Fairness, technology and the ethics of Paralympic sport classification.

Fairness in sport is a widely shared meritocratic norm. Its application is usually restricted to equality of opportunity to compete for victory. Paralympic sports lay down a further challenge in that equality of opportunity must be shaped by considerations of fairness, evidenced by the development of discrete competition categories to construct fair and meaningful contests. In this article, we extend these philosophical ideas to consider how Fair Equality of Opportunity might operate in the context of Paralympic sports classification. We articulate three conceptions of fairness relevant to these sports: (i) background fairness; (ii) procedural fairness; and (iii) stakes fairness. We critically review the International Paralympic Committee's Policy on Sport Equipment in relation to the first two conceptions and argue that greater clarification, theorization and rule modification is required if physical prowess, as opposed to equipment technology, is to be assured as the dominant determinant of Paralympic athletic success.

Tiros libres indirectos en fútbol de alto nivel. Identificación de variables explicativas / Indirect free kicks in football high performance. Identification of explanatory variables

Los tiros libres indirectos son situaciones que se producen durante los partidos de fútbol, siendo acciones potencialmente trascendentales en el resultado final. Los objetivos fueron determinar la efectividad de estas acciones, identificar las variables asociadas con el éxito, y proponer un modelo de tiro libre indirecto exitoso. Tras registrar 447 tiros libres indirectos durante los 64 partidos del Mundial de Sudáfrica 2010, y de realizar análisis estadístico, los resultados indican una baja eficacia en el remate, remate entre los tres palos y el gol. El 64,3% de los goles con procedencia en un tiro libre indirectos han contribuido a sumar puntos en el resultado final. El modo de envío, número de atacantes que intervienen y la organización ofensiva son variables que se han revelado como moduladoras de la eficacia. Estos enunciados podrían suponer un punto de partida para dotar a entrenadores de nuevas herramientas tácticas

Indirect free kicks are situations that occur during football matches, with potentially transcendental actions in the final result. The objectives were to determine the effectiveness of these actions, identify variables associated with success, and propose a successful indirect free kick model. After registering 447 indirect free kicks during the 64 games of the World Cup in South Africa 2010, and performing statistical analysis, results indicate a low efficiency in the shot, shot between the three posts and goal. 64.3 % of goals that came from indirect free kick contributed to score points in the final result. The mode of sending, number of attackers involved and the offensive organization are variables that have been revealed as modulators of effectiveness. These statements could be a starting point to equip coaches with new tactical tools

Older E-bike Users: Demographic, Health, Mobility Characteristics, and Cycling Levels.

PURPOSE: Electric bicycles (e-bikes) may offer an opportunity to stimulate physical activity among older adults. The current study compared Flemish (Belgian) older e-bike users with those not using an e-bike on sociodemographics, health characteristics, and access to motorized transport. In addition, it examined the association between e-bike use and levels of cycling and the moderating effects of sex, body mass index (BMI), and cycling limitations. METHODS: An online or interview version of the same questionnaire was completed by 1146 participants. Data were analyzed using logistic regression and hurdle models. RESULTS: Women, those with a higher BMI, and those with one (compared with no) motorized vehicle in the household had higher odds of being an e-bike user. E-bike use was related to higher odds of having cycled for transport in the past week, and this relationship was stronger among those with a higher BMI (low BMI: odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.24-2.91; high BMI: odds ratio, 3.34; 95% CI, 2.26-5.00). Among those who cycled for transport in the last week, e-bike use was associated with 35% more minutes of cycling for transport (95% CI, 17%-56%). E-bike use was related to 183% higher odds of having biked for recreation (95% CI, 115%-274%). Among women and those with cycling limitations who cycled for recreation in the last week, e-bike use was also related to 57% (95% CI, 18%-109%) and 180% (95% CI, 63%-381%) more minutes of cycling for recreation, respectively. CONCLUSION: E-bikes may provide an opportunity to promote cycling among older adults, particularly among subgroups at risk for physical inactivity.

