Clinical Research Directory

Effects of a Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking on Football-Specific Decision-Making in Under-9 Academy Players

This study evaluates whether embedding a Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) within routine academy football training improves football-specific decision-making and execution speed in under-9 male players. Participants will complete either TPCT-integrated training or standard academy training, and performance will be assessed before and after the intervention using the Stroop Task Football Test (STFT).

Ecological Test Standardization for Concussion Assessment in Football Players

Concussion is a major concern in the sports world. It represents an immediate and transient alteration of neurological functions due to a direct or indirect trauma, with or without loss of consciousness. Concussions affect between 1.6 and 3.8 million people per year in the United States across all sports. The prevalence varies depending on the sport. In France, the incidence of sport-related concussions is estimated at 200,000 cases. According to the French Academy of Medicine (March 2025), concussions account for between 5% and 9% of all sports-related injuries. Among these cases, 30% involve individuals aged 5 to 19. Football (soccer) is one of the most affected sports, with its 2 million registered players. In French professional football (Ligue 1 and 2), during the 2023-2024 season, one concussion was recorded every 55 matches on average (declared concussion). During the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons, the rate of matches with concussion was approximately 2.5%. In professional rugby, it is estimated that one concussion occurs every three matches in France. There are no precise statistics on the number or frequency of concussions in amateur football in France, due to a lack of reporting and insufficient diagnosis. Currently, practical recommendations exist for managing football players from the moment of impact on the field, implemented within the French Football Federation. The current concussion protocol includes a standardized tool for evaluating concussion intended for healthcare professionals, the SCAT6. However, this protocol is not always sufficient, and return-to-play sometimes occurs too early. Indeed, current assessments are too brief and do not evaluate all cognitive functions. They do not allow a clear understanding of the real on-field consequences. It is estimated that 50% of athletes return to play too early after a concussion, with risks of neurological complications or prolonged symptoms. However, defining rest time and return-to-play criteria is not straightforward. In practice, return to play relies, among other things, on neuropsychological tests, whose interpretation is difficult in the absence of baseline data. The concussion protocol does not allow for an accurate determination of whether performance has normalized without this neuropsychological baseline. Recent European and international recommendations advise conducting pre-season assessments to provide comparative values. Several studies have been published on the type of pre-season assessments to perform, most using paper-and-pencil or computerized neurocognitive tests. The current concussion protocol relies mainly on paper-and-pencil tests. However, the literature shows dissociations between cognitive performance measured in ecological environments and performance measured through paper-and-pencil tests. Ecological tasks have the advantage of closely approximating the daily actions of a player and assessing cognitive functioning more precisely. Thus, these ecological tasks, combined with a baseline assessment, would improve the evaluation of athletes following a concussion. These tasks would facilitate return-to-play decisions through more objective observations and normed data. Finally, ecological tasks would enhance player monitoring and allow a more accurate understanding of their health status. For this reason, it seems necessary to develop a standardized ecological test performed in real-game situations. This would improve decision-making regarding return to play without medically endangering the player and would allow better understanding of the cognitive effects of concussion. These tasks will first be reviewed and tested by experts (players, football staff members, national concussion reference physician, and neuropsychologists) for feedback and refinement.

Plyometrics vs PAPE Training in Football: Effects on Agility, Explosive Power and Speed

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effects of 8 week plyometric training and post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) training on explosive power, agility, acceleration and sprint speed, muscle strength and flexibility in healthy male semi-professional football players aged 18-35. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does PAPE training have effects on performance metrics of football players when planned and applied long-term (8 weeks)? Does long term PAPE training improve agility, acceleration and speed, flexibility, vertical jump height, and muscle strength more effectively than Plyometric training? Is there a significant difference in performance gains between PAPE and plyometric training compared to a control group receiving only routine football training? Researchers will compare a plyometric training group, a PAPE training group, and a control group to determine which method most effectively enhances football-specific performance outcomes. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to one of three groups (Plyometric, PAPE, or Control) * Continue their routine football training as usual * Receive additional training sessions applied immediately after warm-up and before continuing regular team training alongside the Control group (for PAPE and Plyometric group) * Undergo an 8-week training program (3 times per week for Plyometric and PAPE groups) Assessments will be conducted at baseline, week 4, and week 8, including: * Vertical Jump Test (explosive power) * 30-Meter Sprint Test, including 10-meter acceleration recording * Illinois Agility Test * Isometric strength measurements of quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius using a handheld dynamometer * Sit and Reach Test and Modified Thomas Test (flexibility) In addition, all participants will complete a sociodemographic and lifestyle assessment form capturing: Age, height, weight, BMI Football experience and playing position Education level, employment status Sleep duration, training frequency, and training intensity Smoking and alcohol use status.

