Correlations in Soccer Kicking Performance and Anthropometric Facet of University’s Sports Science Players

INTRODUCTION

Soccer is a game in which physical characteristic of an individual influence on the sports performance. Kicking a ball is the most important skill in soccer, which has resulted to score a goal by this action. In soccer game instep and inside of the foot kicks are used frequently. There are number of findings on soccer kick which established the significance of utmost strength of lower limb (Isokawa & Lees, 1988; Lees & Noland, 1998). The success of a soccer kick based upon various factors i.e. technique, environment, type of kick and distance (long or short shots) of the kick from the goal (kellis & Katis, 2007). Reilly et al. (2000) state that frequent involvement with the ball and successful performances in skill-related activities are important determinants of success in soccer. Soccer is a kind of sports-where strength, endurance, fitness and anthropometrics characteristic are indisputably features for better performance. Anthropometric characteristics play a significant role on sports performance beside physiological, psychological, social, nutrition, training methods, technology and other well-known factors. Tanaka and Masuura (1982) conclude that anthropometric factors have the same degree of influence on performance as physiological factors. Studies on the anthropometric characteristic of the human body indicate the athletes who play in a specific sport differ in somatic characteristic from general population (Gaurav et al. 2010). Body composition and physical characteristics have been known to be fundamental excellence in sports performance (Mathur & salokun, 1985). Many researchers in physical education and sports science believe that the success of any games and sports would be associated with anthropometric characteristic of players. Many investigations have been determined the relationship between anthropometric characteristic of the players and their sports. Only a small amount of anthropometric essential elements, the researches in soccer kicking have increases the interest to do more established studies from the point of anthropometric characteristics.

Twenty five sports science male soccer players were recruited for this study. All the soccer players had a minimum of 2.5 years playing experience at this level. The characteristics of the soccer players are as: Age = 20.24 ± 1.20 years, height = 172 ± .5 cm., weight = 63.36 ± 5.02 kg., and BMI = 21.54 ± 1.71 kg/m2. All the players were agreed to be volunteer for this study. All the anthropometric measurements were obtained using standardized procedure. The variables selected for the study under anthropometric measurements were foot length, calf girth, thigh girth, lower leg length, upper leg length, total leg length, and standing height. The BMI determine by body weight and height. The body weight of each subject was measured in kilogram (kg) using a simple weighing machine. Height was measured by a vertical ruler. The segmental length as foot length, lower leg length, upper leg length, total leg length, and calf girth, thigh girth was measured with the help of measuring tape in centimeters. Two video cameras were set-up on a rigid tripod and secured to the floor in the location. In order to get maximum precision in the reestablishment of the two-dimensional (2D) co-ordinates, the cameras was positioned perpendicular to the sagittal plane and parallel to the mediolateral axis (camera optical axes perpendicular on the sigittal plane) as their kicking leg giving approximately a 90o between their respective optical axes (Ahsan & Shamim, 2010). The cameras were focused on the distance that was covered by the ball. After the 10 minutes of warmup, participants execute instep and inside kick with their dominant foot in complete soccer kick. Each participant executed two instep and two inside kicks of a stationary ball. The length of the approach was self-selected by the participant. Kinovea 0.8.15 software was used to determine the ball velocity and distance. In order to test the objective of the study, descriptive analysis statistics of all anthropometric parameters was used. The Pearson correlation and t-test (2-tailed) was applied amongst the anthropometric characteristics and soccer kicks performance of sports science male soccer players.

Descriptive {means (M) and standard deviation (SD)} anthropometric characteristic of the lower limb for the sports science male soccer players were measured. These measures are presented in table-1.

The table-3 (Paired Sample Statistic) indicates that the mean of instep kick and inside kick of male soccer players have been reported 265.759, 206.837 and standard deviation 31.078, 31.559 respectively.

To test the relationship between instep kick and inside kick ‗Pearson correlation (2-tailed)‘ test was

positive relationship between each kick with the significance of .032 values. Thus, it reveals that there is a positive significant relationship between instep kick and inside kick of male soccer players at 0.05 level of significance with 2-tail.

To find the differences between instep kick and inside kick t-test (2-tailed) was applied. The table - 5 indicates that the obtained ‗t‘ values for instep kick and inside kick have been reported 8.811 which means there is a significant difference between each kick. Thus, it indicates that there is a significant difference between instep kick and inside kick of sports science male soccer players at 0.05 level of significance.

