The Reliability and Validity of a Field Hockey Skill Test

Abstract

High test retest reliability is essential in tests used for both scientific research and to monitor athletic performance. Thirty-nine (20 male and 19 female) well-trained university field hockey players volunteered to participate in the study. The reliability of the 9 in house designed 10 test was determined by repeating the test (3-14 days later) following full familiarisation. The validity was assessed by comparing coaches ranks of players with ranked performance on the skill test. 12The mean difference and confidence limits in overall skill test performance was 0.0 13 ± 1.0% and the standard error (confidence limits) was 2.1% (1.7 to 2.8%). The mean 14 15 difference and confidence limits for the 'decision making' time was 0.0 ± 1.0% and the 16 standard error (confidence limits) was 4.5% (3.6 to 6.2%). The validity correlation (Pearson) 17 was r = 0.83 and r= 0.73 for female players and r = 0.61 and r = 0.70 for male players for 18 19 20 21 overall time and 'decision making' time respectively. We conclude that the field hockey skill test is a reliable measure of skill performance and that it is valid as a predictor of coach assessed hockey performance, but the validity is greater for female players. To undertake research into field hockey in a controlled setting, it is necessary to employ a skill test that can be completed in the laboratory environment. However, there are only a limited number of field hockey skill tests and very little has been done scientifically to formulate tests that measure playing ability (14). Two decades later, further developments of hockey tests had not advanced. Reilly and Borrie (10) noted that it was surprising that even though field hockey had been part of the Physical Education curriculum in Europe and North America since the beginning of the 20 th Century, there had been little attention given to the design of field tests for the game.Thus, at present the number of published tests of field hockey skill is limited and no skill tests have been published during the last fifteen years. With the advent of synthetic sportsturfs as the major playing surface over that period, it is apparent that the skills have changed significantly and thus there is a need to develop a skill test that is appropriate to modern field hockey. Furthermore, the skill tests were designed to determine differences in skill performance between players, rather than to monitor improvements or changes for a particular player, and thus were not stringently tested for reliability.In the formulation of a skill test, it is important that technique is differentiated from skill.Technique is the production of some pattern of movements which are technically sound (7).The following definition of skill will be used for the purpose of the design of this study: "Skill is the learned ability to bring about predetermined results with the maximum certainty, often with the minimum outlay of energy, or of time and energy," (7). This encompasses the idea that a skilled athlete must take an action that is appropriate and theref...

High-intensity intermittent running and field hockey skill performance in the heat

“…The skill test has previously been shown to be a valid measure of field hockey skill (Sunderland et al, 2003). The performance of the hockey skill test resulted in a rapid rise in blood lactate concentration to ~9-10 mmol.l -1 which was higher than that found immediately after a match (5.6 mmol.l -1 ) or training (7.7 mmol.l -1 ) in Indian senior players, but the concentration during the LIST (5.1 mmol.l -1 ) was representative of that during a hockey match (Ghosh et al, 1991).…”

“…The field hockey skill test, which has previously been reported to be reliable and valid (Sunderland et al 2003), was performed prior to the LIST and after the 2 nd and 4 th sets of exercise. The skill test was started from a line 16 yards (14.56 m) from a goal and was undertaken on an artificial surface (Desso), which is in common use for field hockey.…”

“…Subjects performed the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST; Nicholas et al, 1995Nicholas et al, , 2000 and field hockey skill tests (Sunderland et al, 2003) in hot (30 ± 0.5 o C DB;…”

Tests Examining Skill Outcomes in Sport: A Systematic Review of Measurement Properties and Feasibility

“…Of the studies providing this information, 42% stated the related protocols may be of use for the purposes of evaluating the success of interventions, [8,9,21,24,26,[100][101] with 17% specifically developing their instrument to examine the effects of nutritional or ergogenic aid supplementation. [12,84] Further, 17% stated a use for their protocol in talent identification [21][22]102] with other reasons including a time efficient manner of defining and monitoring participant development, [22,99] method of benchmarking participants [93,98] and a process in which to inform an increase in practice schedule design or complexity.…”

“…Tests of skill outcomes experience widespread utility in research, in particular for the purpose of assessing the effect of coaching or scientific interventions on performance. [8][9][10] Recent studies have also utilised these tests to investigate the effects of nutrition, [11][12][13][14] game-specific fatigue, [15] performer focus of attention [16] and pre-skill execution routine [17] on participant performance. Further, a body of work exists in team-based field sports such as football in assessing participant skill (amongst other factors) within simulated match-play environments.…”