A Narrative Review of the Most Demanding Scenarios in Basketball: Current Trends and Future Directions.

Since the analysis of most demanding scenarios (MDS) in basketball has improved the practical knowledge about match demands and possible impacts for the training process, it seems important to summarize the scientific evidence providing useful information and future directions related to MDS. This review assesses the results reflected in the available literature about the MDS in basketball, synthesizing and discussing data from scientific papers, and then providing relevant insights about terminology, sex and sample size, competition category, workload variables recorded, technology used, method of calculation, time windows analyzed, and activities evaluated related to MDS. Therefore, the present narrative review would be of practical use for coaches, scientists, athletes as well as strength and conditioning trainers exploring the current trends and future directions related to MDS in basketball.

A Comparison of Match Demands Using Ball-in-Play versus Whole Match Data in Professional Soccer Players of the English Championship.

This is the first study to report the whole match, ball-in-play (BiP), ball-out-of-play (BoP), and Max BiP (worst case scenario phases of play) demands of professional soccer players competing in the English Championship. Effective playing time per soccer game is typically <60 min. When the ball is out of play, players spend time repositioning themselves, which is likely less physically demanding. Consequently, reporting whole match demands may under-report the physical requirements of soccer players. Twenty professional soccer players, categorized by position (defenders, midfielders, and forwards), participated in this study. A repeated measures design was used to collect Global Positioning System (GPS) data over eight professional soccer matches in the English Championship. Data were divided into whole match and BiP data, and BiP data were further sub-divided into different time points (30-60 s, 60-90 s, and >90 s), providing peak match demands. Whole match demands recorded were compared to BiP and Max BiP, with BiP data excluding all match stoppages, providing a more precise analysis of match demands. Whole match metrics were significantly lower than BiP metrics (p < 0.05), and Max BiP for 30-60 s was significantly higher than periods between 60-90 s and >90 s. No significant differences were found between positions. BiP analysis allows for a more accurate representation of the game and physical demands imposed on professional soccer players. Through having a clearer understanding of maximum game demands in professional soccer, practitioners can design more specific training methods to better prepare players for worst case scenario passages of play.

The physical characteristics underpinning performance of wheelchair fencing athletes: A Delphi study of Paralympic coaches.

Wheelchair fencing (WF) is a Paralympic sport which is practised by athletes with physical disabilities and is classified into three categories according to the degree of activity limitation the impairment causes in the sport. All Paralympic sports are requested to develop their own evidence-based classification system to enhance the confidence in the classification process; however, this is yet to be achieved in WF. Research within WF is scarce; therefore, the aim of this study was to reach expert consensus on the physical characteristics that underpin performance of athletes competing in the sport as this is known as one of the initial steps required to achieve an evidence-based classification system. Sixteen Paralympic WF coaches were invited to take part in a three-round Delphi study, with experts drawing consensus on qualities of speed, strength, power, flexibility and motor control of the trunk and fencing arm being associated with increased athletic success. The required qualities of the non-fencing arm led to diverging opinions across the expert panel. This study provides clear guidance of the physical qualities to be developed to maximize athletic performance while also providing the initial framework to guide future WF classification research.

The Attacking Process in Football: A Taxonomy for Classifying How Teams Create Goal Scoring Opportunities Using a Case Study of Crystal Palace FC.

PURPOSE: Whilst some studies have comprehensively described the different features associated with the attacking process in football they have not produced a methodology of practical use for performance enhancement. This study presents a framework of comprehensive and meaningful metrics to objectively describe the attacking process so that useful performance profiles can be produced. METHODS: The attacking process was categorized into three independent situations, no advantage (stable), advantage, and unstable (potential goal scoring opportunity) situations. Operational definitions for each situation enhanced their reliability and validity. English Premier League football matches (n = 38) played by Crystal Palace Football Club in the 2017/2018 season were analyzed as an exemplar. RESULTS: Crystal Palace FC created a median of 53.5 advantage situations (IQR = 16.8) and 23 unstable situations (IQR = 8.8) per match. They frequently utilized wide areas (Median = 21.5, IQR = 9.8) to progress, but only 26.6% resulted in unstable situations (Median = 6.0, IQR = 3.8), the lowest rate compared to the other advantage situations. CONCLUSION: This classification framework, when used with contextual factors in a multi-factorial manner, including individual player contributions, will provide practically useful information for applied practice. This approach will help close the so called theory-practice gap and enable academic rigor to inform practical problems.