The Effects of Obstacle Type and Locomotion Form on Path Selection in Rugby Players

The current study investigated whether path selection of athletes specifically trained to fit through gaps is affected by the location of human obstacle and the form of locomotion. Female rugby players were instructed to walk, walk with the ball, or run with the ball along a path toward a goal while avoiding three obstacles (three vertical poles or two vertical poles and a confederate) placed halfway along the path, creating two equal apertures of 80 cm. Regardless of the form of locomotion, rugby players chose paths furthest from the confederate, suggesting that confederate location affects path selection. Furthermore, medial-lateral spatial requirements were more variable when participants were walking without the ball than while moving with the ball. Avoidance behaviors, but not path selection, appear to be impacted and minimized during sport-specific movements.