Resultant of Ball Feeling Exercises on Foot Reaction Ability of Soccer Players

In soccer, reaction ability is considered as one of the most important factors that supports the performance of players. Those players with good reaction ability can respond and act in time in different game situations. It makes better performer during play. Various interpretations had been drawn about reaction ability. ‗Reaction ability is the ability of an individual to react effectively to a given signal or stimulus as quickly as possible. These signals may experience in different form in various games and sports‘ (Sinku K. Singh, 2011). Reaction and speed training is an important component in the development of performance of a soccer player. Reaction training should be done after a thorough warm-up and while the players are still fresh, such as at the beginning of the training session. It should focus on quality and not quantity in order to see heightened performance to take place. Ultimately, reaction speed is better in individuals, those who have a good basic level of anaerobic fitness and speedy movement quality. The final component of soccer speed is game action speed, which is the most complex form and relies on all the other components for its execution. It is the ability to make fast, effective decisions during the game in relation to technical, tactical and conditioning the game of soccer, very quick actions and reactions with or without ball are interpreted to execute and simplify the complicated situations. During the soccer training the high frequency of ball touching and feeling are very essential to improve quick responds in any game situations. Maximum ball touching can improve more ball sense and controlling ability in any ball situations. Players drill different ball sense exercises and make mastery in sensing the ball and corresponding situation demands. Therefore, it is emphasized to undertake the exercise programme of ball feeling to determine its effects on reaction ability of soccer players.

The objective of the study was to investigate the resultant effect of ball feeling exercises on the reaction ability of soccer players.

It was hypothesized that there might be significant resultant effect of ball feeling exercises on foot reaction ability of soccer players.

For the purpose of the study 30 (N=30) male soccer players between 18-25 years of age were randomly selected from Manipur University as the subjects of this study and their participation was at least inter-collegiate or varsity level. To determine the foot reaction ability, Nelson‘s Reaction Timer was used, and the reading was recorded at the nearest of a centimeter. The subjects were divided into two groups consisting of 15 players each as experimental group and control group. The experimental group was assigned to perform different ball touching and feeling exercises- sole tapping and dragging back, forward & backward sole rolling, toe tapping and ball shuffling, V-dragging and pushing, alternate toe touching, instep & outstep touching, sole rolling, instep & outstep turning, ball juggling, etc. Each subject performed for about 2 minutes per exercise for the first two weeks and later increases to 3 minutes, and 4 minutes for the 3rd & 4th weeks, and 5th & 6th weeks respectively, shown in table 1. However, control group was kept without any specific types of training, but the subjects of both groups may take part in their routine training. The data pertaining to this study were collected on the selected thirty (30) male soccer players in the Laboratory of Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Manipur University, before and after six (6) weeks of exercise programme immediately by using Nelson Reaction Timer to determine the Foot Reaction Ability of the subjects. Descriptive analysis, dependent t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) statistical tools were employed to find out

5. FINDINGS

The descriptive analysis of pre-test and post-test means of experimental group (A) and control group (B) for foot reaction ability is presented at table 2.

Table-2 reveals that the mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) for pre-test and post-test of experimental group were 14.38±2.08 and 11.78±1.88 respectively (N=15). In addition, the standard error of pre-test and post-test were also found as 0.54 and 0.49 respectively. Further, table-2 reveals that the means (M) and standard deviations (SD) for pre-test and post-test of control group were 19.02±0.76 and 19.56±1.75 respectively (N=15), and the standard error of pre-test and post-test were found to be 0.20 and 0.45 respectively. The graphical representation of pre-test and post-test means comparison for foot reaction ability of experimental and control groups are shown at figure 1 and 2 respectively.

The t-test analyses of pre-test and post-test means of experimental and control groups for foot reaction ability are presented in table 3.

From the Table 3, it is cleared that there was significant difference between the pre-test and post-test means of experimental group as the obtained value of t=10.54 is greater than the tabulated value of t=2.145. However, in case of control group no significant difference was found as the obtained value t=2.145 at 0.05 level of confidence. Further, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) among the pre-test and post-test means of Experimental and Control Groups for Foot Reaction Ability of soccer players is presented at table 4.

Table 4 reveals that there was the significant difference among the pre-test and post-test means comparison between the experimental and control group for foot reaction ability by applying the ANCOVA as the obtained critical value of F=21.16 is greater than the tabulated value of F=4.21 at 0.05 level of confidence. Through the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), there was the evidence of significant result of the selected ball feeling exercise programme on the foot reaction ability of soccer players. This result highlights the overall changes throughout exercise programme and impact on the improvement of quick sense of acting, the reflex and kinaesthetic ability to adapt in different soccer game situations. Therefore, the ball feeling exercises may be recommended to adopt as the suitable training means for the improvement of ball sense, to act quickly and precisely in different situations during the course of soccer play.

The objective of the study was to find out the effect of six weeks (42days) ball feeling exercise program on foot reaction ability of soccer players. The t-test analysis revealed that in case of the experimental group, there was significant difference between the pre and post-test means of foot reaction ability as the obtained values of t=10.54 was greater than tabled value of t=2.145. However, in case of the control group, there was insignificant difference between the pre and post-test means of foot reaction ability as the obtained value of t=(-)1.53 lesser than tabled value of t=2.145. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) also revealed that there was the significant difference among the means of experimental and control groups for foot reaction ability as obtained critical value of F=21.164 was greater than the tabulated value of F=4.21. soccer players. The significant improvement on the foot reaction ability of the soccer players might be due to the nature of training program, quick physical or motor ability adaptation and players‘ interest (motivation) under the schedule-training program. It was also might be due to the strict implementation of exercise components on the players within the stipulated training period. Therefore, the six weeks (42 days) ball feeling training program significantly effect on foot reaction ability and the training program was quite efficient. Hence, the hypothesis was accepted. Therefore, the six weeks (42 days) ball feeling exercise program significantly reproduce the resultant effect on foot reaction ability and the exercise program was quite efficient.

The six weeks (42 days) ball feeling exercise program had produced a significant effect on foot reaction ability of the soccer players and the exercise programme was quite efficient. Reaction ability is one of the important performance-limiting factors, which determines the reflex of a player to overcome different situational demands with high technical skills. More exercise programs might be recommended to improve the whole body reaction ability too to achieve the high soccer performance quality.

An acknowledgement was drawn to all the soccer players, experts, scholars and assistants who helped for the administration training programme, data collection and analysis for the completion of this research work.

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Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Manipur University, Imphal