Kicking velocity and physical, technical, tactical match performance for U18 female football players - effect of a new ball

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Thomas B Andersen
  • Mads Bendiksen
  • Jens M Pedersen
  • Christina Ørntoft
  • João Brito
  • Sarah R Jackman
  • Craig A Williams
  • Peter Krustrup
We investigated kicking velocity and physical, technical, and tactical match performance for under-18 (U18) female football players and evaluated the effect of using a newly developed lighter smaller ball. Ten regional league teams participated. Maximal ball velocity was 4±1% higher when kicking the new ball (NB) compared with the standard ball (SB) in a laboratory testing situation (23.2±0.4 vs. 22.4±0.3 ms(-1); p.05), but lower-limb muscular RPE was lower with NB (4.2±0.4 vs. 5.2±0.3; p.05). High-intensity running decreased (p.05). In conclusion, physiological demands were high in youth female football games, and decrements in running performance occurred towards the end of games. The players kicked faster and reported lower muscular exertion during games played with a lighter smaller ball, but locomotor activities, heart rate and overall technical-tactical game performance remained unaffected.
Original languageEnglish
JournalHuman Movement Science
Volume31
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)1624-1638
Number of pages15
ISSN0167-9457
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

ID: 43947032