Wong Pui Lam. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-89). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgments --- p.i / Abstract --- p.iii / Chinese Abstract --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / List of figures --- p.ix / List of tables --- p.xi / Introduction --- p.1 / Background of the Study --- p.1 / Statement of the Problem --- p.4 / Research Questions --- p.4 / Significance of the Study --- p.4 / Hypotheses --- p.5 / Assumptions --- p.6 / Delimitations --- p.6 / Limitations --- p.7 / Operational Definitions --- p.7 / Review of Literature --- p.8 / Introduction of Literature Review --- p.8 / Literature Review on Soccer --- p.9 / Introduction --- p.9 / Movements in Soccer --- p.9 / Soccer Injury --- p.9 / Design of Soccer Shoe --- p.15 / Playing Surface of Soccer --- p.18 / Summary --- p.19 / Literature Review on Perceived Comfort --- p.20 / Introduction --- p.20 / Perceived Comfort --- p.21 / Assessment of Perceived Comfort --- p.23 / Summary --- p.25 / Literature Review on Plantar Pressure --- p.26 / Introduction --- p.26 / Plantar Pressure --- p.26 / Assessment of Plantar Pressure --- p.27 / Summary --- p.31 / Summary of Literature Review --- p.32 / Methodology --- p.34 / Subject --- p.34 / Shoe --- p.34 / Experimental Design --- p.36 / Instrumentation --- p.40 / Procedures --- p.41 / Parameters --- p.44 / Data Reduction --- p.44 / Data Analysis --- p.46 / Results --- p.49 / Perceived Comfort Rating (Experiment 1) --- p.49 / Perceived Comfort Rating (Experiment 2) --- p.52 / Plantar Pressure (Experiment 2) --- p.55 / Relationship between Perceived Comfort Rating and Plantar Pressure (Experiment 2) --- p.63 / Discussion --- p.68 / Perceived Comfort Rating (Experiment 1 and Experiment 2) --- p.68 / Plantar Pressure (Experiment 2) --- p.71 / Relationship between Perceived Comfort Rating and Plantar Pressure (Experiment 2) --- p.75 / Limitations and Recommendations --- p.76 / Conclusion --- p.78 / References --- p.80 / Appendix A --- p.90 / Appendix B --- p.91 / Appendix C --- p.92 / Appendix D --- p.93 / Appendix E --- p.94 / Appendix F --- p.96 / Appendix G --- p.97 / Appendix H --- p.98 / Appendix I --- p.102 / Appendix J --- p.106 / Appendix K --- p.109

Orientador: Sergio Augusto Cunha / Banca: Cláudio Alexandre Gobatto / Banca: Ricardo de Oliveira Anido / Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the technical actions, the sequence of actions and the shots to goal strategies during four soccer matches, through computational tracking. Software Dvideow was used to obtain data about players position and their technical actions. Then, it was identified the technical actions and sequence of actions performed by players and the shots to goal strategies. The results showed that the pass movement, and the "Control?Pass" and "Control? Dribbling? Pass" sequence of actions corresponded to 89,5% of the players actions. Shorts actions and sequences of actions are the most frequent movements performed by players in shots to goal too, besides the free kicks and penalty kicks. It was verified that forwards were the players who most performed incomplete sequence of actions, while defenders were the players that performed the lower number of them. Nevertheless, the defenders were the players that most performed tackles, while the forwards were the players who most performed shots to goal. About the shots strategies, it was verified that the teams usually win the ball possession in their defensive soccer field. The pass executed before the shots to goal frequently occurred in attack soccer field and it had up to 20 meters of size. The results also showed that ball possessions that resulted in shots to goal can involve few or great number of passes, and they have short or long duration, depending on the game situation. Finally, it was found that shots to goal occurred on a 22.02 meters average distance. So, it was concluded that: ... (Complete abstract, click electronic access below) / Mestre

Long, Qiaoxi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.2 / 摘要 --- p.3 / Table of Contents --- p.4 / Acknowledgements --- p.6 / List of Figures --- p.7 / List of Tables --- p.9 / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.10 / Chapter 1.1 --- Robot Soccer --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2 --- IRIP and IRIS --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3 --- Motivation and Literature Review --- p.14 / Chapter 1.4 --- Technical issues and Contributions --- p.15 / Chapter 1.5 --- Thesis Outline --- p.16 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- The IRIS system --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1 --- Hardware setup --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Software architecture --- p.21 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Internet Accessibility --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Auto-charging --- p.32 / Chapter 4.1 --- Hardware setup --- p.33 / Chapter 4.2 --- Communication --- p.36 / Chapter 4.3 --- Vision --- p.41 / Chapter 4.4 --- Motion control --- p.44 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- APF --- p.44 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- CRC --- p.50 / Chapter 4.5 --- Processing Schemes --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Auto-Scoring and Auto-Judging --- p.56 / Chapter 5.1 --- Auto-scoring --- p.56 / Chapter 5.2 --- Auto-judging --- p.57 / Chapter 5.3 --- Judge robot --- p.59 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Experimental Results --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Conclusions --- p.69 / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary --- p.69 / Chapter 7.2 --- Future work --- p.70 / Appendix A --- p.72 / Bibliography --- p.73

This thesis aims to examine the impact of transfer market habits on top European soccer clubs through three measures of sporting success. Using 2013-2018 data from Transfermarkt.com, Deloitte, and Forbes, including data on teams from 9 different European countries, this paper will be used to enable regressions on UEFA competition performance, club valuation, and social media followers. Using these three linear regressions, this thesis will attempt to determine the effectiveness of transfer market spending in improving key metrics of club performance. This thesis ultimately suggests a positive relationship between transfer spending and success in UEFA competitions as well as increases in club valuation. The results in this paper also suggests that this increased success in Europe leads to greater brand value through a significant social media impact.

