Evaluation of match-running distances covered by soccer players during the UEFA EURO 2016

Background: Despite a substantial body of literature on match-running distances covered by soccer players in domestic leagues, there appears to be limited information on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro competitions.Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the match-running distances covered by soccer players during the UEFA Euro 2016.Methods: A multiple-camera tracking system (InStat Ltd) was used to analyse 228 observations of soccer players who played 15 full matches during the tournament. The outfield players were categorised according to the following playing positions: central defenders (CDs), n=58; wide defenders (WDs), n=45; central midfielders (CMs), n=53, wide midfielders (WMs), n=38; and attackers (ATs), n=34. Data were reported as means with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was undertaken to examine the significant differences among players based on playing positions.Results: The results indicated that the overall total distance covered by players was 10 350 m, ranging from 8 446 m to 12 982 m. ATs covered the longest distance in high-speed running (872 m; 95% CI = 813–931), while CDs covered the shortest distance (542 m; 95% CI = 503–581). A statistically significant difference was observed in high-speed running among players (F (4 223) = 36.92, P=0.001).Conclusion: The findings of this study provide soccer scientists and coaches with important information to design and implement training sessions in order to elucidate the physical demands of players in view of successful team performance. Keywords: movement patterns, high-speed running, trainin

Physical demands analysis of soccer players during the extra-time periods of the UEFA Euro 2016

Background: Despite the importance of extra-time (ET) in determining success in the knockout stages of tournaments, there is scant information on the physical demands of ET on soccer players.Methods: This study investigated the physical demands of all soccer players (n=59) who completed four matches that went to ET at the 2016 UEFA Euro Championship. Players were categorised as follows: central defenders (CDs), wide defenders (WDs), central midfielders (CMs), wide midfielders (WMs) and attackers (ATs). Match activities were captured using a validated camera tracking system (InStat®). Descriptive statistics and repeated measures one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse the data.Results: The findings showed that total distances covered by players during matches decreased by 13% from the first half of the game (113±10 m/min) to ET (98±10 m/min). Concerning playing positions, a decline in total distances covered during matches was more apparent among midfielders than players in other field positions. A repeated measures ANOVA, with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction, showed that the mean total distances differed significantly between halves of the game [F(1.54, 83.28) = 121.97, p < 0.001].Conclusion: Intervention strategies needed to sustain soccer players’ physical performance during ET periods and of post-match recovery modalities warrant further investigation.Keywords: distance, physical performance, substitution, tournamen

Familial and peer influences on sport participation among adolescents in rural South African secondary schools

This study was designed to investigate the influences of family and peers on sport participation amongst adolescents in secondary schools at Hlanganani rural area of Limpopo Province, South Africa. A total of 172 learners (108 females and 64 males) attending three public secondary schools in Hlanganani rural area volunteered to participate in the study. Results indicated that adolescents preferred peers to family for support in sport participation. In terms of gender, no significant differences (p>0.05) were noted between mean values for school boys and girls with regard to family influence. Boys reported more tangible support, whereas girls indicated a preference for emotional support. Sport participation among learners is likely to increase when they receive informational, tangible, emotional and appraisal support from their parents and peers

Evaluation of match-running distances covered by soccer players during the UEFA EURO 2016

Background: Despite a substantial body of literature on match-running distances covered by soccer players in domestic leagues, there appears to be limited information on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro competitions.  Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the match-running distances covered by soccer players during the UEFA Euro 2016.  Methods: A multiple-camera tracking system (InStat Ltd) was used to analyse 228 observations of soccer players who played 15 full matches during the tournament. The outfield players were categorised according to the following playing positions: central defenders (CDs), n=58; wide defenders (WDs), n=45; central midfielders (CMs), n=53, wide midfielders (WMs), n=38; and attackers (ATs), n=34. Data were reported as means with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was undertaken to examine the significant differences among players based on playing positions.  Results: The results indicated that the overall total distance covered by players was 10 350 m, ranging from 8 446 m to 12 982 m. ATs covered the longest distance in high-speed running (872 m; 95% CI = 813–931), while CDs covered the shortest distance (542 m; 95% CI = 503–581). A statistically significant difference was observed in high-speed running among players (F (4 223) = 36.92, P=0.001).  Conclusion: The findings of this study provide soccer scientists and coaches with important information to design and implement training sessions in order to elucidate the physical demands of players in view of successful team performance.&nbsp

Development and initial validation of an instrument to assess stressors among South African sports coaches.