Muscle Injury RTP Design in Football; Effects of Backward Design vs Forward Design.

Introduction "Return-to-play" (RTP) is an English term that corresponds to "return to competition". It is important to understand that this return is a constant, dynamic, and personalized decision-making process . The main objective of RTP is not to predict the exact moment of an athlete's return; rather, it is to prevent new injuries. For this, adequate decision-making is necessary. There are several important steps in the process, including correct diagnosis, strict control of workloads, and intelligent management of modifiers intrinsic to the sport that can lead to anxiety and stress How are the pieces of the RTP puzzle arranged and managed? How are RTP processes evaluated today? How should RTP be understood? Should it be understood statically, as a checklist, or as a constant decision-making process involving the player? Main objective: Evaluate the design of the RTP process for muscle injuries in sports. Specific objectives: * To compare two RTP designs and evaluate how their design influences the anxiety experienced by the player. * Identify variables that may be altered when choosing a regressive or progressive RTP design, such as sleep quality and cortisol level. * To establish direction in the design of the RTP process. * Create complete clinical guidelines on muscle injuries in sports with a focus on RTP design. Material and Methods Definition of the Study Subjects The subjects of the study will be all players belonging to the first or B team who suffer a muscle injury diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging. At the time of injury, they will be randomly assigned to either the control group (following a regressive RTP design) or the intervention group (following a progressive RTP design). Masking will be double-blind. The sample size will be N=74. The secondary variables will be recorded in the database after diagnosis by MRI. Subsequently, the primary variables will be measured and recorded at the beginning, middle, and end of the RTP period. It is estimated that approximately half of the necessary sample size has been reached: about 37 subjects with muscle injury. The first statistical analysis will then be carried out to observe the preliminary results. After three years, once the analysis has been completed, the results and conclusions will be written up for publication in a journal.

Effects of Integrative Neuromuscular Traning on Physical Fitness and Dribbling Performance Among High School Male Football Players in Shandong, China

This study investigates the effects of a 12-week Integrative Neuromuscular Training (INT) program on physical fitness, balance, and dribbling skills in male high school soccer players in Shandong, China. INT, which combines strength, agility, balance, core stability, and proprioception, has been shown internationally to enhance athletic performance and prevent injuries among youth athletes. While widely applied in sports like basketball, volleyball, and swimming abroad, research on INT in Chinese male soccer players remains limited. A total of 60 male soccer players (aged 16-18) with at least two years of training experience will be recruited from two high schools in Jinan and divided equally into experimental and control groups. The experimental group will undergo INT three times per week for 12 weeks, while the control group will continue regular soccer training. The study will measure changes in strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, static and dynamic balance, and dribbling performance. Data collection spans 16 weeks, including pre-tests, intervention, and post-tests. Statistical analysis will be conducted using SPSS 26.0, employing descriptive statistics, GEE models, and repeated measures ANOVA. This research aims to provide scientific evidence for the use of INT in youth soccer training in China.

Effects of Windlass Versus Calcaneal Taping in Football Player With Plantar Fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is a prevalent ailment that affects the plantar fascia, a dense tissue strip that spans the underside of the foot, from the heel bone to the toes. Football players are especially susceptible to this ailment because of the sport's high-impact nature, which includes repetitive sprinting, jumping, and quick changes in direction. Taping has been used for many years for various ailments. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of two taping techniques i.e. windlass taping and calcaneal taping on pain, flexibility and lower extremity function in football players.

Effects of Tan Tui Exercises on Strength and Performance of Football Players.

Randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the effects of Tan Tui exercises on the strength and performance of football players. Tan Tui can provide football players with a well-rounded approach to physical and mental development, which can contribute to enhanced performance, injury prevention, and personal improvement both on and off the field there is limited study available on the effectiveness of Tan Tui exercises.