We assessed the reliability of fundamental movement skills in young male footballers within one session. 197 players from 5 English category 3 football academies across U9 -U18 age groups volunteered (mean: age = 12.6 ± 2.8 years; stature = 156 ± 17 cm; weight = 47 ± 15 kg; years from peak height velocity (PHV) = -1.1 ± 2.3). Motion tracking of squat depth and anterior Y-balance test maximum reach was recorded. Reliability was assessed (trial 1 vs. 2; trial 2 vs. 3) via mean change, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and typical error. The overall mean change was trivial (-1.8 -2.9%), while Y-balance left showed a small negative change (trial 2 vs. 3; -3.2%). All ICCs across the tests ranged from moderate to high (0.71 -0.79). Typical errors for Y-balance tests ranged from 8.3 -10.8% and squats from 19.3 -21.8%. Pre-PHV vs. post-PHV players had similar typical errors for Ybalance left and right (9.0 vs. 11.5%; 9.0 vs. 7.1%, respectively), and the squat (21.1 vs. 20%). The high within-player typical error scores obtained over three trials suggest that, contrary to some movement screening guidelines, prior habituation is needed to increase both the stability and reliability of these tests.
We investigated the reliability of fundamental movements in thirteen youth football players (mean age = 16.8 ± 0.6 y). Following a habituation warm-up, players performed three trials of stride-for-distance and bodyweight squats between two weeks. A motion tracking device was used to measure stride distance and squat depth. The weekly mean changes in mean and maximum performance were moderate for the stride (2.8%; 90% confidence interval: 1.1 to 4.5 and 3.6%; 2.1 to 5.2, respectively) and small for the squat (-2.7%; -12.3 to 7.9 and 3.3%; -5.2 to 12.6). ICCs for stride mean and maximum performance were moderate (0.74; 0.43 to 0.90) and high (0.76; 0.46 to 0.90), respectively, and low for the squat (0.22; -0.27 to 0.61 and 0.42; -0.04 to 0.74, respectively). Typical errors for mean and maximum performance were moderate for the stride (2.4%; 1.8 to 3.6 and 2.1%; 1.6 to 3.3, respectively) and large for the squat (15.9%; 11.8 to 25.1 and 13.1%; 9.7 to 20.5, respectively). The motion tracking reliability was encouraging in the stride. This finding warrants further investigation and consideration of the stride test for use in applied practice with a group of youth footballers.
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