examination of passing technique implementation

© Journal of Health, Sport and Tourism ISSN: 2078-0273, Vol. 6. No. 1, 2015

EXAMINATION OF PASSING TECHNIQUE IMPLEMENTATION SKILLS OF AMATEUR FOOTBALLERS WITH LSPT TEST* 1

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Mehmet Bayansalduz *, Olcay Mulazimoglu , Yakup Afyon , Sabri Can Metin , Omer Aksoy

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Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Mugla Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Institute of Health Sciences (Student), Mugla 3 Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Faculty of Sport Sciences (Student), Mugla (TURKEY) *Corresponding author: [email protected] 2

DOI: 10.7813/jhst.2015/6-1/14 Received: 25 Jan, 2015 Accepted: 18 Mar, 2015 ABSTRACT The purpose of the present research is examining the passing technique implem entation skills of amateur football players with Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT). A total of 25 amateur football players (age average: 20.28±1.65 years) who play at super amateur league selected via random sampling method voluntarily participated in the present research. Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) developed by Le Moal et al. (2014) in order to determine the passing technique implementation skill levels of football players was used as the data collection tool of the present research. Passing test includes compound skills such as inside cut, ball control, decision-making, dribbling, changing direction with the ball, and accuracy at shooting coloured targets (direction perception). This test is frequently used in order to define their passing technique and som e related skills. According to the obtained findings, there is a positive relationship at 0.05 significance level between test time and penalty time (r:0.42). There is a negative relationship at 0.01 significance level between reward time and penalty time (r:-0.55). According to these findings, players with higher passing technique implementation skills have less penalty time and more reward time. Consequently, players who are successful at passing accuracy have higher levels of compound skills that determine passing accuracy such as ball control, decision-making, dribbling, changing directions with ball, and direction perception. Key words: Football, Passing Technique, LSPT Passing Test 1. INTRODUCTION Football is a team sport in which intermittent-high intensity activities are presented besides technical skills (Russel et al. 2010). Skills such as ball control, dribbling, and shot underlie the technical skills. In order to develop their skills, players should acquire these basic technical moves. The primary issue for football coaches should be how they can teach these skills to players, and how they can train them. Related researches in the literature report that, presentation of these techniques can deteriorate during the game, especially in some certain periods. These periods when technical deteriorations occur are the ends of first and second halves of the games when fatigue reaches as high levels (Russell 2013). Measurement and assessment of these football specific techniques is an issue which researchers try to solve primarily. That is, there are some researches studying the physiological requirements of players through tests (Bangsbo et al. 1991, Fitzsimons et al. 1993, Bangsbo, 1994, Stølen et al. 2005, Aziz et al. 2008), besides some other researches conducting tests to detect the in-game technical skills (passing, shot, etc.) of players (Rampinini et al. 2008, Currell et.al. 2009, Russell et al. 2011, Mulazimoglu 2014). Especially, some reliable and valid tests have been developed that measure the football specific techniques such as passing, shot, and dribbling (Russel et al. 2010, Strand & Wilson, 1993). LSPT (Loughborough Soccer Passing Test) comes into prominence as a reliable test that measures passing skills along with other skills (ball control, dribbling, decision-making, and accuracy etc.). LSPT basically measures short passing skills of players, and additionally evaluates some football specific skills such as ball control, decision-making, and dribbling (Ali et al. 2007, Ali et al.2008). The purpose of the present research is examining passing technique implementation skills of amateur football players with Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT). 2. METHODS 2.1. Experimental Approach to the Problem The LSPT is a multifaceted test and is appropriate to assess interactive and unpredictable soccer skills. Aim of study was to examine the effect of familiarization on LSPT performance across the varying levels of amateur players. 2.2. Subjects Twenty-five amateur male players (mean ± SD; age = 20.28 ± 1.65 years; stature = 179.24± 4.94 cm; body mass = 72.04±6.49 kg; soccer playing experience = 10.04±1.62years) volunteered for this study after obtaining parental consent (Table 1). The local Ethics Committee of the University of Mugla S.K. approved the experimental protocol. Participants are players of a football team, which trains five times, and plays one m atch a week regularly. Tests were conducted in in-season period. One week before LSPT was conducted, it was tried on athletes once for practice, and the real implementation was done the following week. The participants were informed that they should do the passing test as fast as possible, with fewest mistakes, and they were not informed about the scoring.

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This article was presented as an oral presentation at the International Congress on Sports, Education and Health Sciences, (ICSEH) 1-3 May 2015 Sakarya, TURKEY.

