Abstract

Objective: This study aims at investigating the relationship between reactive agility and cognitive performance of amateur male football players.

Material and Method: Twenty-four male football players from 11 Nisan Sports Club in Şanlıurfa struggling in Regional Amateur Football League (BAL) participated in the study voluntarily. The mean age, height and weight of the football players participating in the study were 22.88 ± 4.15 year, 176.76 ± 5.90 cm and 69.76 ± 7.61 kg, respectively. Psycho-Technical Vienna system was used for Participants’ Cognitive tests, IQ (SPM), Continuous Attention (SIGNAL, SIGINAL TIME), Visual Memory (TAVTB), Determination Test (DT, DT TIME), Attention and Problem Solving (COG), Line Tracking (LVT), and Speed Distance Estimation (HMT). For the reactive agility test, the Fusion Sport Smart Speed device was used. Correlation statistics were used for the relationships between the variables. SPSS 23.0 package program was used for statistical operations. For the interpretation of statistical analyze, the significance level was accepted as 0.05.

Results: There was no significant relationship between IQ (SPM), Continuous Attention (SIGNAL), Visual Memory (TAVTMB), Determination Test (DT), Attention and Problem Solving (COG), Line Tracking (LVT) with reactive agility values of male football players (p > 0.05), a significant relationship was found between Continuous Attention Reaction Time (SIGINAL TIME) the rRaction Time of the Determination test (DT TIME) and Speed Distance Estimation (HMT) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: As the content of the reactive agility test was based only on the speed and reaction speed against light and noise, it was found that the players were only associated with speed distance estimation and response time among the reactive agility performance and the cognitive tests. In order to determine the relationship between reactive agility and cognitive performance, there is a need for new reactive agility tests which are designed according to the branches where there is a distinction between competitor and team player requiring visual memory, attention, reaction, and double action skills.

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