ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate directional locomotive classifications between youth central and external defenders in a standardised soccer playing formation. The main finding of this study was that external defenders performed more backwards movements compared to central defenders. Training regimes can then be position-specific, focusing on the primary locomotive directional classifications of the player's respective position, in turn aiding youth development. In an attempt to closely replicate soccer-specific movement patterns, the Bloomfield Movement Classification (BMC) was produced to provide more detail on directional locomotive classifications between playing positions in match-play. In addition, central defenders were shown to perform more lateral movements, as the mean values of sideways, forwards and backwards diagonal locomotive classifications were greater compared to external defenders. Measuring soccer-specific movements in match-play will aid player development because youth soccer players will train the primary movements involved with their respective playing position.