Specific Fitness Assessment in Football

The tests used in this type of assessment collect data on different performance variables, including endurance, horizontal speed, agility, horizontal power and vertical power (single-leg and double-leg). Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height and body composition by bioelectrical impedance will also be taken. One of the main objectives of these tests is to obtain each athlete’s force–velocity profile in order to assess muscular performance and determine their ability to apply force against different loads and over different execution times.

For horizontal speed, different tests will be used, including the Course Navette, assessment of maximum speed and acceleration over 40 metres, repeated sprint ability (RSA), and assessment of individual dribbling technique (modified T-test).

For vertical speed and power, vertical jumping on a contact platform will be used to perform the Countermovement Jump (CMJ), Squat Jump (SJ) and Abalakov Jump.

The following equipment is available to carry out this type of testing:

• Contact platform and Ergotester (Globus Ergotester®, Italy)
• Wireless photoelectric cells (Witty System, Microgate, Bolzano, Italy)
• Wireless speaker

The test will be supervised throughout by a specialist technician/researcher (graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences).

Once the assessments have been completed and the data analysed, a report containing the main results will be provided, together with recommendations regarding the player’s capacity for adaptation and individualisation based on their profile.

This type of service is in demand among footballers of different ages and performance levels because the field-based tests can be individualised, allowing the service to be tailored more closely to the characteristics of the person requesting it.

For young athletes, it is highly useful to assess their maturation status (assessment of the athlete’s maturation status) in order to compare their performance with their biological development. For players in senior categories and/or at high competitive levels, it is essential to assess their physical condition (physical performance in field-based tests) at different points throughout the season to determine the effects of the systematic training they are undertaking. These assessments are accompanied by a technical report, which is provided to the athlete after the testing protocol has been completed.

One of the main advantages of this specific fitness assessment is its ability to adapt and be individualised according to the profile of the player requesting the test. It is essential to tailor the tests performed to the aspects that determine performance in football and, more specifically, to the player’s stage of development. The battery of field-based tests includes some tests that are widely validated in the scientific literature, as well as others currently undergoing validation, making it possible to compare athletes’ performance using tests at the forefront of research into physical performance assessment in football.

Another advantage of this assessment is the provision of a technical report comparing the athlete’s performance with different benchmarks, such as athletes of the same age or competitive level, or with previous assessments of the same athlete. This provides detailed information on their physical performance in comparison with other athletes or at different points in the season.

The service is fully operational and is regularly provided to clubs and individual players. The research team has extensive experience based on its own publications on performance specific to football.

• Professional and Semi-Professional Football Clubs.
• Player Development Academies and Youth Football Schools.
• Individual Footballers Seeking to Optimise Their Personal Performance.
• Representatives and Scouting Agencies Interested in Objective Technical Reports.
• Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centres.

José Manuel Sarabia Marín – University Institute for Research, Sports Research Centre