Change of Direction Density: A Novel Consideration of Consecutive Changes of Direction in Elite Youth Soccer

Morgan, OJ ORCID: 0000-0003-2880-5575, Drust, B, Ade, JD and Robinson, MA ORCID: 0000-0002-5627-492X (2025) Change of Direction Density: A Novel Consideration of Consecutive Changes of Direction in Elite Youth Soccer. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 39 (8). e1010-e1016. ISSN 1064-8011

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Abstract

Morgan, OJ, Drust, B, Ade, JD, and Robinson, MA. Change of direction density: A novel consideration of consecutive changes of direction in elite youth soccer. J Strength Cond Res 39(8): e1010–e1016, 2025—This study aimed to characterize change of directions (CODs) based on density (number of CODs within 10 seconds), locomotor activity (walk, jog, stride, and sprint), and movement direction pre- and post-COD (forwards, sideways, and backwards), relative to playing position. In total, 24 elite male English Premier League academy soccer players (mean 6 SD; age: 19.0 6 1.9 years, height: 179.9 6 7.0 cm and body mass: 71.9 6 6.4 kg) were individually filmed during 10 competitive matches. In total, 7,399 CODs were observed. Level of significance was p # 0.05. An average of 84 6 23 multiple COD events per player, per game occurred with no significant difference between position. Six CODs within 10 seconds were the average maximum density across positions (1.4 6 1.2), with 9 CODs within 10 seconds being the maximum observed. Overall, 94% of multiple COD events were 2, 3, and 4 CODs within 10 seconds collectively, and were each performed significantly more than all other density categories (5–9 CODs in 10 seconds) (p, 0.001). Jogging and striding pre- and post-COD were the most common locomotor activities (p, 0.05). Change of directions were rarely surrounded by sprinting (1.4 6 1.4) with,1% of total CODs with a sprint (pre and post) with approximately half of CODs (53%) occurring in a forward movement pre- and post-COD. Change of directions seem to be performed as multiple events, in multiple directions, at mostly submaximal locomotor activities, with some positional differences for movement direction and locomotor activity pre- and post-COD. These data provide valuable guidance for practitioners for testing, conditioning, and rehabilitating soccer players.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The published version of record Morgan, Oliver J; Drust, Barry; Ade, Jack David; Robinson, Mark. Change of Direction Density: A Novel Consideration of Consecutive Changes of Direction in Elite Youth Soccer. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 39(8):p e1010-e1016, August 2025 is available online at DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005145
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans; Walking; Running; Soccer; Adolescent; Male; Athletic Performance; Young Adult; English Premier League; agility; match demands; movement; multiple changes of direction; Humans; Soccer; Male; Athletic Performance; Young Adult; Adolescent; Running; Walking; 42 Health Sciences; 4207 Sports Science and Exercise; Humans; Soccer; Male; Athletic Performance; Young Adult; Adolescent; Running; Walking; 1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences; 1116 Medical Physiology; Sport Sciences; 3202 Clinical sciences; 3208 Medical physiology; 4207 Sports science and exercise
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins part of Wolters Kluwer
Date Deposited:	24 Oct 2025 12:40
Last Modified:	24 Oct 2025 12:45
DOI or ID number:	10.1519/JSC.0000000000005145
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27411

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