Effect of E-Bike Versus Bike Commuting on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Overweight Adults: A 4-Week Randomized Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess if active commuting with an electrically assisted bicycle (e-bike) during a 4-week period can induce increases in cardiorespiratory fitness measured as peak oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak) in untrained, overweight individuals, and if these changes are comparable with those induced by a conventional bicycle. DESIGN: Four-week randomized pilot study. SETTING: Controlled laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two volunteers (28 men) participated. Seventeen {median age 37 years [interquartile range (IQR) 34, 45], median body mass index [BMI] 29 kg/m [IQR 27, 31]} were randomized to the E-Bike group and 15 [median age 43 years (IQR 38, 45), median BMI 28 kg/m (IQR 26, 29)] to the Bike group. INTERVENTIONS: Participants in both groups were instructed to use the bicycle allocated to them (e-bike or conventional bicycle) for an active commute to work in the Basel (Switzerland) area at a self-chosen speed on at least 3 days per week during the 4-week intervention period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak was assessed before and after the intervention in an all-out exercise test on a bicycle ergometer. RESULTS: V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak increased by an average of 3.6 mL/(kg·min) [SD 3.6 mL/(kg·min)] in the E-Bike group and by 2.2 mL/(kg·min) [SD 3.5 mL/(kg·min)] in the Bike group, with an adjusted difference between the 2 groups of 1.4 mL/(kg·min) [95% confidence interval, -1.4-4.1; P = 0.327]. CONCLUSIONS: E-bikes may have the potential to improve cardiorespiratory fitness similar to conventional bicycles despite the available power assist, as they enable higher biking speeds and greater elevation gain.

Temperate-Water Immersion as a Treatment for Hyperthermic Humans Wearing American Football Uniforms.

CONTEXT: Cold-water immersion (CWI; 10°C) can effectively reduce body core temperature even if a hyperthermic human is wearing a full American football uniform (PADS) during treatment. Temperate-water immersion (TWI; 21°C) may be an effective alternative to CWI if resources for the latter (eg, ice) are unavailable. OBJECTIVE: To measure rectal temperature (Trec) cooling rates, thermal sensation, and Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ) scores of participants wearing PADS or shorts, undergarments, and socks (NOpads) before, during, and after TWI. DESIGN: Crossover study. SETTING: Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen physically active, unacclimatized men (age = 22 ± 2 years, height = 182.3 ± 5.2 cm, mass = 82.5 ± 13.4 kg, body fat = 10% ± 4%, body surface area = 2.04 ± 0.16 m2). INTERVENTION(S): Participants exercised in the heat (40°C, 50% relative humidity) on 2 days while wearing PADS until Trec reached 39.5°C. Participants then underwent TWI while wearing either NOpads or PADS until Trec reached 38°C. Thermal sensation and ESQ responses were collected at various times before and after exercise. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Temperate-water immersion duration (minutes), Trec cooling rates (°C/min), thermal sensation, and ESQ scores. RESULTS: Participants had similar exercise times (NOpads = 38.1 ± 8.1 minutes, PADS = 38.1 ± 8.5 minutes), hypohydration levels (NOpads = 1.1% ± 0.2%, PADS = 1.2% ± 0.2%), and thermal sensation ratings (NOpads = 7.1 ± 0.4, PADS = 7.3 ± 0.4) before TWI. Rectal temperature cooling rates were similar between conditions (NOpads = 0.12°C/min ± 0.05°C/min, PADS = 0.13°C/min ± 0.05°C/min; t12 = 0.82, P = .79). Thermal sensation and ESQ scores were unremarkable between conditions over time. CONCLUSIONS: Temperate-water immersion produced acceptable (ie, >0.08°C/min), though not ideal, cooling rates regardless of whether PADS or NOpads were worn. If a football uniform is difficult to remove or the patient is noncompliant, clinicians should begin water-immersion treatment with the athlete fully equipped. Clinicians should strive to use CWI to treat severe hyperthermia, but when CWI is not feasible, TWI should be the next treatment option because its cooling rate was higher than the rates of other common modalities (eg, ice packs, fanning).

