Special topics

This study aimed to report possible anthropometrical and physical performance differences between youth soccer players with different maturity status and to report the coaches’ expectations, hypothesizing that coaches would expect more from players with advanced maturity.

The aims of this study were to analyze the association between linear sprint, curved sprints (CS) and change-of-direction (COD) speed performances and compare the association and direction of asymmetries between skills.

This study aimed to examine the acute physiological effect of shuttle-run-based high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) performed at the same relative speed (i.e. 100%PST−CAR) on sand (SAND) and grass (GRASS) in male junior soccer players.

We aimed to analyze the magnitude and direction of inter-limb asymmetries in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), power (using iso-inertial devices) and a neuromuscular skill (change of direction). Secondarily, we aimed to determine the relationship between inter-limb asymmetry scores for each test and also between these scores and the scores for the different performance tests.

The aim of this study was to examine the duration and information (number of teammates and opponents) of the players’ scanning behavior of four elite football midfield players in an 11 vs. 11 using mobile eye-tracking technology.

The study aimed to identify the effects of situational (match location, match outcome and strength of team/opponent team) and environmental (ambient temperature, relative humidity, WBGT, ground and weather condition) factors on the physical and technical activity of elite football on individual playing positions.

The purpose was to identify risk factors for inversion ankle sprains among male collegiate soccer players.

This study sought to evaluate the training load in different age category soccer players associated with distinct pitch size small-sided games (SSGs).

The current study was conducted to compare muscle damage biomarkers in single- vs. multi-match weeks in elite soccer players for two consecutive seasons. A secondary objective was to analyze the influence of playing position and exposure time on muscle damage in single- vs. multimatch weeks.

Clear decreases in horizontal force production capacity during sprint acceleration have been reported after hamstring injuries (HI) in football players. We aimed to analyze the association between sprint running horizontal force production capacities at low (FH0) and high (V0) velocities and HI occurrence in football.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between elite youth athletes’ perceptions of coaches’ transformational coaching-behaviours and variables linked to transformational leadership in other settings (i.e., group cohesion, motivational climate, self-regulation of learning and athlete satisfaction.

In football, annual age-group categorization leads to relative age effects (RAEs) in talent development. Given such trends, relative age may also associate with market values. This study analyzed the relationship between RAEs and market values of youth players.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of chronological age on acceleration and deceleration match performance in professional footballers.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate predicted maturity offset (time before age at PHV) and age at PHV (chronological age [CA] minus maturity offset) in a longitudinal sample of 58 under-13 club level soccer players in central Portugal for whom ages at PHV were estimated with the SITAR model.

This study aimed to investigate match running performance in U14 male soccer players in Norway, and the influence of position, competitive level and contextual factors on running performance.

We hypothesized that fatigue induced by acute workload in short and intense games, might in either of two ways: by pushing lower limbs mechanics toward injury or by inducing opposed protective compensatory adjustments. We aimed at assessing the extent to which fatigue impact on joints kinematics and kinetics while performing repeated changes of direction (CoDs) in the light of the ACL risk factors.

The aims of this study were to 1) determine the key load indicators in professional soccer through principal component analysis (PCA) and 2) analyse the load variability of each training and match day within the microcycle considering the principal components.

The aim of the study was to compare the external loads (i.e., displacement distances and velocities) of 10–11 years-old soccer players during Soccer-7 (i.e. seven-a-side), Soccer-8 (i.e. eight-a-side) and Soccer-11 (i.e. eleven-a-side) official matches.

The aim was to assess the extent to which fatigue impact on joints kinematics and kinetics while performing repeated changes of direction (CoDs) in the light of the ACL risk factors.

The aim of this study was to quantify and compare the match load demands of U18, U23, and 1ST team players during the official season.

As young football players develop important technical and tactical skills during competitive matches, this study investigated quantity and quality of technical and tactical actions in real game conditions in a 4v4 compared to the traditional 7v7 match format.

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the frequency, incidence, and pattern of time-loss injuries in an elite male football academy, exploring injuries in relation to age and maturation status.

The aim was to describe professional soccer players’ training responses during a competitive season and to investigate the relationship between these responses with wellbeing and recovery indices.

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of two different post-match training interventions on the subsequent recovery of perceptual and biochemical parameters after the game.

The aim was to examine the effectiveness of Foam Rolling (FR) (20 minutes on quadriceps, hamstrings adductors, gluteals, and gastrocnemius) and passive recovery (20 minutes passive rest) intervention performed immediately after a training session on Total Quality Recovery (TQR), perceived muscle soreness, jump performance, agility, sprint, and flexibility 24 hours after the training.

