The Use of Sprint Tests for Assessment of Speed Qualities of Elite Australian Rules Footballers
- 1 June 2008
- journal article
- Published by Human Kinetics in International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
- Vol. 3 (2), 199-206
- https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.3.2.199
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between split times within sprint tests over 30 m and 40 m in elite Australian Rules footballers.Methods: Data were analyzed from two Australian Football League (AFL) clubs. The first club (n = 35) conducted a 40-m sprint test and recorded split times at 10 m and 20 m. The second club (n = 30) conducted a 30-m sprint test and recorded splits at 10 m and 20 m. Analyses included calculation of Pearson correlations and common variances between all the split times as well as “flying” times (20–40 m for the first club and 20 to 30 m for the second club).Results: There was a high correlation (r = 0.94) between 10-m time and 20-m time within each club, indicating these measures assessed very similar speed qualities. The correlations between 10-m time and times to 30 m and 40 m decreased, but still produced common variances of 79% and 66% respectively. However when the “flying” times (20–40 m and 20–30 m) were correlated to 10-m time, the common variances decreased substantially to 25% and 42% respectively, indicating uniqueness.Conclusions: It was concluded that 10-m time is a good refection of acceleration capabilities and either 20 to 40 m in a 40-m sprint test or 20 to 30 m in a 30-m sprint test can be used to estimate maximum speed capabilities. It was suggested that sprint tests over 30 m or 40 m can be conducted indoors to provide useful information about independent speed qualities in athletes.Keywords
This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit:
- Physiological and anthropometric characteristics of starters and non-starters and playing positions in elite Australian Rules football: a case studyJournal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2005
- Player movement patterns and game activities in the Australian Football LeagueJournal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2004
- Time–motion analysis of elite field hockey, with special reference to repeated-sprint activityJournal of Sports Sciences, 2004
- Effect of the movement speed of resistance training exercises on sprint and strength performance in concurrently training elite junior sprintersJournal of Sports Sciences, 2002
- Resistance Training for Short Sprints and Maximum-speed SprintsStrength and Conditioning Journal, 2001
- Heart rate, blood lactate and kinematic data of elite colts (under-19) rugby union players during competitionJournal of Sports Sciences, 1998