The aim of the study was to analyse the perception of the barriers and motives for the practice of physical activity (PA) in people with a disability, according to gender and type of disability. The participants in this investigation were 103 people with a disability (33.25 ± 11.86 years) who were habitual users of PA or sports programmes. They completed the questionnaire Motives and Barriers for Physical Activity and Sport (MBAFD). The results showed that personal barriers were more important than environmental ones and that the most outstanding motives were those related to leisure, enjoyment or social aspects. Regarding gender, women perceived more barriers than men. For the people with physical (PD) and intellectual (ID) disabilities, the most common barriers were of an intrinsic nature, and for those with a visual disability (VD), barriers of an environmental nature. With respect to the motives, people with PD gave higher scores to the items related to aspects of physical improvement and rehabilitation. In contrast, people with ID and VD placed more importance on reasons of leisure, enjoyment and social relations. Knowledge of these findings can be a tool to help increase the provision of PA for people with a disability.

Tug-of-war (TOW) is an internationally played activity including professional and amateur athletes, defined as early as 4000 years ago (as a rope-less version) in the artwork on Egyptian tomb engravings, and is played as per the rules laid out by TWIF, which has 73 member countries and administrative headquarters in the USA. Typically, two teams of “pullers” participate and apply enormous contra directional forces on the pulling rope. Originally, two types of competition are used: knockout and points. This narrative review describes the scientific state of the art of TOW. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous information has been published on this topic. Anthropometric parameters for competitors are near 83.6, lean body mass 69.4, and body fat 16. The VO_2MAX is 55.8 mL/kg/min. In terms of relative strength, the dynamic leg power is 4659.8 N. Endurance TOW elicits minimal muscle damage. Injured strains and sprains comprised over half of all injuries: back (42%), shoulder–upper limb (23%) and knee (17%). Pulling movement in TOW contests can be divided into three phases, namely the “drop”, “hold” and “drive” phases. The maximal pulling force was 1041.6 ± 123.9 N. The percentage of dynamic pulling force in the static maximal pulling force was 75.5 ± 14.4% and the dynamic ranged from 106.4 to 182.5%. There are two gripping styles: indoor and outdoor. The friction characteristics between surface and shoe in TOW is important in determining a suitable shoe for indoor TOW. A waist belt might be a useful piece of equipment for TOW sport. The EMG technique in TOW entails a high degree of dorsal muscle activity during the pulling. The factor of force vanishing was the coordination among athletes. The force vanishing percentage goes from 8.82 ± 5.59 for two contenders to 19.74 ± 2.22 for eight athletes, 6.4% in the sum of two pullers. However, in the drop phase, for female elite TOW team, only the 0.5% of the pulling force was wasted. Future studies are need in order to understand better this historical sport activity.

The aim of this paper was to examine the differences in the external and internal load in amateur match officials between the 1st and 2nd half and among different 15 min periods. Twenty-three field referees (FRs) and 46 assistant referees (ARs) from the Spanish División de Honor participated in this study. Match external and internal loads were monitored showing that FRs recorded a lower Power_mean, Speed_mean, Cadence_mean and Stiffness_mean (p < 0.05; d = 0.52 to 0.57) during the 2nd half and they also recorded a lower HR_mean, and HR_peak, and spent less time in zone 5 (p < 0.05; d = 0.50 to 0.62). The FRs’ match load decreased during the match but they performed higher Power_mean and covered more distance in the last 15 min of the match (p < 0.01; d = 0.87 to 4.28). The ARs external load did not show significant variations between halves, but ARs recorded a lower HR_mean and spent less time in zone 5 (p < 0.01; d = 0.41 to 0.63), and the highest values of Power_mean, Speed_mean, Cadence_mean and Vertical oscillation_mean during the first 15 min of the match (p < 0.05; d = 0.45 to 0.75). The highest values of HR_mean and distance covered were in the 0–15 min period. Results suggest that match load decreases as the match progresses because of the neuromuscular fatigue but increases in the last 15 min.

