SynthesisPloS one2019
Validity and reliability of speed tests used in soccer: A systematic review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 74 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effects of Resistance Sprint Training With and Without Power Training on Sprint and Agility Performance in Football Players
Effects of Autogenic Inhibition and Reciprocal Inhibition on Pain, Range of Motion, Function and Sports Performance in Amateur Football Players With Shin Splints.
Sustainable Football: Physical Profile, Training Load, Risk Factors and Injuries in Swedish Elite Football
Effects of Photobiomodulation Therapy on Physical Performance in Female Futsal Athletes
Effects of Photobiomodulation Therapy on Recovery After Exercise in Female Futsal Athletes
Who cites it
74 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Assessment of Aerobic Fitness and Repeated Sprint Ability in Elite Male Soccer: A Systematic Review of Test Protocols Used in Practice and Research.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of strength training on repeated sprint ability in team sports players: a systematic review.PeerJ · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Plyometric-Jump Training Effects on Physical Fitness and Sport-Specific Performance According to Maturity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2023Pooled it
- The effects of plyometric jump training on physical fitness attributes in basketball players: A meta-analysis.Journal of sport and health science · 2022Pooled it
- Effects of Plyometric Jump Training on Measures of Physical Fitness and Sport-Specific Performance of Water Sports Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2022Pooled it
- Relationship between Biological Maturation, Physical Fitness, and Kinanthropometric Variables of Young Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of Plyometric Jump Training on Jump and Sprint Performance in Young Male Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2020Pooled it
- Do full leg compression sleeves improve repeated sprint performance after soccer-specific exercise in adolescent male soccer players?Physiological reports · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Can The Pitch Dimension Influence the Physical Fitness Adaptations Induced by Small-Sided Training Programs Added to Regular In-Field Training? A Randomized Controlled Study in Youth Soccer Players.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2024Trial
- Agility testing in amateur soccer: A pilot study of selected physical and perceptual-cognitive contributions.PloS one · 2021Trial
- Does task experience moderate habituation effects in drop jumps? - An intra- and interday reliability and measurement error analysis.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Interrelationships Among Physical Fitness, General Motor Coordination, and Soccer-Specific Technical Skills in Youth Soccer Players.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Effects of the FIFA 11 + warm-up programme on motor performance in U-15 female soccer players: a randomized controlled trial.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Sleep Hygiene Improves Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance Independent of Cortisol Mediation in Female Collegiate Soccer Players.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Effects of various warm-up on sit-and-reach performance, explosive power, and sprint performance in collegiate track and field athletes.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Handball small-sided games and running-based high-intensity interval training similarly improve sprint, change-of-direction, and repeated-sprint performance in untrained young adults.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Measuring Motor Competence in Mid-Adulthood: A Reliable Holistic Test (HOLMOT) Sensitive to Sex and Age Differences.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Is Standing Long Jump Performance More Strongly Associated with Health-Related Outcomes than Maximal Isometric Handgrip Strength in Adolescents?Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
14 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSpeed is an important prerequisite in soccer. Therefore, a large number of tests have been developed aiming to investigate several speed skills relevant to soccer. This systematic review aimed to examine the validity and reliability of speed tests used in adult soccer players.
methodsA systematic search was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they investigated speed tests in adult soccer players and reported validity (construct and criterion) or reliability (intraday and interday) data. The tests were categorized into linear-sprint, repeated-sprint, change-of-direction sprint, agility, and tests incorporating combinations of these skills.
resultsIn total, 90 studies covering 167 tests were included. Linear-sprint (n = 67) and change-of-direction sprint (n = 60) were studied most often, followed by combinations of the aforementioned (n = 21) and repeated-sprint tests (n = 15). Agility tests were examined fewest (n = 4). Mainly based on construct validity studies, acceptable validity was reported for the majority of the tests in all categories, except for agility tests, where no validity study was identified. Regarding intraday and interday reliability, ICCs>0.75 and CVs<3.0% were evident for most of the tests in all categories. These results applied for total and average times. In contrast, measures representing fatigue such as percent decrement scores indicated inconsistent validity findings. Regarding reliability, ICCs were 0.11-0.49 and CVs were 16.8-51.0%.
conclusionExcept for agility tests, several tests for all categories with acceptable levels of validity and high levels of reliability for adult soccer players are available. Caution should be given when interpreting fatigue measures, e.g., percent decrement scores. Given the lack of accepted gold-standard tests for each category, researchers and practitioners may base their test selection on the broad database provided in this systematic review. Future research should pay attention to the criterion validity examining the relationship between test results and match parameters as well as to the development and evaluation of soccer-specific agility tests.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.