Testing in Football: A Narrative Review
Football clubs regularly test and monitor players, with different approaches reflecting player age and competitive level. This narrative review aims to summarise justifications for testing and commonly used testing protocols. We also aim to discuss the validity and reliability of specific tests used...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Sports |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/11/307 |
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| author | Elliott C. R. Hall George John Ildus I. Ahmetov |
| author_facet | Elliott C. R. Hall George John Ildus I. Ahmetov |
| author_sort | Elliott C. R. Hall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Football clubs regularly test and monitor players, with different approaches reflecting player age and competitive level. This narrative review aims to summarise justifications for testing and commonly used testing protocols. We also aim to discuss the validity and reliability of specific tests used to assess football players and provide a holistic overview of protocols currently used in football or those demonstrating potential utility. The PubMed, SportDiscus, and Google Scholar databases were screened for relevant articles from inception to September 2024. Articles that met our inclusion criteria documented tests for several purposes, including talent identification or the assessment of growth/maturation, physiological capacity, sport-specific skill, health status, monitoring fatigue/recovery, training adaptation, and injury risk factors. We provide information on specific tests of anthropometry, physical capacity, biochemical markers, psychological indices, injury risk screening, sport-specific skills, and genetic profile and highlight where certain tests may require further evidence to support their use. The available evidence suggests that test selection and implementation are influenced by financial resources, coach perceptions, and playing schedules. The ability to conduct field-based testing at low cost and to test multiple players simultaneously appear to be key drivers of test development and implementation among practitioners working in elite football environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9fbfd8ab30b849e7b6acbe4052f39daf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-4663 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sports |
| spelling | doaj-art-9fbfd8ab30b849e7b6acbe4052f39daf2024-11-26T18:22:28ZengMDPI AGSports2075-46632024-11-01121130710.3390/sports12110307Testing in Football: A Narrative ReviewElliott C. R. Hall0George John1Ildus I. Ahmetov2Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4UA, UKTransform Specialist Medical Centre, Dubai 119190, United Arab EmiratesSchool of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UKFootball clubs regularly test and monitor players, with different approaches reflecting player age and competitive level. This narrative review aims to summarise justifications for testing and commonly used testing protocols. We also aim to discuss the validity and reliability of specific tests used to assess football players and provide a holistic overview of protocols currently used in football or those demonstrating potential utility. The PubMed, SportDiscus, and Google Scholar databases were screened for relevant articles from inception to September 2024. Articles that met our inclusion criteria documented tests for several purposes, including talent identification or the assessment of growth/maturation, physiological capacity, sport-specific skill, health status, monitoring fatigue/recovery, training adaptation, and injury risk factors. We provide information on specific tests of anthropometry, physical capacity, biochemical markers, psychological indices, injury risk screening, sport-specific skills, and genetic profile and highlight where certain tests may require further evidence to support their use. The available evidence suggests that test selection and implementation are influenced by financial resources, coach perceptions, and playing schedules. The ability to conduct field-based testing at low cost and to test multiple players simultaneously appear to be key drivers of test development and implementation among practitioners working in elite football environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/11/307testingmonitoringsoccerscreeningtalent ID |
| spellingShingle | Elliott C. R. Hall George John Ildus I. Ahmetov Testing in Football: A Narrative Review Sports testing monitoring soccer screening talent ID |
| title | Testing in Football: A Narrative Review |
| title_full | Testing in Football: A Narrative Review |
| title_fullStr | Testing in Football: A Narrative Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Testing in Football: A Narrative Review |
| title_short | Testing in Football: A Narrative Review |
| title_sort | testing in football a narrative review |
| topic | testing monitoring soccer screening talent ID |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/11/307 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elliottcrhall testinginfootballanarrativereview AT georgejohn testinginfootballanarrativereview AT ildusiahmetov testinginfootballanarrativereview |