Background: Tug-of-war (TOW) is one of the oldest sports in current existence and is an internationally played activity that includes professional and amateur sport athletes, played according to the rules laid out by the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF). In this type of competition, the two teams of eight members each pull against one another on a rope. The team that pulls the opposing team towards a centerline for a distance of 4 m in two pulls out of three is considered the winning team in an international competition. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous scientific articles have described data during a follow-up period of Championships in TOW. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to analyze the duration of the matches, differentiating between the first (T1) and second pull (T2) of each match. Methods: The pulls were compared in the qualification point phase and the final phase, as well as in each weight category. In addition, any differences between the statistics for each of the four World Championships studied were analyzed. Finally, the total volume of pulls in each weight category was studied, both in the open club competition and in the national team competition. Data were collected from four World Indoor Championships (2010–2016). A total of 1862 matches were registered (3724 pulls), differentiating the first (T1) and second (T2) pull. The data were expressed as means (M) ± standard deviations (SD). Results: (1) The second pull is shorter than the first: T1 < T2, p < 0.001, (Es = 0.452; small effect); (2) T1 and T2 times were longer in the final phase than the qualifying phase: T1 phase2 > T1 phase1, p < 0.05 (ES = 0.469; small effect) and T2 phase2 > T2 phase1, (p < 0.05), (ES = 0.486; small effect); (3) there are statistical differences (p < 0.005) in T1 and T2 at all weights, except for T1 at 500 kg and T2 at 640 kg; (4) the comparison among World Championships does not present significant changes in the duration of the pulls; (5) however, in females, significant differences (p < 0.05) between the 2010 World Championships and the remainder in T1 are observed; (6) the volumes that we should take into account when designing the preparation should be those obtained when 11 teams compete against each other, considering the maximum volume that we could find in the competition. Conclusion: This first aspect of the reality of TOW indoor competitions, specifically the duration of the matches, leads to a better understanding of the demands of the sport and the type of effort required. These ideas may help coaches in the design of training plans, maximizing their specificity and their effectiveness.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue conocer la percepción sobre la situación actual y los retos de futuro de los servicios deportivos municipales (SDM) desde la perspectiva de sus responsables. Participaron 60 responsables de SDM de distintas localidades de Bizkaia, que fueron seleccionados como una muestra representativa de la población objeto de estudio (53,6% del total de los posibles municipios participantes, nivel de confianza = 95%, error muestral = 8,6%, representación de responsables deportivos municipales del 93% de la población total de Bizkaia). Los participantes cumplimentaron un cuestionario validado previamente. Los resultados muestran una mayoría de hombres con respecto a mujeres que ocupan los cargos de responsables deportivos (58% vs. 42%). Un 67% de los participantes declaró no tener titulación en Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte. En relación a la situación actual, existe un acuerdo importante en la percepción de que la oferta deportiva de los SDM está centrada en crear hábitos saludables en la población (66,6%), y en que la aportación económica destinada a las inversiones resulta insuficiente (41,6%). Respecto a los retos de futuro, hay un acuerdo generalizado en relación a que los SDM deben ser quienes lideren la promoción del deporte como elemento socializador (81,7%), a que es necesario aumentar los presupuestos municipales destinados a deporte (46,6%), y a la necesidad de crear un plan director de instalaciones (58,4%). El estudio aporta información para la gestión de los SDM acordes a las necesidades de la ciudadanía. Palabras clave: Servicios deportivos, percepción, gestores, municipios, retos. The aim of this study was to know the perception of the current situation and future challenges of municipal sports services (MSS) from the perspective of their managers. Sixty managers of MSS from different localities of Bizkaia participated, which were selected as a representative sample of the population under study (53.6% of the total possible participating municipalities, confidence level = 95%, sampling error = 8.6%, representation of municipal sports managers of 93% of the total population of Bizkaia). Participants completed a previously validated questionnaire. The results show a majority of men with respect to women who occupy the positions of sports managers (58% vs. 42%). A total of 67% of the participants stated that they did not have a degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. In relation to the current situation, there is a significant agreement in the perception that the sports offer of the SDM is focused on creating healthy habits in the population (66.6%), and that the economic contribution destined to investments is insufficient (41.6%). Regarding the challenges for the future, there is general agreement that the SDM should lead the promotion of sport as a socializing element (81.7%), that it is necessary to increase the municipal budgets allocated to sport (46.6%), and the need to create a master plan for facilities (58.4%). The study provides information for the management of the SDM in accordance with the needs of citizens. Keywords: Sports services, perception, managers, municipalities, challenges.

The purpose of this research was to carry out a systematic review o f the existing scientific information on job satisfaction as perceived by workers or professionals in sports organisations. This systematic review followed the considerations established by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The present systematic review included published research papers whose subject matter was related to the job satisfaction of the worker or professional in the field of sport and especially in municipal sports services. After an initial papers analysis of 168 articles, we excluded those that did not meet the inclusion criteria (n = 147); thereby, we obtained the final selection of 18 articles. The results of this systematic review seem to indicate that the job satisfaction of workers or professionals in sports organisations is fairly moderate and that there may also be differences depending on gender, type of work and the sector (public or private) to which they belong. Furthermore, the results analysed in this systematic review show that there is no uniformity in the evaluation systems for measuring workers' job satisfaction.