Sports Performance

Area

Focus Discrepancy Test Name

RepeatableWhat is the test method?

This needs to be detailed so anyone could conduct the

test.

MeasurableHow will you measure the

test? What are the units and how will your measurement

be accurate?

SpecificHow can you justify your test is

specific to the focus discrepancy? Is there any normative data to

compare and rank performance?

Test DiagramIf Appropriate

Technical Use of both feet

First touch and pass test

The athlete will warm up for 10 minutes. The athlete will receive a short lofted ball from an assistant who is standing 5 metres away from them. The athlete will take a first touch, taking the ball down from the air to the ground. They will then pass the ball forward to the assistant’s feet. The athlete will have 3 seconds once they first touch the ball to return the ball back to the assistant’s feet. This makes it realistic and encourages the athlete to do the test at match pace. The test will be repeated 5 times using only the left foot and then 5 times only using the right foot.

This test requires a football, an assistant and a stopwatch for the assistant to record the time taken for the ball to return back to them from the athlete.

The test will be measured using the units of seconds. If the athlete takes longer than 3 seconds to return the ball back to the assistant the trial will result in a fail. If it takes 3 seconds and under the trial is a pass. This is repeated 4 more times with just one foot. The whole procedure will repeat with the other foot only. Professionals have to make several movements to receive the ball in a match for them only to have the ball for 3 seconds. Therefore this is relevant to the athlete in his designated duration of

This test is specific to the focus discrepancy as it involves the use of one foot only per trial. Use of both feet within one trial will be an automatic fail. Being a centre midfielder, an athlete must use both feet at pace in short bursts of time to benefit the team and be more successful in the match whether it is possession, shooting or passing. Taking too long tring to move the ball onto a stronger foot will result in less time for the athlete to do something successful with it or increase the chance of being tackled and loose possession of the ball to the other team.

each trial.

Tactical

Timing of attacking runs

Crossing and finishing test

The athlete warms up for 10 minutes. The athlete will begin with the ball on the halfway line of the pitch. He will pass out wide further forward to a teammate which will trigger the start of his run into the box. The teammate will return the ball to the edge of the penalty area where the athlete will run onto it realistically and shoot. The athlete must make sure his run is timed well so the shot can be successfully made depending on whether the attacking run is timed well. This will be repeated 20 times and an assistant will record the amount of times the athlete gets on the end of the cross and makes a shot.

This test requires a football goal, a football, a teammate to cross to the athlete and an assistant to record the rate of succession.

This test will be measured by an assistant recording the amount of times out of 20 that the athlete will successfully make a shot from a teammates cross. If the shot is made, this means that the timing of the run has been good, however if the shot is made late or unsuccessfully, the timing of the run was poor. The shot does not have to me on target or so, the ball just has to be shot at goal in come in contact with the athlete.

This is specific to the focus discrepancy as it includes a realistic build up before the athlete makes a shot. This happens during a match when the athlete is making the attacking run. The test includes 20 trials as a percentage of success can be calculated from the amount of times the athlete makes a shot after he has run in the designated area from the teammates cross.

The re is no normative data as this is a test that I have created myself. I will calculate a success rate and then talk with my client on how to improve and better the statistics of the results from this test.

Psychological

Group cohesion Cattell’s 16 personality factors test

The athlete answers 164 questions about their personality and their views on others. This is all individuals and the athlete’s opinion. The athlete answers using the five given choices; strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree.

This test is measured using gender age and a score between 0 and 100 of how accurate the answers are, 100 being most accurate. The answers are then calculated and scored between 0 and 4 for each of trait of personality. 4 being the highest score. This measurement is accurate as there are 16 different factors being calculated.

It is specific to the focus discrepancy as it gives a calculation of where the athlete is in terms of the 16 different personality factors. The factors relate to group cohesion and gives you evidence of how much you need to improve certain factors to encourage group cohesion with your teammates.

Biomechanical

Linear acceleration

30 metre acceleration test

The athlete warms up for 10 minutes whilst an assistant marks out 30 metres. The athlete sprints for 30 metres. The assistant starts a stopwatch once the athlete takes his first step and then stops it once the athlete has reached 30 metres. This test is conducted 3 times and the fastest time is recorded.

The tests will me measured using a stopwatch, which is controlled by an assistant. A non-slipping surface must be used for this to limit the cause of injury or any other problems. The test will be compared to a normative data, which is male specific.

This test is specific to the focus discrepancy, as the athlete will need to accelerate from a deep lying position to the attacking areas to receive the ball in a match. This distance will need to be made up quickly as the timing needs to be correct and the athlete must keep up with the speed of play.

Physical

Power Standing vertical jump

Athlete warms up for 10 minutes. They then chalk the ends of their fingertips. They position themselves side onto the wall, keeping both feet on the floor. They reach their hand as high up the wall as possible. From a static position, they jump as high as possible and marks the wall with their fingers. The assistant measures the distance between where the athlete marked with one hand and the jump mark. The test is repeated 3 times and the assistant calculates an average.

The test can be measured using a tape measurer which will be used to measure the distance of height of the jump. Normative data table, specific to a male. The units are measured in centimeters from a level of poor to excellent.

This test is specific to football as it includes a standing vertical jump. This is relevant as in a game of football, in Centre midfield, headers will need to be made so they have to compete for the ball and jump a win a header. It test power in the legs which is specific to focus discrepancy being tested.

Physiological

High vo2 max 12min cooper vo2 max test

The athlete will warm up for 10 minutes. They will run as many laps of a 400metre running track as they can in 12 minutes.

The test will be using a normative data table. It will be specific to a male recording. A stopwatch will be used to record 12 minutes along with an assistant to record the amount of laps the athlete completes.

This test is specific to continuous training. A box-to-box midfielder requires a high vo2 max to compete throughout the whole 90 minutes of the match. The More laps completed, the higher the vo2 max.

COOPER VO2 MAX TEST 30 METRE ACCELERATION TEST

SARGANT JUMP TEST

CROSSING AND FINISHING TEST FIRST TOUCH AND PASS TEST

Rate of succession – 12/20 – Above Average Rate of succession – 9/20 – Excellent

Normative data Normative data Excellent - 14 Excellent – 14 Above average - 10 Above average - 10Average - 6 Average - 6Below average – 3 Below average - 3 Poor - 1 Poor – 1