Testing in Football: A Narrative Review.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Football Performance Analysis
• Player Monitoring

Background:

• Football clubs routinely conduct player assessments.
• Testing protocols vary based on player age and competitive level.
• A comprehensive understanding of current testing practices is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review justifications and protocols for player testing in football.
• To discuss the validity and reliability of common assessment methods.
• To provide an overview of current and potential future testing protocols.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of literature from PubMed, SportDiscus, and Google Scholar.
• Screening of articles from inception to September 2024.
• Inclusion of studies documenting tests for various player assessment purposes.

Main Results:

• Tests assess talent identification, growth, physiological capacity, skills, health, fatigue, adaptation, and injury risk.
• Specific tests cover anthropometry, physical capacity, biochemical markers, psychological indices, injury screening, skills, and genetics.
• Test selection is influenced by financial resources, coach perceptions, and schedules, favoring low-cost, group-applicable field tests.

Conclusions:

• Evidence supports various tests, but some require further validation.
• Practical factors like cost and simultaneous testing significantly drive test implementation in elite football.
• Holistic player assessment requires careful selection and validation of appropriate testing methods.