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No studies have assessed whether changes in physical performance and inter-limb asymmetries (ILA) can be achieved with the FIFA 11+ prevention programme in adolescent female soccer players. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the FIFA 11+ programme compared with a standard warm-up on physical performance and ILA in adolescent female soccer players. Thirty-six adolescent female soccer players were randomly assigned to an experimental (EG; n = 19) or a control group (CG; n = 17). Unilateral/bilateral countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ) and horizontal jump tests, two different change of direction tests, an ankle dorsiflexion test, the Y-Balance test (YBT) and inter-limb asymmetries were measured before and after 10 weeks of training. The results revealed no significant group-by-time interactions in the vast majority of variables (p>0.05). Paired t-test revealed significant improvements of the right [effect size (ES): 0.56] and left (ES: 0.49) CMJ, right (ES: 0.74) and left (ES: 0.54) DJ (ES: 0.74), right (ES: 1.27) and left (ES: 1.26) posteromedial direction and right (ES: 0.89) and left (ES: 0.84) posterolateral direction in the YBT in the EG (p < 0.05). Right anterior direction in the YBT and V-cut test were significantly improved in both groups (p< 0.05). For inter-limb asymmetry variables, no significant group-by-time interactions (ES: 0 to 0.93) and an improvement between pre-and post-tests (ES:-0.76 to 0.49) were observed. Therefore, the FIFA 11+ programme led to improved unilateral jumping, dynamic balance and reduced lower extremity symmetries of several tests in adolescent female soccer players.

This report examines the agility and level of acceleration capacity of Spanish soccer referees and investigates the possible differences between field referees of different categories. The speed test consisted of 3 maximum acceleration stretches of 15 metres. The change of direction ability (CODA) test used in this study was a modification of the Modified Agility Test (MAT). The study included a sample of 41 Spanish soccer field referees from the Navarre Committee of Soccer Referees divided into two groups: i) the higher level group (G1, n = 20): 2ndA, 2 ndB and 3rd division referees from the Spanish National Soccer League (28.43 +/- 1.39 years); and ii) the lower level group (G2, n = 21): Navarre Provincial League soccer referees (29.54 +/- 1.87 years). Significant differences were found with respect to the CODA between G1 (5.72 +/- 0.13 s) and G2 (6.06 +/- 0.30 s), while no differences were encountered between groups in acceleration ability. No significant correlations were obtained in G1 between agility and the capacity to accelerate. Significant correlations were found between sprint and agility times in the G2 and in the total group. The results of this study showed that agility can be used as a discriminating factor for differentiating between national and regional field referees; however, no observable differences were found over the 5 and 15 m sprint tests.