAG and CODS execution. Specifically, tests are performed over relatively small distances, with several changes of direction, which clear-ly mimic the futsal specific performances. Although sprint performance is often observed as important determinant of CODS and RAG, herein we did not confirm its predictive validity in explanation of futsal specific CODS and RAG. Future studies should evaluate other poten-tially important predictors of these capacities in futsal.

scholarly journals RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF CHANGE-OF-DIRECTION SPEED TESTS FOR JUNIOR BASKETBALL PLAYERS

2021 ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Nenad Selaković ◽  
Željko Krneta
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Internal Validity ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Test Body ◽  
T Test ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Change Of Direction

The main goal of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of change-of-direction speed (CODS) tests for junior basketball players and to test the differences between the positions of players on the team. On a sample of 66 junior basketball players (18.2±3.18 years), the CODS was tested using the following tests: the Lane Agility Test (LAT), Zigzag Agility Test (ZAT), Agility T-test and Modified Agility T-test. Body height and body mass were used as control variables. α-Cronbach's coefficient was calculated to determine the reliability and internal consistency of the measurements, as well as the average correlation between the trials of each test. The difference between groups of players was tested by MANCOVA. CODS tests showed good to high reliability (interclass correlations ranged from 0.83-0.93 with a variability of 4.4% to 6.4% for the entire sample). The first principal component was determined, which included 83% of the total variance of the analyzed variables. Very high coefficients of internal validity of all the applied tests (0.93-0.98) were obtained on the common subject of defined measurements. Significant differences were found between groups of players by position in favor of outside players (guards) on two tests LAT and ZAT (F=18.023; 8.559 and p≤0.005) with control of the influence of body height and body mass. All tests can be rated as reliable and valid for junior basketball players. LAT proved to be the most suitable for assessing the CODS in young basketball players, with the best discrimination of players by position on the team.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Reactive Agility and Change of Direction Speed in Professional Female Basketball and Handball Players

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Popowczak ◽  
Ireneusz Cichy ◽  
Andrzej Rokita ◽  
Jarosław Domaradzki
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Anthropometric Parameters ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Anthropometric Features ◽  
Reactive Agility ◽  
Partial Correlations ◽  
The Difference

Assessing the physical ability of players to perform change of direction and the cognitive and motor abilities revealed in reactive agility (RA) is necessary to understand the physical requirements and capabilities of professional players in handball and basketball. The main aim of this study was to determine the differences between professional female basketball and handball players in terms of anthropometric features, change of direction speed (CODS), and the RA task. Moreover, the relationships among anthropometric features, agility, and parameters of perception were determined. Two scenarios of the Five-Time Shuttle Run to Gates test (planned and unplanned) were used to evaluate the CODS and RA. The response time (RT) was also measured in the unplanned scenario. Additionally, the index of reactivity (REAC-INDEX) was specified as the difference between the RA test result and the measurement of CODS. There was a significant difference found in terms of body height, with basketball players being taller than handball players (p = 0.032). Professional female handball players achieved better results than professional female basketball players with regard to RA tasks (p = 0.01) and CODS (p = 0.041). Significant simple correlations between each anthropometric feature (body height, body mass) and values for CODS and RA were observed (r = 0.49–0.53). Applying partial correlation allowed for the assessment of actual relationships among CODS, RA, RT, and REAC-INDEX, without a confounding variable. Detaching the anthropometric parameters from the rest of the relationships resulted in maintenance or changes in r-values and an increased significance in the relationships between each pair: RA vs. RT, RA vs. REAC-INDEX, and RT vs. REAC-INDEX. The strongest associations were related to RT vs. REAC-INDEX (r = 0.97 at detaching body height or body mass, p &lt; 0.001) and CODS vs. RA (r = 0.66 at detaching body height and r = −0.67 at detaching body mass, p &lt; 0.001). It is recommended to use partial correlations in subsequent studies, as simple correlations are not reliable and may not reveal the apparent relationships between the variables. In addition, when determining the CODS and RA, it is suggested to take anthropometric and perception variables into account, such as reaction time or REAC-INDEX.

scholarly journals Reliability and Factorial Validity of Non-Specific and Tennis-Specific Pre-Planned Agility Tests; Preliminary Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damir Sekulic ◽  
Ognjen Uljevic ◽  
Mia Peric ◽  
Miodrag Spasic ◽  
Miran Kondric
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Body Height ◽  
T Test ◽  
Test Duration ◽  
Factorial Validity ◽  
Tennis Players ◽  
Important Quality ◽  
Kaiser Criterion ◽  
Latent Dimension