Manipulating the number of players and targets in team sports Small-Sided Games during Physical Education classes / Manipulación del Número de juegadores y metas en juegos reducidos de deportes colectivos durante las clases de Educación física

This study aimed to examine the effects of players and targets number variation on technical, tactical and physiological indicators in basketball, handball and futsal. Nine students of the 8th grade (age 13.3 ± 0.7 years, stature 166.8 ± 3.8 cm, body mass 55.3 ± 4.2 kg) participated in four small-sided games (SSG) for each sport. Despite of the differences between sports, similar mean values of technical and tactical indicators were found in both basketball and futsal SSG. The increase of players’ incited the duration of unsuccessful offensive phase, number of passes per offensive phase, successful passes per offensive phase and decreases ball possession per player. Whilst all SSG in this study imposed high physiological demand, 3 v 3 games played with one target elicited the greatest responses. In conclusion, the 3x3 SSG promoted similar technical-tactical indicators and higher physiological demands than 4x4 SSG

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo examinar los efectos del número de jugadores y metas en la variación de los indicadores técnicos, tácticos y fisiológicos en baloncesto, balonmano y fútbol sala. Nueve estudiantes del octavo grado (edad 13.3 ± 0.7 años, estatura 166.8 ± 3.8 cm, masa corporal 55.3 ± 4.2 kg) participarón en cuatro juegos reducidos (SSG) para cada deporte. A pesar de las diferencias entre los deportes, se encontrarón valores medios similares en los indicadores técnicos y tácticos tanto en los juegos reducidos del baloncesto como en los de fútbol sala. El aumento de los jugadores ha provocado el aumento de la duración de la fase ofensiva sin éxito, número de pases por fase ofensiva, pases acertados por fase ofensiva y ha provocado una disminución de la posesión del balón por jugador. Mientras la totalidad de juegos reducidos utilizados en este estudio han impuesto un elevada demanda fisiológica, los juegos reducidos de 3x3 jugados con una meta provocaron las mayores respuestas. En conclusión, los juegos reducidos de 3x3 ha inducido valores similares en los indicadores técnico-tácticos, pero demandas fisiológicas más altas que los juegos reducidos de 4x4

Performance da equipe do Barcelona e seus adversários nos jogos finais da Champions League e da Copa do Mundo de Clubes FIFA 2010 / Rendimiento del equipo de Barcelona y sus oponentes en la final de los partidos de la Liga de Campeones y la Copa Mundial de Clubes de la FIFA 2010 / Performance of Barcelona's team and their opponents in the finals matches of the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup 2010

Objetivo: O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a performance da equipe do Barcelona em confronto com seus adversários, nos dois jogos mais importantes da temporada (final do Mundial Interclubes da FIFA e final UEFA Champions League), entre Barcelona e Santos FC, e entre Barcelona e Manchester United, respectivamente. Método: A análise dos comportamentos desempenhados pelos jogadores levou em consideração o número de jogadores envolvidos e os fundamentos técnicos divididos em três categorias: fundamentos ofensivos, fundamentos defensivos e tipos de passe. Resultados: A partir da análise dos jogos, foi possível observar a superioridade da equipe do Barcelona, em ambos os jogos, onde a mesma tende a ficar mais tempo com a posse de bola e envolver uma maior quantidade de jogadores na fase ofensiva. Conclusão: O modelo de jogo evidenciado privilegia a manutenção sistemática da posse de bola, caracterizando um ataque posicional de abertura e redução de espaços de jogo

Objetivo. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar el rendimiento del equipo en la confrontación del Barcelona con sus oponentes, en los dos partidos más importantes de la temporada (finales de la Copa Mundial de Clubes FIFA y la UEFA Champions League), entre Barcelona y Santos FC, y entre Barcelona y Man-chester United, respectivamente. Método. El análisis de las conductas realizadas por los jugadores ha tenido en cuenta el número de jugadores involucrados y los fundamentos técnicos divididos en tres categorías: los fundamentos ofensivos, fundamentos defensivos y tipos de pases. Resultados. A partir del análisis de los juegos, fue posible observar la superioridad del equipo de Barcelona en los dos partidos, en los que tiende a tener más tiempo el balón y hacer participar a un mayor número de jugadores en la fase ofensiva. Conclusión. El modelo de juego evidenciado favorece el mantenimiento sistemático del balón, caracterizando un ataque posicional de apertura del juego y reducción de los espacios de juego (AU)

Objective. The present study aims to evaluate the performance of the team in Barcelona confrontation with their opponents, the two most important games of the season (end of the FIFA World Club Cup and UEFA Champions League Final), between Barcelona and Santos FC, and between Barcelona and Manchester United respectively. Method. The analysis of the behaviors performed by players took into account the number of players involved and the technical fundamentals divided into three categories: offensive fundamentals, defensive fundamentals and types of passes. Results. From the analysis of the games, it was possible to observe the superiority of the Barcelona team in both games, when they tend to spend more time with the ball and involve a greater number of players in the offensive phase. Conclusion. The game model evidenced favors systematic maintenance of possession, featuring a positional attack and reduced opening game spaces (AU)

[On health protection for members of Russian Federation national sports teams].

