26 Sep FSI Football Science Update

The Use of Sand as an alternative surface for Training, Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation in English Professional Football and barriers to implementation: A Cross-sectional survey of medical staff.

Richardson MC, English B, Chesterton P.

Sci Med Footb. 2022 Sep 15. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2022.2125566.

This cross-sectional survey of the medical personnel (one per club) of all 92 teams from the male English professional football pyramid during the 2021-22 season obtained a total of 58 respondents (63% of all clubs). Only 18 (31%) of the clubs surveyed used sand-based interventions across the last 3 seasons. Respondents felt sand-based interventions would be effective at improving physiological gains and as part of injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies but were indifferent in relation to its potential to improve sporting performance.

 

 

The effect of team formation on match running performance in UEFA Champions League matches: implications for position-specific conditioning.

Modric T, Versic S, Winter C, Coll I, Chmura P, Andrzejewski M, Konefał M, Sekulic D.

Sci Med Footb. 2022 Sep 15:1-8. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2022.2123952.

This study compared elite football players’ match running performance between four team formations: Central defenders had a moderate higher (+144m) high-intensity running in 3-5-2 than in 4-3-3. Fullbacks in 4-4-2 covered much less total distance (-762m) than in 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1 (-662 m), and much less high-intensity distance in 4-2-3-1 than in 4-3-3 (-336m) and 4-4-2 (-396m). Central midfielders’ total distance in 4-4-2 formation was moderately lower than that in 3-5-2 (-645 m) and 4-3-3 (-656 m).
Wide midfielders’ walking distance in 4-4-2 was very much lower than that in the 4-3-3 (-484 m) and 4-2-3-1 (-535 m).

 

 

Specific relations of visual skills and executive functions in elite soccer players.

Knöllner A, Memmert D, von Lehe M, Jungilligens J, Scharfen HE.

Front Psychol. 2022 Aug 25;13:960092. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.960092.

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between visual skills and executive functions in 59 elite soccer players. Overall, visual abilities were largely correlated with executive functions, most consistentily with the working memory. Near-far visual quickness showed a large correlation with an executive function total score as well as with cognitive flexibility, working memory, and especially selective attention. Visual clarity and contrast sensitivity were moderately correlated with the cognition total score.