This study examined the skeletal muscle and performance responses across two different exercise training modalities (speed endurance runs (SET) vs. small-sided games (SSG)) which are highly applied in soccer training.

The aims of this study were: (a) to describe the in-season variations of training monotony, training strain and acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) through session ratings of perceived exertion (s-RPE), total distance and high-speed running (HSR) and (b) to compare those variations starters vs. non-starters.

This study analysed the influence of the absence of goalkeeper and the number of goals in tactical actions in 3 configurations of small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs): (a) goalkeeper + 3 vs. 3 + goalkeeper; (b) 3 vs. 3 (no goalkeeper); and (c) 3 vs. 3 with 2 mini goals.

The current study investigated how the type of penalty kick being taken affected the kicker’s visual search strategy and where the ball hit the goal (end ball location).

The aim of this cohort study was two-fold: (i) to analyze within-group changes of final velocity in a 30-15 intermittent fitness test (VIFT), final velocity in a Vameval test (Vvameval), 20-m sprint and countermovement jump (CMJ); (ii) to explore the relationships between VIFT and Vvameval outcomes and their changes with internal and external loads.

The aim of the present study was to compare the acceleration, deceleration, and high-speed running profiles of players during international and domestic matches and to determine if differences were apparent across playing positions (defenders, midfielders, and attackers).

The aim was to determine the influence of a player’s peak/maximum running speed on the team’s final ranking position. A second aim was to investigate differences in maximum running speed among playing positions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the collective and individual responses of professional female soccer players engaged in a preseason training program with the NHE regarding eccentric knee flexor strength and biceps femoris long head fascicle length.

The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the external training load relative to match load in days before a subsequent international game and (2) examine the cumulative training load in relation to match load of U-17 national team soccer players.

This systematic review with a meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effects of small-sided games (SSGs)-based interventions with the effects of running-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions on soccer players’ repeated sprint ability (RSA).

The purpose of this study was to investigate sports injuries in younger (U9–U11) and older (U12–U13) children playing soccer at an elite level, analysing potential anthropometric and maturity risk factors. 

This study aimed to examine various biochemical biomarkers changes during a shock micro-cycle in soccer players from a university team.

Mental fatigue can impact physical demands and tactical behaviour in sport-related contexts. Small-sided games (SSGs) are often used to develop a specific sport-related context. This systematic review (with a meta-analysis) was conducted to compare the effects of mental fatigue vs. control conditions in terms of the total running distance and tactical behaviour of soccer players during SSGs.

Considering the perceived benefit of early recruitment and the time and resources spent developing youth players, individuals released from talent development programmes are often re-recruited by rival academies. Limited data exists on players deselected from (or reselected to) youth soccer academies.

This study sought to analyse the relationship between in-season training workload with changes in aerobic power (VO2max), maximum and resting heart rate (HRmax and HRrest), linear sprint medium (LSM) and short test (LSS) in U16 soccer players. An additional aim was to explain changes in fitness levels during the in-season through regression models, considering accumulated load, baseline levels, and peak height velocity (PHV) as predictors.

The aim was to investigate the optimal pretaper duration on match running performance in a professional soccer team.

The aim was to compare an eyes-open versus an eyes-closed balance training protocol in professional soccer players with chronic ankle instability

The aim was to assess on pitch external loading of English Premier League (EPL) academy soccer players (U12-U18 age groups) over an entire competitive season.

Forbes has released its bi-annual list of the 20 most valued soccer teams.

The list includes nine teams from the English Premier League, four from the Italian Serie A, three from the Spanish La Liga, two from the German Bundesliga and one from each the Netherlands and France.

The aim was to identify the relationship between growth velocity and injury in elite-level youth footballers.

The aim was to examine the recovery kinetics of exercise-induced muscle damage, neuromuscular fatigue and performance following small-sided games of different densities in football.

The aim was to assess the effects of plyometric training with an agility ladder on components of physical fitness in youth footballers.

The aim was to examine the effects of chronological age and training experience on perception, attention and decision making in young footballer.

The aim was to analyse variations of internal load across small sided games in professional soccer. 

The study investigated the impact of competitive soccer on the short-term changes in isometric strength of the adductor muscle group.

The purpose was to establish if the inclusion of gluteus medius-specific exercises in an abdominal training program is more effective for improving lumbo-pelvic stability and adductor muscle strength.

The aim was to describe the training and match injury incidence and physical demands variables observed during a competition using a multi-camera video analysis. 

The aim was to find within-group differences for game insight in an elite group of youth footballers by means of Game Insight inDicator (GID).

The aim was to evaluate the effect of acceleration on the external and internal load during repeated sprint exercise.

The aim was to compare three different protocols to assess the velocity associated with the maximal oxygen uptake in footballers.

