Accuracy Standards of Wearable Technologies for Assessment of Soccer Kicking: Protocol for a Systematic Literature Review (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Wearable technology is widely applied in performance monitoring, an integral part of sports and exercise sciences. The kick movement in soccer exemplifies a sports technique that could benefit from appropriate biomechanics assessment methodologies. However, the accuracy of wearables in quantifying soccer kick mechanics, particularly under field conditions, remains unclear. OBJECTIVE This article presents a protocol for a systematic review to discuss the measurement properties (validity, reliability and/or measurement error aspects) of wearable technology systems explicitly used to measure ball-kicking features in soccer. METHODS This review protocol was pre-registered in the Open Science Framework. Two authors will perform searches in major electronic databases: MEDLINE, Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Web of Science, ProQuest, IEEE Xplore, EBSCOHost, and Scopus. Following a specific PICO framework, studies will be screened based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed using the COSMIN checklist. Data extraction will be conducted to determine the level of evidence according to the "best evidence synthesis method." RESULTS This ongoing systematic review has completed database searches and is currently in the screening phase. Depending on the number and consistency of studies, results may be presented via meta-analysis or qualitative synthesis, with sub-group analyses considering factors like gender, age, and playing level. The final results are expected by May 2024, with manuscript submission anticipated by August 2024. CONCLUSIONS Our study will provide a comprehensive summary of the highest level of evidence available on the use of wearables for the assessment of soccer kick mechanics, providing practical guidance for athletes and sports sciences professionals regarding the validity, reliability and/or measurement error aspects of using wearable technology to measure ball-kicking features in soccer. CLINICALTRIAL Open Science Framework (OSF) – repository under Registry ID: https://osf.io/zm3j6