Football

The policing of football supporters in the UK is resource-intensive and expensive, with football crowds seen by many forces as inherently prone to misbehaviour, disorder and violence. As a result they are regularly subjected to high-profile, heavy-handed and intrusive policing strategies that are often designed with the imposition of a civil “banning order” on supposed “risk supporters” in mind. This article analyses underlying assumptions about the nature and risk of football crowds and, drawing comparisons with the ways in which political protests are policed and applying jurisprudence from a series of high-profile protest cases, questions the legality of dominant policing approaches to football crowds under both English public law principles and the European Convention on Human Rights. It concludes by proposing how strategies could be developed in a way that both protects the public and the rights of supporters who may on occasion associate with those suspected of engaging in football-related disorder

This book uses sports as a metaphor for research methods. It focuses on how to use and build frameworks for empirical research. The frameworks are analogous to a "play", which is connected to a unique purpose and directs the movement of players during the game. Examples from award winning student research support the chapters that introduce 4 different conceptual frameworks. Before a player can enter the game, he or she should be in shape and understand the rules. Effective teams have systems in place that help their players achieve top physical abilities. Likewise, student scholars need systems in place to ensure they have the necessary skills and preparation to conceptualize and write a strong paper. To do this, it is helpful to bring project management skills to the task of writing a paper. A project management system organizing a scholar's time, materials and Ideas is presented. The book is written using John Dewey and Charles Sanders Pierce's philosophy of science and theory of inquiry.

As the digital revolution continues apace, emergent technologies and means of communication have presented new challenges and opportunities for football studies. In turn, researchers active across the social sciences and beyond have responded and are beginning to carve out a new field of study - digital football studies. However, despite the growing number of empirical and theoretical papers that consider football and its relationship with digital culture, we are still very much in the early stages of understanding the digitalisation of our late modern moment. In this paper, using football as the context to explore the effects of digitalisation, we argue, what we call, hyper-digitalisation has resulted in the emergence of four recognisable trends: (1) Cultural resistance to the Murdochization of football spectatorship and news; (2) The integration of the ‘internet of things’ (IoT) at every level of the football industry; (3) The naturalisation of digital communication across the football industry; and (4) A deep and wide-reaching penetration of deterritorialisation processes. We conclude by arguing that we are witnessing clear changes in the way audiences and workforces engage with sport, entertainment, and leisure. To this end, we argue that leisure and football studies must develop empirically, methodologically and theoretically to better capture the nature of hyper-digitalised societies and the ways audiences are playing with and shifting the boundaries and possibilities for leisure.

The aim of this research is to understand the experience of the football sector on the use of artificial turf (satisfaction, safety, sporting feature, or the advantages and disadvantages). The study was conducted on a random selection of 627 male participants (404 amateur/semi-professional footballers, 101 coaches and 122 referees) that regularly train/compete on artificial turf in Spanish football leagues. The

Low back pain (LBP) in children and adolescents was considered for many years to be rare and an indication of serious disease [1]. In the last two decades, epidemi-ological studies have shown that the prevalence of ... Ismail Bejia Nabiha Abid Kamel Ben Salem Mondher Letaief ...

Context Concussion underreporting leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment, prolonging recovery time. Athletes' self-reporting of concussion symptoms, therefore, reduces risk. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of 3 concussion-education programs in improving concussion-reporting intention. Design Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting Three high schools in California. Patients or Other Participants A total of 118 male football players (age = 14.88 ± 1.19 years). Intervention(s) Participants were randomly assigned to receive concussion education via CrashCourse (CC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) video education materials (CDC-Vi), or CDC written education materials (CDC-Wr). Main Outcome Measure(s) The primary outcome was concussion-reporting intention, which was assessed at baseline, immediately after education, and at 1-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were concussion knowledge, concussion-reporting attitudes, perceived concussion-reporting ...

Concussive events frequently occur in high impact sports such as North American football. The long term effects of concussive events on physical and psychological wellbeing are the focus of ongoing research. The purpose of this study was to determine if concussive events increase the incidence of depression in active semi-professional and professional North American football players. An anonymous online survey was sent to 200 players to collect the following self-reported data: position played, years played, number of concussions sustained and subsequent depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-R) scale. An independent T-test was used to determine differences in the number of concussive events in those with CESD-R scores <16 vs. ≥16, where scores ≥16 are indicative of a depressed state. Likewise, an independent T-test was used to compare CESD-R scores between players with ≥3 concussions vs. ≤2. Individuals with a CESD-R score ≥16, sustained ...