The aim of the study was to develop and validate a specific pictorial perceived exertion scale for soccer players called GOAL scale.

The aim was to assess the change in proportion of children aged 10-13 playing soccer in the US presenting to an Emergency Department (ED) with a concussion in relation to any other injury before and after the ban.

The aim was to analyze the locomtion and metabolic responses of professional players in the top three competitive standards of Spanish soccer during the four weeks before and after dismissal of the coach.

This study aimed to describe the worst-case scenarios (WCS) of professional soccer players by playing position in different durations and analyse WCS considering different contextual variables (match half, -location and outcome)

This study aimed to evaluate commonly used methods to assess BMS within a highly selected sample of youth soccer players.

The aim of this study was to investigate position-specific endurance performance of soccer players.

The aim was to determine whether prospectively measured components of valgus collapse during a deceleration cut can differentiate between female footballers who go on to non-contact ACL injury

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a moving advertisement positioned behind the goal area would influence the visual attention of participants performing a soccer penalty kick, and, whether this would an effect on subsequent motor performance.

This study aimed to describe the worst-case scenarios of professional soccer players by playing position in different durations and analyse WCS considering different contextual variables (match half and location)

The aim of this study was to provide reference data of variation in external training loads for weekly periods within annual season.

The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a decrease in the physical performance of the players in the most demanding passages (MDP) during periods of competition congestion.

The study aimed at comparing the effects of two training approaches on prepubescent soccer players' sprint performance.

The aim was to investigate if making the skill aquisition phase more difficult or easier would enhance performance in soccer juggling and if this practice has a positive intertask transfer effect to ball reception performance.

The aims of this investigation were to report team average and positional changes to match play physical performance across an European Championsleague season while statistically controlling for situational and contextual variables.

This study aimed to analyse the effect of different starting stance widths and knee flexion angles on movement time, center of mass trajectory and velocity in goalkeepers' diving saves.

The aims were to analyse the physical response of professional soccer players during training considering the contextual factors of match location, season period and quality of opposition.

The purpose was to investigate long corner kicks within the English Premier League that entered the goal area (6-yard box) or the critical are (6-12 yards from the goal-line in the width of the goal area) with the defining outcome occurring after the first contact.

This study analyses the differential perceived match load accumulated by professional soccer players depending on participation in several consecutive matches.

This study aims to quantify and analyze the differences in position-specific performances in games played with three or four defensive players.

The study assessed whether a new, closed-skill dribbling or sprinting task could predict attacking performance.

The aims of the study were to determine the effectiveness of indirect free kicks, identify variables associated with a successful outcome.

The aim of this study was to examine the performance indicators that differentiated between African and European teams in the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The aim of this study was to analyze in-game match statistics on the top-3 and bottom-3 teams ranked in LaLiga.

The aim was to examine strategic time-wasting, a behavior that help teams win games or tie games against superior opponents.

The aim was to investigate the association between  injuries and training load indices in elite footballers.

The aim was to investigate the impact of video speed on the decision making process of association football referees and how this interacts with expertise.

The aim was to compare heart rate, rating of perceived exertion and technical-tactical actions during SSGs played with and without goalkeepers.

The study investigated the effects of a 6-month school-based soccer program on cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in overweight children.

As previous literature updates, I have performed a PubCrawler search looking for football articles in NCBI Medline (PubMed) and GenBank databases.

Following studies were retrieved for this week:

The main purpose was to assess the relations between training loads and selected blood parameters in professional players during a preseason sports camp.

The aim was to compare physiological parameters and technica-tactical actions during SSGs with and without wildcard players.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between offensive tactical knowledge and the soccer-specific motor skills performance.

Predicting the defensive performance of individual players in one vs. one soccer games.

The aim was to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on soccer skills.

The aim was to investigate the relationship between motor development in adolescence and future adult performance. 

The aim was to systematically review the predictive value of psychological talent predictors.

The study aimed to identify the differences in technical performance between players from clubs in UEFA Champions League matches.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of FMS in the process of acquiring soccer-specific motor skills.

The study investigates the influence of specific soccer training with the non-dominant leg on mental rotation performance of young soccer players.

The aim of the study was to explore the underlying bases of goal-scoring ability of young soccer players.

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between basics cognitive functions and sports-specific motor skills in elite youth soccer players

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The aim was to examine the contribution of maturity status and body size descriptors to age-associated inter-individual variability in VO2peak and to present static allometric models to normalize in male youth soccer players.

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal recovery time to elicit PAP after a bout of high-intensity resistance exercise in professional soccer players.

The aim was to assess the utility of an inertial sensor for assessing recovery in professional soccer players.