Anthropometric characteristic may possible to identify potential success of sports persons in distinguished games and sports. The results of this study revealed that the anthropometric characteristic of lower limb have little effect on determining the instep and inside kick performance of sports science‘s male players. The result in table - 2 indicate that the obtained ‗r‘ value for the total leg length, upper leg length and lower leg length for instep soccer kick have been reported .651, .935 and .899 which are significantly correlated at .01 level and for the inside kick only lower leg is significant at 0.05 level with 2-tail test. Table also reveals that there is no significant correlation amongst any other anthropometric characteristic of instep and inside kick at 0.05 and 0.01level of significance. Up to date there is little studies that does not detect anthropometric parameters with a significant influence on sports performance (Knechtle B. et al., 2007). A study of Avlonitou demonstrate significant correlation between performance and lower limb lengths in pre-adolescent swimmers (Avlonitou E.,1994). The effects of BMI on performance have been examined in some prior studies, but less on soccer kick performance. The finding of the study is consistent with the earlier study of B. Knechtle et al (2009) that there was no relationship indicates between skinfold thickness and sports performance. Naumani and Akhter (2014) has been found thigh and calf significant difference between soccer players at various position as amongst goalkeeper, halfback and strikers. Regarding the instep and inside soccer kick ball performance results of the study revealed its significance. Sakamoto K. et al. (2010) conduct a study and reveals that there is a significant difference between instep kicks and inside kicks for male players. They also mention that the average ball velocities for instep and inside kicks were lower for female players than for male players, the coefficient of reinstitution for inside kicks was higher and the difference was statically significant. Nunome et al. (2002) reported that the average ball velocity for the inside foot kick (23.4±1.7 ms-1) and instep kick (28.0±2.1 ms-1), initial velocity of the instep kick was significantly faster than the inside kick. Sakamoto K. et al. (2016) the result showed that the average ball velocity for the instep kick and inside kicks in female players were significantly lower than the male players.

Gualdi-Russo E. & Yccagni, L. (2001). Somatotype, role and performance in elite volleyball players. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 41 (2) pp. 256-262. Gaurav, V., Singh, M. & Singh, S. (2010). Anthropometric characteristic, somatotyping and body composition of volleyball and basketball playeers. Journal of physical education and sports management. Vol. 1 (3) pp. 28-32 Ocal, D., Baydil, B. & Melekoglu, T. (2010). Comparison of anthropometric Series Physical Education and sports/science, Movement and health issue 2 suppl., 545-547. Tanaka K. & Matsuura Y. (1982). A multivariate analysis of the role of cirtain anthropometric and physiological attributes in distance running. Ann. Human biology, 9 pp. 473-482 Isokawa, M. & Lees, A. (1988). A biomechanical analysis of instep kicks motion in soccer. In: Science and football. (Edited by Reilly T, Lees A, Davids K, Murphy W), pp-499-455), London, UK: E. and F. N. Spon. Lees, A. & Noland, L. (1998). The biomechanics of soccer: a review. Journal of Sport Sciences, 16, pp. 211-234. Kellis, E., & Katis, A. (2007). Biomechanical characteristics and determinants of instep soccer kick. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 6(2), pp. 154. Reilly, T., Bangsbo, J., Franks, A. (2000). Anthropometric and physiological predispositions for elite soccer. J Sports Sci; 18: pp. 669-83. Knechtle B., Knechtle P., Andonie J. L., et. al. (2007). Influence of anthropometry on race performance in extreme endurance triathletes: World Challenges Deca Iron Triathlon 2006. British Journal of Sports Medicine 41: pp. 644-648 Avlonitou E. (1994). Somatometric variables for preadolescent swimmer. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness; 34, pp. 185-191 Knechtle B., Duff B., Welzel, Ulrich K. (2009). Body mass and circumference of upper arm associated with race performance in ultra-endurance runners in Multistage race—the Isa run 2006. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sports 80(2). pp. 262 – 266. Tanaka K, Matsuura Y. (1982). A multivariate analysis of the role of certain anthropometric and physiological attributes in distance running. Annals of Human Biology, 9(5), pp. 473-482. 26.

Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University dr.mohammad.ahsan@gmail.com