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© Journal of Health, Sport and Tourism ISSN: 2078-0273, Vol. 6. No. 1, 2015 2.3. Procedures Layout of the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test. Figure 1 illustrates the layout of the LSPT. Four soccer-specific wood rebound boards were placed as shown on each of the 4 lines marking the 12 x 9.5-m grid (to the inside of the boards). Before placement, 4 colored target areas (red, blue, green, and yellow; 0.6 x 0.3 m) were attached in the middle of each board. In addition, a 0.1 x 0.15-m black piece was painted in the middle of the target areas. Colored cones were used to distinguish the different zones. Participants started with the soccer ball by the central cone, and the examiner started timing the test from the moment the ball was played out of the inner rectangle. The specific color was called out just before the participant completed the current pass. The sam e examiner was used so as to eliminate inter-experimenter variability. The sequence of passes was determined by 1 of 8 trial orders that were randomly generated by the software so that each trial consisted of 8 long (green and blue) and 8 short (yellow and red) passes. Participants were inform ed that passes could only be executed from within the passing area. Furthermore, the players were informed that for the best performance on the LSPT, they would have to perform the test as quickly as possible while making the fewest mistakes. The time was recorded when the last pass was completed. A further role of the examiner was to record penalty time points accrued during the trials. Thus, the examiner stood in such a position that all 4 target areas could be viewed. Penalty time was awarded for the following errors:  Five seconds for missing the bench completely or passing the wrong target.  Three seconds for missing the target area.  Three seconds for handling the ball.  Two seconds for passing the ball from outside of the designated area.  Two seconds for the ball touching any cone.  One second for every second taken over the allocated 43 seconds to complete the test. Additionally, 1 second was deducted from the total time if the ball hit the 10-cm strip in the middle of the target. All trials took place within an outdoor artificial surface. A 10-minute standardized warm-up consisting of jogging, passing, and sprinting exercises preceded the trials. 2.4. Statistical Analyses Data are presented as the means ± standard deviations (SD). The relationships between test time, penalty time, bonus time, and perform ance time averages obtained from LSPT were analyzed (Pearson Correlation). The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

Fig. 1. Schematic representation of the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) (Copright from Ali et al. 2007) 3. FINDINGS Table 1. Descriptive statistics Variables Age (year) Height (cm) Body Weight (kg) Sport Age (year) Test Time (sec) Penalty Time (sec) Bonus Time (sec) Performance Time (sec)

N 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25

Minimum 18 168 61 7 42 4 2 43

Maximum 23 188 85 13 59 35 7 85

Average 20.28 179.24 72.04 10.04 49.28 16.64 5.04 61.12

Std. Dev. 1.65 4.94 6.49 1.62 4.29 7.31 1.67 10.60

Age average of 25 am ateur football players (age = 20.28±1.65 years; height = 179.24±4.94 cm; body weight = 72.04±6.49 kg.) who participated in the research was 10.04±1.62; and their performance time average was calculated as 61.12±10.60 seconds (Table 1). Average of performance time, which is evaluated as test completion time [(test time +penalty time) – bonus time] was calculated as 49.28±4.29 seconds, penalty time average was 16.64±7.31 seconds, and bonus time average was found as 5.04±1.67 seconds (Table 1).

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© Journal of Health, Sport and Tourism ISSN: 2078-0273, Vol. 6. No. 1, 2015 Table 2. Analysis of the relationships between LSPT times Correlation (Pearson)

Test Time r

Penalty Time

p r

Bonus Time

p r

Performance Time

p

Penalty Time

Bonus Time

0.42(*) 0.04 0.06

-0.55(**)

0.77

0.00

0.64(**)

0.95(**)

-0.54(**)

0.00

0.00

0.00

*p< 0.05 ; ** p< 0.01 There is a positive relationship between penalty times and test times of football players (r=0.42). There is a negative relationship between bonus time and penalty time (r=-0.55). There isn’t a relationship between bonus time and test time (r=0.06). Additionally, there are positive relationships between performance time and test time, penalty time (respectively; r=0.64, r=0.95), and there is a negative relationship between performance time and bonus time (r= -0.54). 4. DISCUSSION The purpose of the present research was determining passing techniques implementation skill levels amateur football players with LSPT. Test time average of the participants was calculated as 49.28± 4.29 seconds. Ali et al. (2007) tested the validity and reliability of PSPT on 24 elite (age: 20.2±1.5 years) and 24 non-elite (age: 19.9±0.8 years) male football players, and reported their test time averages respectively as (elite: 40.2± 2.5s.; non-elite: 42.2 ±3.7; t=72.603, P