Perceptions of professional soccer coaches, support staff and players toward virtual reality and the factors that modify their intention to use it

Greenhough, Ben; Barrett, Steve; Towlson, Chris; Abt, Grant

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0261378

Skeletal age prediction models by maturity status in male soccer players. (2025)
Journal Article
Flores, L. A., McLaren-Towlson, C., De León, L. G., Bonito, F., Mil-Homens, P., Peña-González, I., & Fragoso, M. I. (2025). Skeletal age prediction models by maturity status in male soccer players. Nature, 15, Article 18239. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00402-x

This study focus is to develop a new model to estimate skeletal age (SA) as a function of the state of biological maturation in male soccer players, and to propose cut-off points to classify the state of biological maturation based on the percentage... Read More about Skeletal age prediction models by maturity status in male soccer players..

Does team size affect Scottish male academy soccer player technical, locomotor and psychosocial outcomes during age and maturity bio-banded small-sided games? (2025)
Journal Article
King, M., Barrett, S., Mclellan, R., Cox, J., Brown, M., Mackenzie, S., & Towlson, C. (in press). Does team size affect Scottish male academy soccer player technical, locomotor and psychosocial outcomes during age and maturity bio-banded small-sided games?. Journal of sports sciences, https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2456408

The timing of the adolescent growth spurt (i.e. peak height velocity [PHV]) varies greatly, causing significant differences in maturity-related anthropometric and physical development among chronologically age-categorised youth soccer players. These... Read More about Does team size affect Scottish male academy soccer player technical, locomotor and psychosocial outcomes during age and maturity bio-banded small-sided games?.

Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play (2025)
Journal Article
Escreet, E., Barrett, S., Toner, J., Iga, J., & Towlson, C. (2025). Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play. PLoS ONE, 20(1), Article e0316833. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316833

Background: Youth soccer players in the UK transition into the professional game at 16 years of age. Understanding the differences between youth and professional standards can help coaches and clubs to support player development during this transitio... Read More about Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play.

Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play (2025)
Journal Article
Escreet, E., Barrett, S., Toner, J., Iga, J., & Towlson, C. (2025). Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play. PLoS ONE, 20(1), Article e0316833. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316833

Background Youth soccer players in the UK transition into the professional game at 16 years of age. Understanding the differences between youth and professional standards can help coaches and clubs to support player development during this transition... Read More about Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play.

Creatine kinase and neuromuscular fatigue responses following differing spells of simulated cricket fast bowling (2025)
Journal Article
Bray, J. W., Towlson, C., Hayes, S. C., & Fogarty, M. (2025). Creatine kinase and neuromuscular fatigue responses following differing spells of simulated cricket fast bowling. PLoS ONE, 20(1 January), Article e0317692. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317692

The fast-bowling action demands repetitive high-intensity whole body movements, imposing complex physical and perceptual demands on players that vary significantly throughout the season. This study aimed to assess and establish practical methods and... Read More about Creatine kinase and neuromuscular fatigue responses following differing spells of simulated cricket fast bowling.

Validation of field-based running tests to determine maximal aerobic speed in professional rugby league (2024)
Journal Article
Bennett, T., Marshall, P., Barrett, S., Malone, J., Simpson, A., Bray, J., Christopherson, C., Nickolay, T., Metcalfe, J., & Towlson, C. (2024). Validation of field-based running tests to determine maximal aerobic speed in professional rugby league. PLoS ONE, 19(7 July), Article e0306062. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306062

Practitioners place importance on high-speed running (HSR) to monitor training practice and match-play demands, whilst attempting to maximise fitness and minimize the risk of injury occurrence. Practitioners apply various methods to quantify HSR, suc... Read More about Validation of field-based running tests to determine maximal aerobic speed in professional rugby league.

