Comparison of running speed grading ability of junior-high-school football players at different levels of soccer performance

Abstract

This study aimed to compare junior-high-school football players’ running speed grading ability at different levels of football performance. The elite (10 participants: national-level football players) and standard (seven participants: general football players) groups participated in the experiment. All the participants were evaluated for their ability to grade running speed in a short-distance running experiment assuming a football scene. For each participant, three target speeds were set, corresponding to 50%, 70%, and 90% of the maximum travel speed. Participants ran at speeds subjectively determined to be consistent with their respective target values. A two-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis with the target value and performance level factors. The experiment results showed that football players in junior-high school were no different in their ability to grade run speed regardless of their level of football performance. This finding indicated that there may be a low relationship between higher and lower performance level and superiority of running speed grading ability in the junior-high school football players included in this study.