TITLE:
Reliability, Validity and Minimal Detectable Change of a New Multi-Change of Directionagility Test for Soccer Players
AUTHORS:
Mehdi Ben Brahim, Rym Bougatfa, Mohamed Amri
KEYWORDS:
Agility; Field-Testing; Change of Direction; Soccer; Relative Reliability; Absolute Reliability; Responsiveness
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Physical Education,
Vol.3 No.4,
November
19,
2013
ABSTRACT: This study examined the test-retest reliability, validity and external responsiveness of a new multi-change of direction agility test (NMAT) designed for soccer players. Forty-four Tunisian soccer players were recruited and were divided into two groups according to their playing levels (International, n = 21 and National, n = 23). Following familiarization, athletes performed squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), running speed test (5 m and 20 m), 15-m agility run (Agility-15 m), 15-m ball dribbling (Ball-15 m), and NMAT and ball dribbling NMAT (Ball-NMAT) in 2 sessions, 48 h apart. The intraclass correlation coef?cient and SEM values were .96 (CI 95%: .94 - .98) and .05 seconds for NMAT and .97 (CI 95%: .94 - .98) and .09 seconds for Ball-NMAT, respectively. The smallest worthwhile changes were greater than their SEM for both NMAT and Ball-NMAT. The MDC95 values were .15 seconds and .25 seconds for NMAT and Ball-NMAT, respectively. Both NMAT and Ball-NMAT were respectively correlated with Agility-15 m (r = .78; p p p p .7 (.85; CI 95%: .71 - .94 and .91; CI 95%: .78 - .97 for NMAT and Ball-NMAT, respectively). These results indicated that NMAT provides excellent absolute and relative reliabilities. The NMAT can distinguish soccer athletes of different competitive levels. Thus, the NMAT may be suitable for field assessment of specific agility of soccer players.