Eight-hundred seventy-three Indiana high school football players were surveyed to investigate the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). Subjects were varsity football players that were randomly selected from 27 high schools throughout Indiana. Out of a possible 1,325 subjects, 873 or 66% participated in the study. Subjects completed a 50 item questionnaire that measured demographic information, perceived use of AAS, reasons for use, and how AAS are taken. The results indicate that 6.3% of Indiana high school football players were current or former AAS users. The average age at time of first use of AAS was 14 years and 15% began taking before the age of ten. Almost half of respondents indicated they could obtain AAS if they so desired, and that other athletes, physicians, and coaches were listed as sources for AAS. Athletic trainers can play a vital role in disseminating accurate information about AAS abuse, including the long-term adverse health risks. These messages should beg...

Sporting terms have been used as metaphor and analogy to describe and prescribe life experiences. It has been suggested that the use of sport terminology can assist in the general understanding of complex terms and situations, however, the use of sport as metaphor and analogy for many aspects of social understanding can have negative consequences. The analogy of sport and

Nutrition is an undeniable part of promoting health and performance among football (soccer) players. Nevertheless, nutritional strategies adopted in elite football can vary significantly depending on culture, habit and practical constraints and might not always be supported by scientific evidence. Therefore, a group of 28 Portuguese experts on sports nutrition, sports science and sports medicine sought to discuss current practices in the elite football landscape and review the existing evidence on nutritional strategies to be applied when supporting football players. Starting from understanding football’s physical and physiological demands, five different moments were identified: preparing to play, match-day, recovery after matches, between matches and during injury or rehabilitation periods. When applicable, specificities of nutritional support to young athletes and female players were also addressed. The result is a set of practical recommendations that gathered consensus among in...

After the 1990's, the changes in the football world had helped to develop and to grow the economy of football rapidly. The development of digital broadcasting led to build a bigger commercial structure. With the effect of those changes, commercial incomes, sponsor revenues, stadium and facilities incomes, and betting incomes have increased over time. This rapid change also brings several problems. UEFA has published UEFA criteria in order to protect football's sustainability and viability in a long term. Depending on license criteria that is published by UEFA, it has used a road map for football clubs, regarding of corporate structure of UEFA to work, that identified the general rules like in a company structure and management that should be all the necessary factors of production in a systematic and effective way in order to transform football clubs to a corporate organization and make them sustainable. With this out of the common guide explains readers how to run a club in...

In this study of the last three UEFA European Football Championship (2000, 2004, 2008), we identify institutional entrepreneurs and examine the strategies they use to influence the institution they are part of (UEFA) through the introduction of new information technologies (e-ticketing, online and mobile broadcasting). We build on the literature related to institutional theory and field-configuring events to propose a framework of field configuring institutional change. Our preliminary results suggest that institutions are at play at several levels. For instance, a central key institution, the UEFA, is being maintained through the introduction of new practices (buffer institutions) such as e-ticketing during mega-events (EURO). We describe the type and nature of institutional work used by institutional entrepreneurs involved. Dans cette etude des trois derniers championnats d'Europe de football (2000 2004 2008), nous identifions des entrepreneurs institutionnels et examinons les...

OBJECTIVE In the present study we aimed at investigating leptin levels in professional male athletes who have been exercising regularly for a long time and leptin levels in healthy sedentary males. METHODS The study included 10 male professional football players and 17 healthy sedentary males. The relations between groups in terms of leptin levels, Max VO2 levels, blood lactic acid levels before and after exercise and effort durations were investigated. RESULTS It was found in the study that although BMI of professional male athletes was higher than that of the healthy sedentary males, leptin levels of the former were significantly lower (p<0.01), while VO2Max levels (p<0.05) and test periods (p<0.01) were significantly higher than those in the latter. As for lactic acid levels after exercise and between groups, these were also higher in athletes, but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). CONCLUSION Leptin levels of those who exercised regularly were...

We test for a relation between football match results and the specific national stock index returns during the period 1990–2006 by means of an event study approach. We employ two different econometric frameworks to cross-check our results and prevent them from being solely model driven: the constant mean model and a two-state Markov-switching market model. Both approaches find no significant

The objective of this article is to create a typology of football rivalries stemming from historical and/or present conflicts between various ethnic groups. Such football rivalries of an ethnic nature centre on various aspects, including nationality, ethnic identity, language, religion, territory or origin. The article is also aimed at presenting the phenomenon of attachment to a club – the so-called ‘football identity’ based on some component of ethnic identity. Although the article includes references to specific examples of rivalries, its purpose is rather to illustrate the geographical distribution of this phenomenon. The result will be a general ‘map’ of football ethnic rivalries in Europe (that is in member countries of Union of European Football Associations), which will be useful as a spatial illustration and a starting point for further discussion and research. The author has included not only the widely known and thoroughly examined examples of football rivalries resulting from ethnic and religious conflicts (e.g. Protestant Glasgow Rangers vs. Catholic Celtic Glasgow) but also those which have not been analysed yet (from Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, etc).