The article covers main results of activities provided by Federal Medical and Biologic Agency on medical, sanitary and biologic support of Russian Federation national sport teams members. Through example of Bournazian FMBC of FMBA of Russian, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, the authors represented results of scientific, educational and clinical work of specific establishment in this sphere.

Programa de Intervención psicológica para la optimización del concepto de equipo (team building) en jóvenes futbolistas / Psychological intervention programme based on team-building principles in a youth footbal team

Con este estudio pretendemos desarrollar un programa de construcción de un equipo, una intervención psicológica multidimensional, basado en los principios de team building (Spink y Carron, 1993; Vicente, 1999) y evaluar si éste puede potenciar el desarrollo de la cohesión y de la satisfacción del equipo. En el estudio participaron 20 jugadores pertenecientes a un equipo de fútbol de la categoría Juvenil A. Para acceder a las variables de la Cohesión y para la Satisfacción, utilizamos la versión portuguesa GEQp y ASQp. Los resultados indican que tras la intervención existe un aumento de la cohesión en los aspectos sociales, el mantenimiento hacia la tarea y disminución de la satisfacción asociada a los aspectos que convergen hacia los objetivos. En la fase de seguimiento, la cohesión hacia la tarea se mantuvo y se registró una disminución en la cohesión social. Se llegó a la conclusión de que el programa de intervención psicológica puede ser un factor catalizador de la cohesión y de la satisfacción del equipo, así como del funcionamiento y del rendimiento en el contexto de este grupo (AU)

This study aims to develop a team-building program, a multidimensional psychological intervention based on the principles of team building (TB) (Spink and Carron, 1993, Vicente, 1999), and assess whether it can foster the development of team satisfaction and cohesion. The participants were 20 young footballers from one team. The Cohesion and Satisfaction perception variables were accessed with the Portuguese version of the ASQp and GEQp. The results showed that after the TB intervention, social cohesion increased, task cohesion held steady and satisfaction associated with aspects that converged towards the goals decreased. In the follow-up phase, task cohesion was steady and social cohesion declined. In conclusion, a psychological intervention programme may be a catalyst of cohesion, team satisfaction and performance within the context of this group (AU)

An affordance based approach to decision making in sport: discussing a novel methodological framework

La toma de decisiones es un elemnto fundamental en cualquier deporte, sobre todo en deportes de equipo, abiertos, rápidos y dinámicos como el fútbol, baloncesto o rugby. En el deporte de élite los deportistas toman consistentemente buenas decisiones en situaciones que requieren una respuesta rápida en muy poco tiempo. El comprender este mecanismo ha sido objeto de estudio, desde hace varias décadas, de los investigadores del ámbito de la percepción-acción. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar nuevas contribuciones, tanto teóricas como metodológicas, que están desarrollando el conocimiento sobre esta área de investigación. Se describe el marco teórico (psicología ecológica) desde el que se aborda este estudio, así como la relación entre la tecnología de la realidad virtual y los objetivos teóricos. Finalmente, se presenta un ejemplo aplicado que muestra como en la práctica se unen el abordaje teórico y el metodológico desde la perspectiva ecológica (AU)

Decision making is a fundamental element of any sport, particularly open, fast, dynamic team sports such as football, basketball and rugby. At the elite level, athletes appear to consistently make good decisions in situations that are highly temporally constrained. To further understand how this is done has been the aim of researchers within the perception-action field for several decades. The purpose of this article is to present novel contributions, both theoretical and methodological, that are pushing the boundaries of this area of research. The theoretical framework ( Ecological psychology) within which the work is posited will be described, followed by a description of Virtual Reality (VR) technology and how it relates to the theoretical aims. Finally, an applied example will be summarised in order to demonstrate how the theoretical approach and the methodological approach come together in practice (AU)

A technique for fabricating modern athletic mouthguards.

