(1) Playing basketball entails intense anaerobic activities, including short sprints, sudden stops, rapid direction changes, and jumps. Common training methods for enhancing players’ anaerobic fitness comprise sprint training, jump exercises, and interval training. The aim of this research was to compare the impact of three sprint-training methods on anaerobic capacity. (2) The study included 25 male basketball players, aged 16–18 years, from the National Youth League in Israel. The participants were divided into three groups: sled-pushing, sled-dragging (intervention), and no sled (control) sprint training. Twice-weekly sessions were conducted over a five-week period, in addition to their regular basketball training. Pre- and post-intervention tests included vertical and horizontal jumps, 5 and 20 m sprints, and agility tests. (3) The study revealed significant improvements in the horizontal jump in the sled-pushing group (≈3%) and a near-significant improvement in the sled-dragging group (≈2.9%). Less improvement was seen in the control group (≈1.8%). No improvements were seen in the vertical jump performance in any groups, despite an increase in the sled-pushing group (≈5.5%) and in the sled-dragging group (≈3%) compared to that in the control group (≈1.2%). Finally, no improvements were seen in sprint speed and agility in any group. (4) Despite the modest improvements observed in most tests across the three groups, the consistent and significant enhancement seen in the sled-pushing and sled-dragging groups compared to that in the control group suggests potential benefits for sled assistance in anaerobic training in young basketball players.

The aim of the study is to compere the performance of the assistant referee without and with the flag, based on existing and novel tests. Introduction: Millions of fans around the world are invested in the game of soccer, cheering on their favorite team, practicing their skills in the park, or simply watching from afar via the media. As such, fairness in refereeing is of the utmost importance, regardless of the level of game or the teams who are playing. The refereeing team plays a critical role in enforcing the rules of the game and ensuring fair play on the field. In addition to working together in the utmost coordination, the referee, two assistant referees, and the standby official are required to oversee the entire match, while making crucial decisions in split seconds. In addition to their verbal communications, assistant referees must carry and use their flag throughout the game, as means for signally their decisions. When running along the sideline, assistant referees hold the flag in opposite hand to the direction in which they’re moving at that time – resulting in up to 30% of their movements during the game being sideways movements. Testing and comparing the athletic abilities of assistant referees is therefore an essential component in ensuring the accuracy and fairness of soccer matches. Assistant referees play a critical role in enforcing the rules of the game, and their ability to run quickly and accurately while holding a flag can have a significant impact on the outcome of the performance. Participants: 18 assistant referees (two female) who are on the staff of the National League in the Israel Soccer Association. The participants’ mean (±SD) variables were as follows: age=29yrs (±3.4); height=178cm (±0.06); weight=68.22kg (±10.45); fat percent=14.67% (±4.86); and seniority on the league=3.11yrs (±1.45). Results: Show that in all the tests the performance was significant better without the flag (RST, agility test and linear speed), the performance decrement % (RST), show no significant result, P<0.05, t (0.91) = 17. Conclusions: the referee run faster without the flags but the no deferent in the fatigue, so they have to train and testing with flags like in the game.

One of the most important issues in soccer training is the analysis and optimization of the players’ physiological characteristics. This study examines movement characteristics of soccer players in an under-17 (U17, n=20) and under-19 (U19, n=23) age groups. Participants played for over 80 minutes in 13 league matches. Using GPS devices, we measured movement patterns, including total distance (TD), with speeds being classified into five categories: (1) walking, 0–3.6 km/h; (2) jogging, 3.6–10.8 km/h; (3) moderate running, 10.8–18.0 km/h; (4) fast running, 18.0–25.0 km/h; and (5) sprinting, >25.0 km/h. High-speed running (HSR) included speed categories 4 and 5. Maximum sprint speed (Max Speed) and the number of accelerations (ACC) and decelerations (DEC) were also recorded. Statistical analysis included independent T-test samples and ANOVA and showed higher measurements in the distance covered in four of the five categories (1, 2, 4, and 5), as well as increased TD, HSR and Max Speed, and higher ACC and DEC among the U19 players compared to the U17 players. These findings emphasize the need for age-specific fitness characteristics training strategies in young soccer players particularly during the transition of age group categories.

Referees and assistant referees play a central role in enforcing the Laws of the Game during matches. The main referee holds ultimate responsibility, while assistant referees monitor offside situations, signal fouls outside the referee’s line of sight, and assist with decisions on corner kicks, free kicks, and other restarts. Throughout the match, assistant referees use short flags to communicate standardized signals to the referee, making effective coordination essential for accurate match management. This study used a crossover design to examine the effect of flag use on repeated-sprint performance among 37 soccer assistant referees (19 Premier League and 18 National League) in Israel, assessed using a modified change-of-direction (CODA) protocol. The evaluated measures included total sprint time (TST), ideal time, percentage decrement in performance (PD), average heart rate, and subjective rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between conditions. Performance was better without the flag in both total sprint time (p < 0.05, d = 0.55) and ideal time (p < 0.05, d = 0.62). The percentage decrement was higher in the no-flag condition (p < 0.05). Higher heart rate (p < 0.05, d = 1.49) and higher RPE (p < 0.01) were also recorded. These findings suggest that flag carriage may constrain sprint performance during repeated change-of-direction tasks and should be considered in the physical testing and preparation of soccer assistant referees.

Interval training is a popular method for enhancing athletic performance, adjustable through speed, distance, and rest. The acute physiological and subjective responses to isolated manipulation of these components remain unclear. This study examined acute physiological and perceptual responses to systematic manipulation of speed, distance, or rest during interval training. Twenty-two young male physical-education students (average age 25.2 ± 3.5) with high baseline physical activity but no prior structured interval-training experience completed three randomized interval protocols. In all protocols, the first interval was identical (92% vVO₂max, 250 m, 180 s rest). In the remaining five intervals, either speed, distance, or recovery duration was progressively changed in 8% steps (speed, distance, and rest protocols, respectively), while the other two components were kept constant. Blood lactate (La), oxygen consumption (VO₂), ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured throughout. Overall, the speed protocol elicited the highest average peak values across all measured parameters (p < 0.001). However, the percentage change in VO₂ from Interval 1 to Interval 6 did not differ significantly between the speed and distance protocols. Between-protocol differences varied across outcomes: the speed protocol elicited greater changes in Lactate from Interval 2 onward and in VE and HR from Interval 3 onward (p < 0.05). Rate of perceived exertion was highest during the speed protocol (p < 0.001) but did not differ significantly between distance and recovery protocols. Applying the same relative 8% progression across interval components elicited distinct physiological responses. Progressive increases in running speed produced greater acute peak cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses than progressions in distance or reductions in recovery duration.