The effect of maturation on children's experience of physical education: Lessons learned from academy sport (2024)
Journal Article
Towlson, C., Cumming, S., Donnan, K., & Toner, J. (2024). The effect of maturation on children's experience of physical education: Lessons learned from academy sport. European Physical Education Review, https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X241251654

Students’ experiences of physical education (PE) are considered important for lifelong attitudes towards physical activity. Sex-related differences and the individualised tempo in anthropometric growth because of biological maturation lead to seconda... Read More about The effect of maturation on children's experience of physical education: Lessons learned from academy sport.

Talent identification in soccer: The influence of technical, physical and maturity-related characteristics on a national selection process (2024)
Journal Article
King, M., Brown, M., Cox, J., McLellan, R., Towlson, C., & Barrett, S. (2024). Talent identification in soccer: The influence of technical, physical and maturity-related characteristics on a national selection process. PLoS ONE, 19(3), Article e0298359. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298359

The present study examines the influence of technical, physical, and relative age characteristics on players selection success within the Scottish Performance School trials. Ninety adolescent players (81 males, 9 females; mean ± standard deviation: a... Read More about Talent identification in soccer: The influence of technical, physical and maturity-related characteristics on a national selection process.

Professional soccer practitioners' perceptions of using performance analysis technology to monitor technical and tactical player characteristics within an academy environment: A category 1 club case study (2024)
Journal Article
Davidson, T. K., Barrett, S., Toner, J., & Towlson, C. (2024). Professional soccer practitioners' perceptions of using performance analysis technology to monitor technical and tactical player characteristics within an academy environment: A category 1 club case study. PLoS ONE, 19(3), Article e0298346. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298346

This study aimed to identify professional soccer practitioners' perceptions of the application of performance analysis technology within a single academy club. Secondary aims were to understand the importance that practitioners place on monitoring te... Read More about Professional soccer practitioners' perceptions of using performance analysis technology to monitor technical and tactical player characteristics within an academy environment: A category 1 club case study.

A new method to identify key match-play behaviours of young soccer players: Development of the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool (2024)
Journal Article
Robinson, J., Cumming, S., Salter, J., Toner, J., & Towlson, C. (2024). A new method to identify key match-play behaviours of young soccer players: Development of the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool. PLoS ONE, 19(3 March), Article e0295953. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295953

The aim of this research was to assess the validity and reliability of a newly developed scoring tool, designed for monitoring youth soccer players during match-play performance to support coaches/scouts with the talent identification process. The me... Read More about A new method to identify key match-play behaviours of young soccer players: Development of the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool.

Soccer academy practitioners' perceptions and application of bio-banding (2023)
Journal Article
Towlson, C., Watson, D. J., Cumming, S., Salter, J., & Toner, J. (2023). Soccer academy practitioners' perceptions and application of bio-banding. PLoS ONE, 18(1), Article e0274079. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274079

The primary aims of this study were to examine the application of maturity status bio-banding within professional soccer academy programmes and understand the methods employed, the intended objectives, and the potential barriers to bio-banding. Using... Read More about Soccer academy practitioners' perceptions and application of bio-banding.

Does biologically categorised training alter the perceived exertion and neuromuscular movement profile of academy soccer players compared to traditional age-group categorisation? (2022)
Journal Article
Salter, J., Black, J., Mallett, J., Barrett, S., Towlson, C., Hughes, J. D., & De St Croix, M. (2023). Does biologically categorised training alter the perceived exertion and neuromuscular movement profile of academy soccer players compared to traditional age-group categorisation?. European journal of sport science : the official journal of the European College of Sport Science, 23(8), 1490-1499. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2117090

The individual response to load is multifactorial and complicated by transient temporal changes in biological maturation. The period surrounding peak height velocity exposes potentially “fragile” individuals to systematic, age-related increases in tr... Read More about Does biologically categorised training alter the perceived exertion and neuromuscular movement profile of academy soccer players compared to traditional age-group categorisation?.

Does transforming subjective measures of load better represent training and match-play intensity in youth soccer players? (2022)
Journal Article
Maughan, P. C., MacFarlane, N. G., Towlson, C., Barrett, S., & Swinton, P. A. (2023). Does transforming subjective measures of load better represent training and match-play intensity in youth soccer players?. International journal of sports science & coaching, 18(5), 1541-1549. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221114739

The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure of relationships between measures of training load and assess whether these can be modified through non-linear transformations. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and seven external load mea... Read More about Does transforming subjective measures of load better represent training and match-play intensity in youth soccer players?.