The prevention and treatment of orofacial trauma is now a very important part of the general practice. Children as well as adults are participating more in events where the probability of trauma is apparent. Attendance at health clubs and gymnasiums is on the rise. With the increase in sports participation comes an increase in orofacial injuries. The general population is taking its health more seriously. Athletic participation is on the rise, and Title IX4 has introduced increased female participation at all levels. This only increases the possibility that our patients will present themselves in our offices with the need for trauma treatment and also our opinions on the methods of preventing such traumatic experiences.

Effects of insoles and additional shock absorption foam on the cushioning properties of sport shoes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of insoles and additional shock absorption foam on the cushioning properties of various sport shoes with an impact testing method. Three commercial sport shoes were used in this study, and shock absorption foam (TPE5020; Vers Tech Science Co. Ltd., Taiwan) with 2-mm thickness was placed below the insole in the heel region for each shoe. Eight total impacts with potential energy ranged from 1.82 to 6.08 J were performed onto the heel region of the shoe. The order of testing conditions was first without insole, then with insole, and finally interposing the shock absorption foam for each shoe. Peak deceleration of the striker was measured with an accelerometer attached to the striker during impact. The results of this study seemed to show that the insole or additional shock absorption foam could perform its shock absorption effect well for the shoes with limited midsole cushioning. Further, our findings showed that insoles absorbed more, even up to 24-32% of impact energy under low impact energy. It seemed to indicate that insoles play a more important role in cushioning properties of sport shoes under a low impact energy condition.

[Grading of the functional sport shoe parameter "cushioning" and "forefoot flexibility" on running shoes]. / Gradierung der funktionellen Sportschuhparameter "Dämpfung" und "Vorfussflexibilität" am Laufschuh.

On nearly every running event a heterogeneous structure of participants regarding body height and body weight can be observed. This study should figure out whether the running shoe manufacturers will consider this anthropometric variability. Moreover it should be investigated the runners needs based on different anthropometrics regarding preferred cushioning and forefoot flexibility properties. In order to check whether the running shoe manufacturers will apply a grading pattern, a dynamic material study with conventional running shoes in different sizes was conducted. In a second step a field study in Middle Europe and North America with 244 female and 227 male runners was organized. Every subject had to run and evaluate 7 different shoe modifications. Based on the material study it is to state, that the running shoe manufacturers currently do not consider a systematic grading of cushioning and forefoot flexibility properties. In contrast to this, the field study reveals the necessity to grade these properties. A shoe size dependent and a geographic grading concept are suggested. It is supposed, that the application of these grading concepts do not only provide a comfort improvement, but they also contribute to a reduction of joint loads of the lower extremities and consequently to a prevention of overuse injuries.

Numerical analysis of maximal bat performance in baseball.

Metal baseball bats have been experimentally demonstrated to produce higher ball exit velocity (BEV) than wooden bats. In the United States, all bats are subject to BEV tests using hitting machines that rotate the bat in a horizontal plane. In this paper, a model of bat-ball impact was developed based on 3-D translational and rotational kinematics of a swing performed by high-level players. The model was designed to simulate the maximal performance of specific models of a wooden bat and a metal bat when swung by a player, and included material properties and kinematics specific to each bat. Impact dynamics were quantified using the finite element method (ANSYS/LSDYNA, version 6.1). Maximum BEV from both a metal (61.5 m/s) and a wooden (50.9 m/s) bat exceeded the 43.1 m/s threshold by which bats are certified as appropriate for commercial sale. The lower BEV from the wooden bat was attributed to a lower pre-impact bat linear velocity, and a more oblique impact that resulted in a greater proportion of BEV being lost to lateral and vertical motion. The results demonstrate the importance of factoring bat linear velocity and spatial orientation into tests of maximal bat performance, and have implications for the design of metal baseball bats.

Scale of protection and the various types of sports mouthguard.

OBJECTIVES: To present a grading system of the protection offered by various types of mouthguard, together with an indication of associated risks, in order to make athletes aware of the consequences of improper or no mouth protection. METHODS: A review of the literature on mouthguards, mouthguard materials, and novel laminates for mouthguards was carried out as it was apparent that information on mouthguards was lacking. Studies on stock (or unfitted) mouthguards, mouth formed (boil and bite) mouthguards, and custom mouthguards are reviewed. RESULTS: A scale of protection offered by various mouthguards and novel laminates has been produced, where 0 indicates no mouthguard and 10 indicates a custom made mouthguard offering excellent protection. CONCLUSIONS: From work carried out on laminates and the manufacturing processes of mouthguards, it became apparent that information was lacking to enable athletes make informed decisions about the best oral protection for their chosen sport.

