Validity and Reliability of a Test Battery to Assess Change of Directions with Ball Dribbling in Para-footballers with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content and construct validity and between-sessions reliability of four agility tests requiring ball dribbling in football players with cerebral palsy (CP) with implications for classification and training. A sample of 35 football players with CP from three different countries took part in the study. They performed four tests in two sessions 72 h apart: i) 20 m in a straight line, ii) forward slalom with short changes of direction, iii) forward slalom with wide changes of direction and iv) square course. The Kappa coefficient was used to test content validity, obtaining moderate to almost perfect agreement results. Construct validity was also demonstrated with very large to almost perfect correlations between tests and sessions. Good reliability was found using intra-class coefficients (>0.86), standard error of measurement (<10.8%) and Cronbach´s alpha (>0.86). The comparisons between CP profiles (i.e. sport classes) demonstrated that those with mild impairment performed faster, and those with impairment of ataxia and dyskinesia performed worse. The four tests could have applications in classification, but may also be applied by the CP football coaches to improve athlete agility and football skills.

Effects of Non-Sport-Specific Versus Sport-Specific Training on Physical Performance and Perceptual Response in Young Football Players

“…The choice of the present physical performance tests (Harre circuit test, Lower Quarter Y-balance test, and linear dribbling test) was based on their easiness, reliability [ 14 , 18 , 19 ], and enjoyability. Moreover, they can provide practical information on general motor coordination, dynamic balance, and dribbling skills.…”

“…A linear dribbling test was employed to assess participants’ ability to rapidly dribble the ball [ 19 ]. The participants dribbled the ball down a corridor 1.5 m wide and 20 m long across two cones.…”

Using Decision Trees to Support Classifiers’ Decision-Making about Activity Limitation of Cerebral Palsy Footballers

“…Evidence-based classification in CP football has already reported several tests to explore determining factors to discriminate between different sport classes and impairment severity (i.e., FT5/FT6/FT7 vs. FT8) and between minimum impairment and controls (i.e., FT8 vs. not eligible), according to abilities such as balance [ 14 ], coordination [ 2 , 15 ], horizontal and vertical jumps [ 16 ], change of direction [ 17 ], sprinting, accelerations and decelerations [ 18 ], and dribbling skills [ 19 ]. Recently, Reina et al [ 2 ] suggested that the relationship between activity limitation and sports performance should be considered impairment specific for para-athletes with HAA.…”

Increasing Speed and Agility of Cerebral Palsy Football Indonesian Player with UMAC-CPF Exercise Model

“…Football Cerebral Palsy (CP) is for disability classification. Para-athletes play football for individuals with CP football with minimal impairment criteria of ataxia, hypertonia, or athetosis (i.e., the three types of disorders most commonly associated with individuals with neurological disorders [6]. Cerebral Palsy football is a team sport in which players are classified in sports classes based on the extent to which cerebral motor control disorders lead to permanent and verifiable activity restrictions that affect football skills performance [7].…”