Quantifying high-speed running in rugby league: An insight into practitioner applications and perceptions (2022)
Journal Article
Bennett, T., Marshall, P., Barrett, S., Malone, J. J., & Towlson, C. (2022). Quantifying high-speed running in rugby league: An insight into practitioner applications and perceptions. International journal of sports science & coaching, https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221112825

High-speed running has previously been documented as a popular metric among rugby league researchers. Researchers place importance on high-speed running due to its inclusion in assessing the demands of training and match-play to help prescribe accura... Read More about Quantifying high-speed running in rugby league: An insight into practitioner applications and perceptions.

Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games (2022)
Journal Article
Barrett, S., Short, K., Lowthorpe, A., Swinton, P., Maughan, P., Hamilton, A., Hunter, F., & Towlson, C. (2022). Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games. PLoS ONE, 17(7), Article e0270259. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270259

The aims of the current study were to investigate the use of dRPE with academy soccer players to: 1) examine the effect of bio-banded and non-bio-banded maturity groups within SSG on players dRPE; 2) describe the multivariate relationships between dR... Read More about Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games.

Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in UK Male Academy Soccer Players (2022)
Journal Article
Bolckmans, S., Starkes, J. L., Towlson, C., Barnes, C., Parkin, G., & Helsen, W. F. (2022). Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in UK Male Academy Soccer Players. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, Article 847438. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.847438

Relative age selection bias persists within all major soccer leagues and youth soccer academies across the globe, with the relative age effect (RAE) being typically characterized as the over selection of relatively older players (who have sometimes a... Read More about Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in UK Male Academy Soccer Players.

Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units (2022)
Journal Article
Lewis, G., McLaren-Towlson, C., Roversi, P., Domogalla, C., Herrington, L., & Barrett, S. (2022). Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units. PLoS ONE, 17(2), Article e0263518. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263518

Aims The aims of the study were two-fold: I) examine the validity and reliability of high-speed kicking actions using foot-mounted inertial measurement unit's (IMU), ii) quantify soccer players within-microcycle and inter-positional differences in bo... Read More about Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units.

A survey on the English FA heading guidelines for youth soccer: evidence of compliance, but with limited knowledge of safety (2022)
Journal Article
Roberts, J., McLaren-Towlson, C., & Malone, J. (2022). A survey on the English FA heading guidelines for youth soccer: evidence of compliance, but with limited knowledge of safety. International journal of sports science & coaching, 18(1), 176-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221075213

Soccer heading may be problematic for neurocognitive function. The English Football Association (FA) recently introduced guidelines in order to limit the number of headers within training for youth soccer. However, it remains to be seen what the infl... Read More about A survey on the English FA heading guidelines for youth soccer: evidence of compliance, but with limited knowledge of safety.

Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies (2022)
Journal Article
Clubb, J., Towlson, C., & Barrett, S. (2022). Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies. PLoS ONE, 17(1), Article e0262274. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262274

The aim of this study was to assess the measurement properties of external training load measures across three formats of standardised training games. Eighty-eight players from two English professional soccer clubs participated in the study spanning... Read More about Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies.

Perceptions of professional soccer coaches, support staff and players toward virtual reality and the factors that modify their intention to use it (2021)
Journal Article
Greenhough, B., Barrett, S., Towlson, C., & Abt, G. (2021). Perceptions of professional soccer coaches, support staff and players toward virtual reality and the factors that modify their intention to use it. PLoS ONE, 16(12), Article e0261378. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261378

A small evidence base supports the use of virtual reality in professional soccer, yet there is a lack of information available on perceptions and desire to use the technology from those employed at professional soccer clubs. Therefore, the aim of the... Read More about Perceptions of professional soccer coaches, support staff and players toward virtual reality and the factors that modify their intention to use it.

All Outputs (40)