AbstractAgility is an important quality in tennis, yet there is an evident lack of studies focussing on the applicability of tennis-specific agility performances and comparing them to equivalent non-specific agility performances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and factorial validity of three tests of pre-planned agility, performed in specific (with a tennis racquet) and non-specific (without a tennis racquet) conditions. The sample consisted of 33 tennis players (13 males and 20 females; age: 18.3 ± 1.1 years and 18.6 ± 1.3 years; body height: 185.4 ± 51 cm and 169.3 ± 4.2 cm, 74.0 ± 4.4 kg and 61.2 ± 3.1 kg, respectively). The variables comprised three agility tests: a 20-yard test, a T-test and the Illinois test, all performed in both specific and non-specific conditions. Between-subject and within-subject reliability were found to be high (Cronbach Alpha: 0.93 to 0.98; Coefficient of Variation: 3 to 8%), with better within-subject reliability and stability of the measurement for specific tests. Pearson’s product moment correlations between the non-specific and specific agility performances were high (r ≥0.84), while factor analysis extracted only one significant latent dimension on the basis of the Guttman-Kaiser criterion. The results of the 20-yard test were better when the test was conducted in the specific conditions (t-test = 2.66; p < 0.05). For the Illinois test, superior results were recorded in the non-specific conditions (t-test = 2.96; p < 0.05), which can be explained by the test duration (about 20 s) and non-specific locomotion forms such as rotational movements. Considering the findings of the present study, when testing tennis-specific pre-planned agility, we suggest using tests of short duration (less than 10 s) and sport-specific types of locomotion.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Association Between Motor and Anthropometric Variables with Change of Direction Speed and Reactive Agility Performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tine Sattler ◽  
Damir Sekulić ◽  
Miodrag Spasić ◽  
Mia Perić ◽  
Ante Krolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Male Body ◽  
College Level ◽  
F Test ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Stop And Go ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Reactive Agility ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractThere is an evident lack of studies examining the factors associated with reactive agility performances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between anthropometrics, body composition, jumping capacity, reactive strength, and balance with a stop-and-go change of direction speed (CODS) and reactive agility. The total sample comprised 39 male (body height: 182.95 ± 5.19 cm; body mass: 80.66 ± 7.69 kg) and 34 female (body height: 171.45 ± 6.81 cm; body mass: 61.95 ± 6.70 kg) college-level athletes (21.9 ± 1.9 years of age). The variables included body height, body mass, the percentage of body fat (BF%), balance as measured by an overall-stability index, the countermovement jump (CMJ), a reactive-strength index (RSI), stop-and-go reactive agility, and stop-and-go CODS. To define the associations between motor and anthropometric variables with CODS and reactive agility, the participants were clustered into three achievement groups based on their CODS and reactive agility performances. The ANOVA showed a significant difference between the CODS-based achievement groups for the CMJ (F test = 3.45 and 3.60 for males and females, respectively; p < 0.05), the RSI (F test = 6.94 and 5.29 for males and females, respectively; p < 0.05), and balance (F test = 3.47; p < 0.05 for males). In females, the reactive agility achievement groups differed significantly in the RSI (F test = 6.46; p < 0.05), the CMJ (F test = 4.35; p < 0.05) and BF% (F test = 4.07; p < 0.05), which is further confirmed by discriminant canonical analysis (Can R = 0.74; p < 0.05). The results confirm the need for independent evaluation and training for both CODS and reactive agility performance in sports.

scholarly journals Agility Testing in Youth Football (Soccer)Players; Evaluating Reliability, Validity, and Correlates of Newly Developed Testing Protocols

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ante Krolo ◽  
Barbara Gilic ◽  
Nikola Foretic ◽  
Haris Pojskic ◽  
Raouf Hammami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Significant Proportion ◽  
T Test ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Youth Football ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
Reactive Agility ◽  
Explained Variance

Reactive agility (RAG) and change of direction speed (CODS) are important determinants of success in football (soccer), but there is an evident lack of information on reliable and valid football-specific testing procedures which will be applicable in defining sport-specific RAG and CODS in youth players. This study evaluated reliability and construct validity of newly developed tests of football-specific RAG (FS_RAG) and CODS (FS_CODS), which involved the ball kicking football technique. Additionally, factors associated with FS_RAG and FS_CODS were evaluated. The participants were youth football players (n = 59; age: 13.40 ± 1.25 years) divided according to their age into U13 (11–12 years of age; n = 29), and U15 (13–14 years of age; n = 30) categories. Additionally, performance levels (starters [first-team] vs. non-starters [substitutes]) were observed in each age category. The dependent variables were newly developed FS_RAG and FS_CODS tests. The independent variables were sprinting capacities over 10 and 20 meters (S10M, S20M), countermovement jump (CMJ), the reactive strength index (RSI), and a generic CODS test of 20 yards (20Y). The newly developed FS_CODS and FS_RAG were observed as dependent variables. Results showed appropriate intra-testing and inter-testing reliability of the FS_RAG and FS_CODS, with somewhat better reliability of the FS_CODS (ICC=0.82 and 0.79, respectively). Additionally, better reliability was evidenced in U15 than in U13 (ICC: 0.82–0.85, and 0.78-0.80 for U15 and U13, respectively). Independent samples t-test indicated significant differences between U13 and U15 in S10 (t-test: 3.57, p < 0.001), S20M (t-test: 3.13, p < 0.001), 20Y (t-test: 4.89, p < 0.001), FS_RAG (t-test: 3.96, p < 0.001), and FS_CODS (t-test: 6.42, p < 0.001), with better performance in U15. Starters outperformed non-starters in most capacities among U13, but only in FS_RAG among U15 (t-test: 1.56, p < 0.05). Multiple regression calculations indicated nonsignificant association between independent and dependent variables in U13 (FS_CODS: 19%, FS_RAG: 21% of the explained variance, both p > 0.05), but independent variables explained significant proportion of both dependent variables in U15 (FS_CODS: 35%, FS_RAG: 33% explained variance, both p < 0.05). The study confirmed the applicability of newly developed tests in distinguishing studied age categories of players. Results indicate that superiority in all studied fitness capacities is translated into performance level in U13. Meanwhile, FS_RAG seems to be important determinant of quality in U15.

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