The aim of this study was to determine effects of field sizes on technical parameters of small-sided games in football players. Eight amateur football players (27.23 ± 3.08 years, heigth: 171.01 ± 5.36 cm, body weigth: 66.86± 4.54 kg, sports experience: 12.88 ± 3.28 years) performed 4-a-side small-sided games (SSG) with different field sizes. In SSGs, field sizes were 30 x 40 m and 26 m x 24 m. SSGs was conducted as a series of 3 bouts of 6 min with 5 min recovery durations. All SSGs were videorecorded using two digital video camcorder positioned on a tripot. Shoot on taget, passes, succesful passes, unsuccesful passes, dripling, tackle, possession in SSGs were counted by Mathball Match Analysis System. The effects of bouts on technical score were examined separately using a Friedman’s test. Mann Whitney U test was applied to analyse differences between field sizes. There were no significant differences in shoots on target, total pass, successful pass, tackle, interception, possessi...

Concussion (defined as a traumatically induced alteration in mental status, not necessarily with loss of consciousness) is a common form of sports-related injury too often dismissed as trivial by physicians, athletic trainers, coaches, sports reporters, and athletes themselves. While ...

Background: The relationship between athletic peak performance and psychological training is well studied in various literatures on sports psychology. Insufficient awareness of the practical application of psychological skills training to athletes may not effective in handling psychological barriers. Methods: To encourage the benefit of sports players, a study may consist of all possible aspects of evaluation and a unique approach to address the psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, etc. The purpose of this article is to fill the gap in the field of sport psychology and to meet the demand of sports players. This presented guidelines and suggestions could be useful for the researchers to import knowledge of psychological skill training to improve the mental skills of adolescent footballers. Conclusion: The practical application involves a systematic approach applied in a progressive manner in terms of the type of skills, volume of training, working intensity, specific need,...

Prior studies have suggested that the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) among players in the National Football League (NFL) is disproportionately high. SDB can increase cardiovascular disease risk and is correlated with hypertension. NFL players have a higher prevalence of hypertension, and we sought to determine the prevalence of SDB among players the NFL and the associations of SDB with anthropometric measures and cardiovascular risk factors. Cross-sectional cohort study. NFL athletic training facilities from April to July 2007. A total of 137 active veteran players from 6 NFL teams. This evaluation of SDB among players in the NFL used a single-channel, home-based, unattended, portable, sleep apnea monitor. Multiple domains of self-reported sleep were assessed. Weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, neck circumference, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as blood pressure, cholesterol, and fasting glucose concentrations were measured. The mean ...

This study explored the social experience of wheelchair rugby from the perspective of the players. Eleven national level rugby players (10 males, 1 female with a mean age of 33 years) shared their experiences through the phenomenological methods of semistructured focus group interviews and artifacts. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis (a) it's okay to be a quad, (b) don't tell us we can't, and (c) the power of wheelchair rugby. The athletes identified with a shared sense of community and the membership, fulfillment of need, influence, and shared emotional connections they used to authentically express themselves through their sport. The implications of the findings were interpreted within the theoretical context of psychological sense of community.

The goal of this thesis is to investigate the potential of predictive modelling for football injuries. This work was conducted in close collaboration with Tottenham Hotspurs FC (THFC), the PGA European tour and the participation of Wolverhampton Wanderers (WW). Three investigations were conducted: 1. Predicting the recovery time of football injuries using the UEFA injury recordings: The UEFA recordings is a common standard for recording injuries in professional football. For this investigation, three datasets of UEFA injury recordings were available. Different machine learning algorithms were used in order to build a predictive model. The performance of the machine learning models is then improved by using feature selection conducted through correlation-based subset feature selection and random forests. 2. Predicting injuries in professional football using exposure records: The relationship between exposure (in training hours and match hours) in professional football athletes and in...

Two common single nucleotide polymorphisms within the COL5A1 gene (SNPs; rs12722 C/T and rs3196378 C/A) have previously been associated with tendon and ligament pathologies. Given the high incidence of tendon and ligament injuries in elite rugby athletes, we hypothesised that both SNPs would be associated with career success. In 1105 participants (RugbyGene project), comprising 460 elite rugby union (RU), 88 elite rugby league athletes and 565 non-athlete controls, DNA was collected and genotyped for the COL5A1 rs12722 and rs3196378 variants using real-time PCR. For rs12722, the injury-protective CC genotype and C allele were more common in all athletes (21% and 47%, respectively) and RU athletes (22% and 48%) than in controls (16% and 41%, P ≤ 0.01). For rs3196378, the CC genotype and C allele were overrepresented in all athletes (23% and 48%) and RU athletes (24% and 49%) compared with controls (16% and 41%, P ≤ 0.02). The CC genotype in particular was overrepresented in the back ...

Abstract: Community detection is an important research topic in complex networks. We present the employment of a genetic algorithm to detect communities in complex networks which is based on optimizing network modularity. It does not need any prior knowledge about the number of communities. Its performance is tested on two real life networks with known community structures and a set of synthetic networks. As the performance measure an information theoretical metric variation of information is used. The results are promising ...