The relationships between change of direction speed, sprint speed and jump ability in collegiate soccer players

Changes of direction are required in all football games, e.g., Soccer, Rugby Football and American Football. Some researchers have stated that the ability to change direction while sprinting is a determinant of field sports performance (Sheppard and Young, 2006) or a prerequisite for successful participation in modern-day field sports (Brughelli et al., 2008). Moreover, the ability to change direction is a key factor in developing elite soccer players as it is the strongest predictor for talent identification (Reilly et al, 2000).