The purpose of this project was to review anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) literature and develop a performance evaluation and injury risk assessment (PIER) for female soccer players. A strategy guide for decreasing injury risk and enhancing performance was developed in hopes to bring awareness to the athletic community about ACL injury for female soccer players.

Thesis (MSc (Physiotherapy))--University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus), 2010. / The knee Injuries in Women Soccer Players in South Africa The Knee is a common site for injuries in soccer players. The reasons for the increased rates of knee injuries in women soccer players are not clear, but some theories suggested the reason to lie in the difference in anatomy. This research investigate the prevalence of knee injuries in women soccer players in South Africa and sought to find out whether three of the anatomical factors (Q-angle, pelvic width and Intercondylar notch width) have a role in increasing knee injuries in these individuals. The study design was case –control study. Methodology: Twenty four players of South Africa women soccer team (Under 23) participated in this study. X-rays of the hip were taken and the Q-angles were thereafter measured manually. Association between anatomical factors and knee injuries were determined. The result of this study showed that 17% of the players were having non contact knee injuries. Statistical analysis showed no significant relation between knee injuries among women soccer players and each of the anatomical factors. The P-values of both t-test and ANOVA test were larger than the 0.05 level of significance. The study found that the prevalence of knee injuries among the young women playing for the South African national team U-23 was relatively high. However, this study could not identify significant relationship between the anatomical risk factors and the incidences of knee injuries among the participants.

Thesis (MSc (Physiotherapy))--University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus), 2009. / Background information of the study: Physiotherapists play an important role in soccer teams. This role includes prevention of injury, treatment, education, and exercises. There is a dearth of information in some areas on the part of sports managers on the role of the physiotherapist in a team. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the knowledge of South African team managers on the role of the physiotherapist in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to establish team managers’ knowledge of the role of physiotherapists in the prevention and treatment of soccer injuries and evaluate their knowledge of the injuries managed by physiotherapists. Setting: PSL teams in South Africa Design: A descriptive survey design with a close-ended questionnaire was used in this study. Methodology: A quantitative research approach was employed in this study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data set and a rating scale was used to determine the knowledge of team managers. Results: Out of the 16 teams in the PLS, 13 team managers participated in the study and their average knowledge was 79%. Five (38%) had administrative qualifications while eight (62%) did not include their qualifications. All 13 respondents indicated that warm up, cool down and stretching reduces the risk of injuries. Eleven (77%) reported that prophylactic strapping reduces risk of injuries. All participants agreed that physiotherapeutic treatment includes massage, electric machines and ice. They also mentioned that exercises can be done by the physiotherapist, though only three (23%) believed that the physiotherapist could conduct physical training. Conclusion: This study revealed that team managers have good knowledge of the role of the physiotherapist in soccer, with regard to prevention and treatment of injuries in sport.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Physiotherapy)) -- University of Limpopo, 2011 / Aim of the study To investigate whether the Premier Soccer League Teams (PSL), in South Africa, have an ‘ideal’ medical team structure Objectives of the study Identification of medical professionals involved in the PSL and its leadership, the qualifications and experience of the medical professionals in PSL teams and whether the specialties of the medical professionals were clearly defined in order to avoid conflict within the team. Determination of the protocol that was followed when a player was injured and subsequent management and the influence on a player’s rehabilitation and return to activity. Setting The Premier Soccer League offices were contacted in order to conduct the research. Design The research design for this study was a descriptive survey. Methodology A purposeful sample of team managers and head coaches was chosen from 12 PSL teams. A self-constructed questionnaire was used to collect the data. A questionnaire was faxed to each participant and two follow-ups were made on the questionnaires that were not returned. Results The response rate was 54%. The composition of the medical teams comprised mainly of physiotherapists (85%) followed by sports physicians (77%), massage therapists (62%), dieticians (31%), sports psychologists (15%) and no podiatrist. Eight out of 13 participants reported having a sports physician as the head of the medical team while 4 participants reported the team leader to be a physiotherapist. Four out of 13 participants reported that their medical professionals were not all qualified and experienced in sport. The specialties of the medical professionals were clearly defined and each team had its own protocol for when a player was injured. The medical team had a positive influence on the management of injuries. Conclusion The PSL teams do not have an ‘ideal’ medical team structure. Keywords PSL, Medical team, structure, soccer