The aim of this series of studies was to develop and initially validate an instrument to assess stressors among South African sports coaches. In study one, a preliminary pool of 45 items was developed based on existing literature and an expert panel was employed to assess the content validity and applicability of these items. In study two, the 32 items that were retained after study one were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA). The resultant factorial structure comprised four components: environmental stressors, performance stressors, task-related stressors, and athlete stressors. These four components were made up of 26 items and, together, the components and items comprised the provisional Stressors in Sports Coaching Questionnaire (SSCQ). The results show that the SSCQ demonstrates acceptable internal consistency (.73-.89). The findings provide preliminary evidence that SSCQ is a valid tool to assess stressors among South African sports coaches

Design and preliminary validation of the Barriers to Sports Coaching Questionnaire for Women in South Africa: An application of the ecological model

The purpose of this study was to develop and preliminarily validate a questionnaire to examine barriers to coaching that are encountered by women sports coaches in South Africa. Two series of studies were conducted to assess content and face validity, factorial structure, and reliability of a new questionnaire. In study one, 40 items were developed based on LaVoi and Dutove’s ecological model of barriers and supports for female coaches and a thorough literature review. A panel of experts was employed to explore content validity and suitability of the provisional items. In study two, an initial 35-item questionnaire (the Barriers to Sports Coaching Questionnaire for Women; BSCQW) was administered to 152 women sports coaches who were working in South Africa. Principal component analysis was used to reduce items and determine the factorial structure of the questionnaire. Analyses resulted in a 32-item BSCQW, which consists of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, and socio-cultural barriers to coaching. The most proximal barriers were organisational (M = 2.71, SD = 1.24) and interpersonal (M = 2.22, SD = 1.04). The findings indicate that the overall internal consistency of the BSCQW was .81, demonstrating that the questionnaire was reliable. Thus, BSCQW is a valid tool to assess barriers experienced by women sports coaches in South Africa. Further rigorous psychometric assessments are warranted

Physical performance analysis of elite soccer players during the extra-time periods of the 2016 UEFA Euro Championship

Background: Despite the importance of extra-time in determining success in the knockout stages of soccer tournaments, there remains scant information on the physical demands of extra time on elite players. Methods: This study investigated the physical performance profiles of all soccer players (N=59) who completed four matches that went to extra time at the 2016 UEFA Euro Championship. Players were categorised as follows: central defenders (CDs), wide defenders (WDs), central midfielders (CMs), wide midfielders (WMs), and attackers (ATs). Match activities were captured using a validated camera tracking system (InStat®). Results: The findings showed that total distances covered by players during matches consistently decreased by 13% from the first half of the game (112.79±10.17 m) to extra time (103.17±6.39 m). The reduction of the total distance covered, especially in high-intensity running (i.e., high-speed running and sprinting), was more apparent in ATs than players in other positions. Conclusion: Intervention strategies needed to sustain soccer players’ physical performance during extra-time periods and of post-match recovery modalities warrant further investigation

Match-Related Statistics Differentiating Winning and Losing Teams at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Soccer Championship

This study investigated game-related statistics differentiating the winning and losings teams of matches during the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament. The sample consisted of 38 games, with the data obtained from the InStat Scout platform. Data were analyzed using mean (M), SD, effect size (ES), structure coefficients (SCs), and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results showed that the winning teams performed significantly better than the losing teams in terms of shots (M = 12.13, SD = 4.67, Z = −2.26, ES = 0.62), shots on target (M = 5.05, SD = 2.54, Z = −4.22, ES = 1.13), and shots from counter-attacks (M = 2.24, SD = 1.42, Z = −2.48, ES = 0.57). Shots on target (SC = 1.22), shots (SC = −0.73), fouls (SC = 0.60), total passes (SC = 0.44), and yellow cards (SC = −0.32) presented the highest discriminatory power. These findings highlight the key match performance variables which influence the game results and may assist coaches in developing and implementing team strategies to improve the likelihood of winning the AFCON championship