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ABSTRACT. Little, T., and A.G. Williams. Specificity of acceleration, maximum speed, and agility in professional soccer players. J. Strength Cond. Res. 19(1):76-78. 2005.- High-speed actions are known to impact soccer performance and can be categorized into actions requiring maximal speed, acceleration, or agility. Contradictory findings have been reported as to the extent of the relationship between the different speed components. This study comprised 106 professional soccer players who were assessed for 10-m sprint (acceleration), flying 20-m sprint (maximum speed), and zigzag agility performance. Although performances in the three tests were all significantly correlated (p < 0.0005), coefficients of determination (r^sup 2^) between the tests were just 39, 12, and 21% for acceleration and maximum speed, acceleration and agility, and maximum speed and agility, respectively. Based on the low coefficients of determination, it was concluded that acceleration, maximum speed, and agility are specific qualities and relatively unrelated to one another. The findings suggest that specific testing and training procedures for each speed component should be utilized when working with elite players.
KEY WORDS, fitness testing, speed, soccer
INTRODUCTION
The capacity of soccer players to produce varied high-speed actions is known to impact soccer match performance (10). Although high-speed actions only contribute to -11% of the total distance covered, they in fact constitute the more crucial moments of the game and contribute directly to winning possession of the ball and to scoring or to conceding of goals (13). Superior performance in varied speed tests of professional players, compared with both the general population and the higher standards of soccer, indicates that certain speed attributes are advantageous for elite soccer (8).
High-speed actions during soccer competition can be categorized into actions requiring acceleration, maximal speed, or agility. Acceleration is the rate of change in velocity that allows a player to reach maximum velocity in a minimum amount of time. Maximum speed is the maximal velocity at which a player can sprint. Agility does not have a global definition, but it is often recognized as the ability to change direction and start and stop quickly (6). The range of sprint distances recorded during games (1.5-105 m) indicates the requirements of both acceleration and maximum speed capacities (2). Although the average sprint distance is small (17 m; 2), players...