Incidence of cerebral concussions associated with type of mouthguard used in college football.

Controversy exists among sports dentists as to whether or not a 'custom made' mouthguard is more effective in reducing the incidence of cerebral concussion than the boil-and-bite 'non-custom made' mouthguard. While members on each side remain steadfast in their opinion, not a single epidemiological study has been conducted to investigate the effect of type of mouthguard worn on the incidence of cerebral concussion. The aim of this study was to determine if there was a difference between the type of mouthguard worn and the incidence of cerebral concussions among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A football players. During the 15-week 2001 college football season, trainers entered, via an interactive web site, weekly data for each game and practice sessions for the preceding week. Eighty-seven (76%) out of a possible 114 Division I teams participated. A total of 506 297 athletic exposures were recorded; 369 brain concussions were reported. The incidence of cerebral concussions per 1000 exposures was 0.73. Utilizing a risk ratio with a 95% confidence interval, no statistical difference occurred in the incidence of cerebral concussions between football players wearing custom made versus non-custom made mouthguards (0.990,1.750). In this study, there was no advantage of wearing a custom made mouthguard over a boil-and-bite mouthguard to reduce the risk of cerebral concussion in football players.

Are all mouthguards the same and safe to use? The influence of occlusal supporting mouthguards in decreasing bone distortion and fractures.

The safety benefits of mouthguards have been demonstrated in many studies, with many authors and sports dentists strongly recommending the wearing of mouthguards. However, wearing a mouthguard with incorrect occlusion might cause a variety of problems. It comes as no surprise that a traumatic blow to the chin, while wearing an insufficient mouthguard lacking anterior contact, can result in severe distortions to the mandibular bone, and bone fractures. The aim of this study was to clarify how ineffective insufficient occlusal supporting mouthguards are and how dangerous they can be to use. Consequently, in this study, occlusal supportive areas were varied and accelerations of head and distortions of the mandible were measured using an artificial skull model and a pendulum impact device. As a result, the distortions of the mandible tended to increase as the supported area decreased. On the contrary, accelerations of the head decreased as the occlusion part decreased. Thus, a lot of impact energy was consumed in the distortion of the mandible; accordingly, it seemed that only a little destructive energy was transferred to the head. From this study, it would seem that wearing a mouthguard, which is insufficient in the occlusion, has the potential of causing a bone fracture of the mandible. Consequently, mouthguards should have proper occlusion.

Knowledge and attitudes of coaches of secondary school athletes in Ibadan, Nigeria regarding oro-facial injuries and mouthguard use by the athletes.

- The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions of secondary school sports' coaches about oro-facial injuries and mouth protector usage in sports by the adolescent athletes. A 10-item, self-completion questionnaire was distributed to 42 coaches from 23 secondary schools randomly selected from different parts of Ibadan city in Nigeria between May and June, 2002. The questionnaire sought information on why a mouth protector (mouthguard) is used, when it is required; the types of mouth protector used, the major reasons for choosing a specific mouth protector, and personal feeling as to whether mouthguards prevent oral injury. Descriptive statistics were used for the data while the chi-square statistic was employed to test the significance of association between variables. All the coaches, 25 (59.5%) males and 17 (40.5%) females with age range of 19-51 years and mean age of 38.07 +/- 8.97 years (mean +/- SD), completed and returned the forms (100% completion rate). 95.2% of the coaches believed that mouthguards prevent oral injuries and 95.2% of them also would like more information on different types of mouthguard, while 4.8% each felt otherwise. The main factor determining the choice of the type of mouthguard for athletes by the coaches was the quality of oral protection (57.1%), and the next was the cost (23.8%). Acceptance of mouthguard was scored as positive by 88.1% of the athletes. 81.0% of the coaches felt that mouthguard should be worn at all times (during practices and competitions) while 19.0% would prefer the use during competitions only. The majority of the coaches (71.4%) believed that boxing needs mouthguards, 2.4% each indicated football (soccer) and Judo while 11.9% of the coaches did not indicate any sport. The majority of these Nigerian coaches agreed on the protective effectiveness of mouthguard against sport-related oro-facial injuries, but they are yet to be adequately informed about mouthguards generally so as to correctly advise and influence these adolescent athletes in this regard.