All Outputs (53)

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.

Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units - Anonymised dataset (2021)
Data
McLaren-Towlson, C., Barrett, S., Lewis, G., Roversi, P., Domogalla, C., & Herrington, L. Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units - Anonymised dataset. [Dataset]

The effect of bio-banding on academy soccer player passing networks: Implications of relative pitch size - Anonymised dataset (2021)
Data
McLaren-Towlson, C. The effect of bio-banding on academy soccer player passing networks: Implications of relative pitch size - Anonymised dataset. [Dataset]

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.

The effect of bio-banding on technical and tactical indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players (2021)
Journal Article
Towlson, C., Abt, G., MacMaster, C., Gonçalves, B., Sampaio, J., Toner, J., … Myers, T. (in press). The effect of bio-banding on technical and tactical indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players. Science and Medicine in Football, https://doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2021.2013522

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of bio-banding on technical and tactical markers of talent identification in 11- to 14-year-old academy soccer players. Methods: Using a repeated measures design, 92 players were bio-banded using p... Read More about The effect of bio-banding on technical and tactical indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players.

The effect of bio-banding on academy soccer player passing networks: Implications of relative pitch size (2021)
Journal Article
McLaren-Towlson, C., Abt, G., Barrett, S., Cumming, S., Hunter, F., Hamilton, A., …Swinton, P. (2021). The effect of bio-banding on academy soccer player passing networks: Implications of relative pitch size. PLoS ONE, 16(12), Article e0260867. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260867

The primary aims of this study were to examine the effects of bio-banding players on passing networks created during 4v4 small-sided games (SSGs), while also examining the interaction of pitch size using passing network analysis compared to a coach-b... Read More about The effect of bio-banding on academy soccer player passing networks: Implications of relative pitch size.

The effect of bio-banding on the anthropometric, physical fitness and functional movement characteristics of academy soccer players (2021)
Journal Article
MacMaster, C., Portas, M., Parkin, G., Cumming, S., Wilcox, C., & Towlson, C. (2021). The effect of bio-banding on the anthropometric, physical fitness and functional movement characteristics of academy soccer players. PLoS ONE, 16(11), Article e0260136. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260136

The study examined if maturity status bio-banding reduces within-group variance in anthropometric, physical fitness and functional movement characteristics of 319, under-14 and under-15 players from 19 UK professional soccer academies. Bio-banding re... Read More about The effect of bio-banding on the anthropometric, physical fitness and functional movement characteristics of academy soccer players.

A Brief Review of Methods to Quantify High-Speed Running in Rugby League: Are Current Methods Appropriate? (2021)
Journal Article
Bennett, T., Marshall, P., Barrett, S., Malone, J., & McLaren-Towlson, C. (2022). A Brief Review of Methods to Quantify High-Speed Running in Rugby League: Are Current Methods Appropriate?. Strength and conditioning journal, 44(3), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000693

High-speed running (HSR) has been documented within rugby league to differentiate playing standard and position and often precedes pivotal match events. Practitioners and researchers place importance on HSR because of its inclusion in assessing the d... Read More about A Brief Review of Methods to Quantify High-Speed Running in Rugby League: Are Current Methods Appropriate?.

Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games - Anonymised dataset (2021)
Data
McLaren-Towlson, C., Abt, G., & Toner, J. Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games - Anonymised dataset. [Dataset]

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 - Anonymised dataset.

Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies (2021)
Data
McLaren-Towlson, C., Barrett, S., & Clubb, J. Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies. [Dataset]

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.

Monitoring practices of training load and biological maturity in UK soccer academies (2021)
Journal Article
Salter, J., De Ste Croix, M. B., Hughes, J., Weston, M., & Towlson, C. (2021). Monitoring practices of training load and biological maturity in UK soccer academies. International journal of sports physiology and performance : IJSPP, 16(3), 395-406. https://doi.org/10.1123/IJSPP.2019-0624

Purpose: Overuse injury risk increases during periods of accelerated growth, which can subsequently impact development in academy soccer, suggesting a need to quantify training exposure. Nonprescriptive development scheme legislation could lead to in... Read More about Monitoring practices of training load and biological maturity in UK soccer academies.

