Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

All Outputs (32)

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.

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), 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.

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., 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.

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 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., …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, 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.

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. W., Towlson, C. P., & J Malone, J. (in press). 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, 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.

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.

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., …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.