The Applicability of the Risk Score Approach to Competitive Sport: Development of a Physical Success Score for the Canadian Football League Combine.

ABSTRACT: Matsuo, H, Funasaki, K, and Yamada, S. The applicability of the risk score approach to competitive sport: development of a physical success score for the Canadian football league combine. J Strength Cond Res 36(3): 695-701, 2022-In the scouting combine of the Canadian Football League (CFL), players are measured for 6 athletic abilities, including 2 measurements of body size. For coaches and their players who desire to play in the CFL, knowing the players metrics that are important for being drafted and their levels will help coaches plan and evaluate their training. Thus, the purpose of this study was to provide a simple scoring system using the predictors of CFL Combines identified by multivariate analysis and their regression coefficients, and reference values. In this study, authors created a scoring system to classify draft success and failure of CFL Combines based on the measurement results. This scoring system was named as the physical success score (PSS). To do so, a repeated grid-search cross-validation for variable selection algorithm was performed on the players (line: n = 211, big skill linebacker, running back and tight end: n = 177, skill [defensive back and wide receiver]: n = 231) who participated in the CFL Combines between 2011 and 2019. The final binary logistic regression models and the reference values were used to generate the PSS for each group. As a result, PSS of the line, big skill, and skill were developed. In each group, all possible total scores and the estimated draft success probability were shown. From the results of this study, it was concluded that the PSS approach can provide useful information for coaches in setting training goals.

Physical Characteristics and Performance of Japanese Top-Level American Football Players.

Yamashita, D, Asakura, M, Ito, Y, Yamada, S, and Yamada, Y. Physical characteristics and performance of Japanese top-level American football players. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2455-2461, 2017-This study aimed to compare the physical characteristics and performance between top-level nonprofessional football players in Japan and National Football League (NFL) Combine invited players and between top-level and middle-level players in Japan to determine the factors that enhance performance in international and national competitions. A total of 168 American football players (>20 years) in Japan participated in an anthropometric (height and weight) and physical (vertical jump, long jump, 40-yard dash, pro-agility shuttle, 3-cone drill, and bench press repetition test) measurement program based on the NFL Combine program to compete in the selection of candidates for the Senior World Championship. All players were categorized into 1 of the 3 position groups based on playing position: skill players, big skill players, and linemen. Japanese players were additionally categorized into selected and nonselected players for the second tryout. The NFL Combine candidates had significantly better performance than selected Japanese players on all variables except on performance related to quickness among the 3 position groups. Compared with nonselected players, selected Japanese skill players had better performance in the 40-yard dash and bench press test and big skill players had better performance in the vertical jump, broad jump, and 40-yard dash. Selected and nonselected Japanese linemen were not different in any measurements. These results showed the challenges in American football in Japan, which include not only improving physical performance of top-level players, but also increasing the number of football players with good physical performance.