Quantifying technical actions in professional soccer using foot-mounted inertial measurement units (2021)
Journal Article
Marris, J., Barrett, S., Abt, G., & Towlson, C. (2021). Quantifying technical actions in professional soccer using foot-mounted inertial measurement units. Science and Medicine in Football, https://doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2021.1910333

Objectives: This study aimed to (i) establish the concurrent validity and intra-unit reliability of a foot-mounted inertial measurement unit for monitoring soccer technical actions, (ii) quantify the within-microcycle inter-positional differences in... Read More about Quantifying technical actions in professional soccer using foot-mounted inertial measurement units.

Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in Soccer (2021)
Journal Article
Helsen, W., Thomis, M., Starkes, J., Vrijens, S., Ooms, G., MacMaster, C., & Towlson, C. (2021). Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in Soccer. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3(24), Article 635379. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.635379

Despite various solutions proposed to solve the relative age effect (RAE), it is still a major problem confounding talent identification and selection processes. In the first phase, we sampled 302 under 7–21 academy soccer players from two Belgian pr... Read More about Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in Soccer.

The effect of bio-banding on physical and psychological indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players (2020)
Journal Article
Towlson, C., MacMaster, C., Gonçalves, B., Sampaio, J., Toner, J., MacFarlane, N., Barrett, S., Hamilton, A., Jack, R., Hunter, F., Myers, T., & Abt, G. (2021). The effect of bio-banding on physical and psychological indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players. Science and Medicine in Football, 5(4), 280-292. https://doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2020.1862419

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of bio-banding on indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players. Seventy-two 11 to 14-year-old soccer players were bio-banded using percentage of estimated adult stature attainment (week... Read More about The effect of bio-banding on physical and psychological indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players.

Understanding the influence of the head coach on soccer training drills—an 8 season analysis (2020)
Journal Article
Barrett, S., Varley, M. C., Hills, S. P., Russell, M., Reeves, M., Hearn, A., & Towlson, C. (2020). Understanding the influence of the head coach on soccer training drills—an 8 season analysis. Applied Sciences, 10(22), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10228149

Soccer players perform a variety of training drills to develop the physical, technical and tactical qualities required for match‐play. The role of coaches in prescribing training suggests that players may not always meet physical targets set by condi... Read More about Understanding the influence of the head coach on soccer training drills—an 8 season analysis.

Maturity-associated considerations for training load, injury risk, and physical performance in youth soccer: One size does not fit all (2020)
Journal Article
Towlson, C., Salter, J., Ade, J. D., Enright, K., Harper, L. D., Page, R. M., & Malone, J. J. (in press). Maturity-associated considerations for training load, injury risk, and physical performance in youth soccer: One size does not fit all. Journal of Sport and Health Science, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2020.09.003

Biological maturation can be defined as the timing and tempo of progress to achieving a mature state. The estimation of age of peak height velocity (PHV) or percentage of final estimated adult stature attainment (%EASA) is typically used to inform th... Read More about Maturity-associated considerations for training load, injury risk, and physical performance in youth soccer: One size does not fit all.

Understanding the presence of mental fatigue in English academy soccer players (2020)
Journal Article
Thompson, C. J., Noon, M., Towlson, C., Perry, J., Coutts, A. J., Harper, L. D., Skorski, S., Smith, M. R., Barrett, S., & Meyer, T. (2020). Understanding the presence of mental fatigue in English academy soccer players. Journal of sports sciences, 38(13), 1524-1530. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1746597

Research has demonstrated that induced mental fatigue impairs soccer-specific technical, tactical and physical performance in soccer players. The findings are limited by the lack of elite players and low ecological validity of the tasks used to induc... Read More about Understanding the presence of mental fatigue in English academy soccer players.