INTRODUCTION: The ability to execute rapid motor responses to visual stimuli is a key demand for football goalkeepers (GK). While most of previous training studies focus on improving pure motor functions, interventions that address visuomotor performance of the upper and lower extremity are still scarce (Otte et al., 2020). The aims of the pilot study were to validate a self-developed field-based visuomotor reaction time test and to investigate how the test performance relates to an GK`s qualities. METHODS: Six female football GKs (21,54,3, national level), 5 female football forwards (24,64,3, national) from the two teams (domestic league), and 6 female controls (age:21,1,9) were included. Simple and choice reaction time (RT) of the upper and lower limb were assessed with the FitLight Trainer™ system. During the visuomotor test, participants needed to respond as fast as possible to 4 sensors light stimuli in standing position. Two sensors were positioned on eye level (one arm length) and two sensors were placed on ankle height in front of the participants (each upper and lower sensor placed left and right of participants midline). For the simple RT task, the participants were responding to a single sensor at each position (n=10). For the choice RT task, a random sequence (n=12 each) was used. To test for criterion validity, visuomotor RTs were correlated with perceptual-cognitive (cognitive flexibility, working memory; Trail-Making-Test) and motor performance (agility T-Test; MTT). For GKs only, we analysed how visuomotor RTs related to the assessed GKs qualities (rated by each team coach) using an adapted questionnaire (GKs abilities and characteristics; GKAC score). To analyze potential relationships between each limb RT, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: A strong correlation was found between a higher overall GKAC score and faster SRT of left hand (r = 0,872;p = 0,023) and the right leg (r = 0,904;p = 0,013). No significant relationship was found between RTs and standard perceptual-cognitive and motor performance (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results provide initial evidence for a potential relationship between higher playing abilities rating scores (GKAC) and faster visuomotor speed of the lower and upper limb in GKs, indicating the ecological validity of the developed RT test. Future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm our intriguing findings and to elucidate further how this or similar visuomotor tests relate to in-game performance scores, which may open up new avenues to improve performance screening and training of football GKs.
© Copyright 2022 27th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Sevilla, 30. Aug - 2. Sep 2022. Julkaistu Tekijä Faculty of Sport Science - Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään. / Kääntänyt https://www.DeepL.com/Translator