High among the mountains and olive groves of Israel's Western Galilee, a group of Palestinian women regularly meet to do something unexpected. They play soccer. In Israel. Banat Sakhnin is the only Palestinian women's soccer team in the Israeli league. The players, coaches, and manager are Israeli citizens, but represent a minority within the Jewish state. As such, the women who play for Banat Sakhnin face challenges from multiple sides. This dissertation argues that Palestinian women's access to soccer in Israel is intimately tied to complex and contradictory community and national ideas about Palestinian-ness. Women's participation in an overtly physical activity puts their bodies on public display to be symbolically constituted as versions of "Palestinians," "Israelis," or an amalgamation of both. Additionally, soccer's reputation as a male sport in Israel further complicates women's access to it as players or as fans. This dissertation is based on intensive field research conducted from January 2006-December 2007. The interviews, stories, archival research, newspaper articles, and personal experience I collected revealed a complex picture of what life might be like for young Palestinian women who play soccer in Israel. I found that soccer players face limitations placed upon them by their coach and manager in the form of protectiveness and monitoring of their "propriety." I found that they face limitations from their families and communities who view soccer as a "hobby" that should end when the players marry. The team itself faces financial difficulties, because of a lack of popular interest in women's soccer, and a lack of commitment by the governing bodies of soccer in Israel. Yet, the players are not fully passive, and find ways to pursue their own goals around these structural and cultural limitations. This research contributes to the anthropology of women and power in the Middle East and the sociology and anthropology of soccer. Scholarship on women's soccer in the Middle East has focused on women's role in Islam. I suggest that this focus overshadows other gendered, cultural, and political barriers faced by women in Middle Eastern countries. The story of Banat Sakhnin adds to research about women's lives in the Middle East and Israel, because it focuses on female athletes playing a sport perceived to belong to the realm of men. It explores the ways in which the players' transgression of this gendered norm shapes and transforms other kinds of ideas about "Palestinian-ness" and "womanhood" in Israel.

Athletes who participate in sports where performance relies on repeated high-intensity efforts could benefit from creatine (Cr) ingestion due to an increased ability to perform and recover from high-intensity exercise bouts either during training or competition. However, few studies exist which have investigated the effects of acute short-term Cr supplementation on appropriately simulated soccer-specific performance.Aims. To determine the reproducibility of a 90 minute soccer-specific performance test and to subsequently examine the effects of acute short-term Cr ingestion (1 week) on soccer-specific physical performance. Study design. Two experimental designs were adopted for this thesis. For study one, a test-retest design was used to determine the reliability and validity of the Ball-sport Endurance And Sprint Test (BEAST). Two trials of the BEAST were performed, separated by five to seven days. For study two, a randomised, triple-blind, placebo-controlled experimental design was adopted to determine the efficacy of acute short-term Cr supplementation (seven days) on soccer-specific performance, using the BEAST protocol.Methods. Twenty male amateur soccer players volunteered to participate in the study. For study one, the test-retest reliability of several soccer-specific performance measures obtained during a modified version of the BEAST was quantified using the standard error of measurement (Van Cutsem, Duchateau, & Hainaut) (or typical error) (Hopkins, 2000), coefficient of variation (CV), and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). For study two, the cohort was split and subjects randomly allocated to one of two groups (Cr supplementation and Placebo) on a matched-pair basis. The Cr group (mean age 25.4 ± 4.5 years, mean body-mass 79.3 ± 10.5 kg) ingested 20 g of Cr and 8 g of glucose powder per day for seven days, whereas the placebo (mean age 26.7 ± 4.6 years, mean body-mass 80.8 ± 8.6 kg) group ingested 20 g of corn-flour and 8 g of glucose per day for seven days. The effects of acute short-term Cr supplementation were analysed by repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, effect sizes (ES) were calculated and entered with the associated p-value into Hopkins' spreadsheet for determination of the ES confidence limits (95%) and the chances that the true effect was substantial (i.e. ES ≥ 0.2). Clinical/practical inferences were made accordingly.Results. Study 1: The BEAST protocol had good reliability (high ICC values, relatively low coefficients of variation, low noise to signal ratios) and face validity (HR, VO2, distances covered, duration, and movements performed in the BEAST were all similar to those reported in actual soccer matches). Study 2: Performance of the four major physical measures (12 m sprint, 20 m sprint, circuit time and vertical jump) during the BEAST deteriorated during the second half relative to the first half for both Cr and placebo groups, indicating a fatigue effect associated with the protocol. HR and body-mass values also decreased for both groups during the 90 minute protocol. However, there was no statistically significant differences between the groups for these four measures or for body-mass, HR or VO2max values, suggesting Cr had no substantial effect (relative to placebo) on improving physical performance (or reducing fatigue). When the effects were assessed for the whole 90 minute BEAST protocol, all effects showed a negative trend and, correspondingly, the chances of a detrimental effect were greater than the chances of a beneficial effect.Conclusions: The 90 minute BEAST protocol had good reliability and face validity making it a suitable soccer simulation and performance protocol with which to investigate the effects of Cr supplementation on soccer performance. However, no significant (statistical or clinical) effects of acute short-term Cr supplementation on soccer performance were observed suggesting its potential use as an ergogenic aid for soccer players is questionable.