This study examined the physiological and performance adaptations of association football (soccer) players during a six-week transitional (off-season) period following the competitive season through a remotely supervised, periodized training program. Fifteen male players (19.57 ± 1.14 years; training experience: 13.60 ± 1.81 years) from the Greek Super League 2 completed pre- and post-intervention laboratory assessments, including anthropometry, cardiopulmonary function, isokinetic strength, and jump performance. The program integrated high-intensity interval training, aerobic conditioning, and individualized resistance training, adjusted according to test results. Anthropometric parameters remained stable. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) increased significantly by 2.8% (56.31 ± 3.87 vs. 57.91 ± 3.02 mL/kg/min), while anaerobic threshold time and velocity declined by 6.2% (472.87 ± 35.06 vs. 443.33 ± 24.69 sec) and anaerobic threshold velocity fell by 6.1% (15.97 ± 1.17 vs. 15.00 ± 0.91 km/h), indicating a partial preservation of aerobic capacity but reductions in submaximal endurance. Isokinetic strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings was maintained across angular velocities, but squat jump height decreased significantly by 4.3% (p = 0.033), suggesting a loss of concentric-only explosive power despite stable countermovement jump performance. These findings indicate that targeted off-season training can maintain overall physical readiness, body composition, and VO₂max, but may require additional endurance and concentric power elements to preserve all performance qualities essential for the competitive season. Overall, the program effectively preserved most performance variables with only minor decrements, representing a favorable outcome for the off-season; however, if greater asymmetries, deficits, or other training targets are identified, more specific adjustments to training intensities, such as the inclusion of additional endurance and concentric-only power elements, may be required to achieve significant improvements.

This study examined acute pre- to post-match changes in perceived mental fatigue, subjective workload, and psychomotor performance in professional male soccer players, and whether cognitive changes were associated with GPS-derived external-load metrics, match outcome, and playing position. The dataset comprised 101 player–match measurements from 40 elite players, with paired pre–post psychomotor assessments yielding n = 202 total measurements. Pre–post comparisons were analysed using repeated-measures ANOVA, supplemented by linear mixed-effects models with a random intercept for player. Soccer matches produced large increases in perceived exertion, mental fatigue, mental demand, physical demand, and effort (all p < 0.001), and significant deteriorations in reaction time, accuracy, processing speed, and response variability (all p ≤ 0.005), confirmed in the mixed-effects analyses (all p ≤ 0.014). In the initial player–match-level analyses, high-intensity accelerations (>3 m·s⁻²) were weakly associated with greater Δreaction-time slowing (r = 0.203), increased response variability (r = 0.276), and reduced Rate Correct Score (r = −0.242), while high metabolic load distance was weakly associated with post-match perceived mental fatigue but not with psychomotor-performance changes. One-way ANOVAs indicated greater post-match psychomotor decrements following losses than draws. Once within-player dependence was modelled, the effects of match outcome, playing position, and most external-load metrics were attenuated, except for a residual match-outcome effect on accuracy and a high-intensity deceleration effect on accuracy. These findings indicate that competitive soccer match play is followed by acute psychomotor-performance decrements and increased perceived mental fatigue, whereas the contributions of mechanical load, match outcome, and playing position appear modest and partly reflect stable between-player differences.

Background. Developing lower extremity muscles in a proportional shape plays an important role of balanced body movement. It is believed that special development of muscles which provide multidirectional movements of ankle will contribute to the increase of balance ability, and this may significantly support the improvement of technical skill performance in football. The aim of the research was to examine the ability to keep dynamic balance and ankle joint muscle strength in football players, and to prove the relation between the ankle joint muscle strength level and the dynamic balance ability of each foot.Methods. The participants were amateur footballers (n = 17, football experience 10 ± 1.4years, weekly training 12 ± 1.3 h). “WFQ-R poll” questionnaire was used to determine the participants’ dominant and non-dominant limb, the dynamic balance was assessed using “Tecnobody Pro-Kin Type B 252” (Italy) device and ankle joint muscle strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer “Cybex Norm” (USA). Results. Significant differences (p < .05) were found between limbs for ankle plantar flexors, in non-dominant limb plantar flexors were stronger. Dynamic balance ability for dominant foot was better in comparison with non-dominant foot. The correlation was found between ankle plantar flexors, evertors, invertors and between dorsal and plantar flexors for both limbs.Conclusions. Strength improvement of muscles affects the movement of the ankle dynamic balance positively, but for the development of static and dynamic balance, proprioceptive balance training is as effective as strength training.Keywords: lower limbs, peak torque, balance, asymmetry.

This pilot study aimed to examine autonomic nervous system responses in student-athletes using heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance level (SCL) during sequential cognitive stressors, including a modified Stroop test and a mental math task. Fifty-two university athletes (mean age = 21.7 ± 2.8 years) participated in this repeated-measures experimental study. HRV and SCL were recorded at baseline, during each stressor, and throughout the recovery periods following each task. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significantly elevated SCL across experimental conditions [F(2.09, 100.53) = 45.69, p < 0.001, η² = 0.488], which remained above baseline during recovery, indicating sustained sympathetic activation. HR also increased significantly during stress exposure, indicating increased autonomic activation during cognitive stress [F(2, 103.11) = 14.30, p < 0.001, η² = 0.230]. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, vagally mediated HRV indices, including RMSSD [F(2.73, 131.11) = 6.88, p < 0.001, η² = 0.125] and HF power [F(2.85, 136.99) = 16.86, p < 0.001, η² = 0.260], increased during cognitive stress, suggesting adaptive parasympathetic modulation rather than vagal withdrawal. These findings indicate that autonomic responses to cognitive stress in athletes may involve simultaneous sympathetic and parasympathetic activation rather than a simple vagal withdrawal response. Overall, the findings only partially supported the initial hypotheses. Despite limitations related to sample size and short recording periods, the present findings highlight the importance of evaluating HRV and SCL together when examining psychophysiological stress responses in athletic populations.

The objective of this study is to analyze defensive efficacy and identify effective defensive actions against various types of crosses from different positions in elite football matches. Recordings and analyses were conducted on the top five teams from Germany (Bundesliga), England (Premier League), and Spain (La Liga) during the 2022-2023 season, covering 60 matches. A total of 1,428 crosses were examined to assess defensive responses. The study utilized the Wyscout platform, a personal computer (PC), and a tablet for analysis. Statistical methods included frequency and percentage ratio analysis, along with Crosstabs and the chi-square (x²) test to examine relationships between categories. Findings indicated that defensive line height significantly impacts defensive success across all crossing zones (p