title: Influence of football size on kicking performance in youth Australian rules footballers.
abstract: In Australian rules football structured increases in ball size during development end with the transition to the Size 5 (adult) ball at the Under-15 age group. This study assessed changes in kick technique and performance in experienced junior performers when using Size 4 and 5 Australian rules footballs. Participants (n = 22, 13.77 ± 0.61 years) performed drop punt kicks in 2 representative tasks; a Decision-Making Test (DMT) (n = 14) and Set-Shot Test (SST) (n = 14 + 8). Results indicate participants sustained their level of kick performance (accuracy and quality of ball spin) in both tests when using a Size 5 football. Sustained kick performance in the DMT primarily resulted from adaptations to time-point technical measures at ball release. No significant differences were detected for technical measures between ball sizes in the SST. A dynamic kicking task (DMT) in combination with ball size manipulation may have placed greater demand on skill execution in comparison to a self-paced kicking task (SST). Results provide initial support for the utility of challenging representative dynamic and self-paced tasks, such as the DMT and SST used here for Australian football, for skill testing and practice in sport.
authors.affiliation: a School of Health and Sport Sciences , University of the Sunshine Coast , Sippy Downs , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hadlow
authors.affiliation: a School of Health and Sport Sciences , University of the Sunshine Coast , Sippy Downs , QLD , Australia.|b Performance Services , Australian Paralympic Committee , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Ross A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Pinder
authors.affiliation: a School of Health and Sport Sciences , University of the Sunshine Coast , Sippy Downs , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Mark G L
authors.initials: MGL
authors.lastname: Sayers
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001315:Australia; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003657:Decision Making; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D019876:Sports Equipment; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Australian rules football; kick performance; movement coordination; task constraint; task simplification