A New Method of Analysing Sprint, Deceleration, and Change of Direction Abilities in Trained Athletes

In modern sports, straight-line sprinting alone is insufficient for assessing overall sprint performance, as athletes must also decelerate and change direction efficiently. Existing methods lack a single metric that integrates all abilities, enabling holistic assessment. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive and novel measurement of multidirectional sprinting ability. Fifty-four university athletes (21.0 ± 1.5 years; 69.6 ± 9.1 kg; 172.6 ± 7.8 cm) performed linear sprints, decelerations, and 45°, 90°, and 135° change of direction (COD) tests in both directions over 30 m. Sprint accelerations and decelerations were recorded using a Stalker ATS II radar gun, while COD times were measured with stationary time gates. Sprint velocities were used to generate a multidirectional sprint area (MDSA), which was divided into forward, backward, left, and right sections. The MDSA method is calculated as the area of the octagonal polygon created by plotting eight velocity vectors from different angles of sprints. Paired t-tests compared area differences across directions, and ANOVA tests were used to compare sporting codes and sex. The resulting model reported differences across sporting codes (p < 0.001), sex (p < 0.001), the total area value (p < 0.001), and total area percentage (p < 0.001). The results showed a significant difference between forward and backward accelerations (p < 0.001), but no significant difference between left and right movements (p = 0.244). The MDSA method offers a reliable, quantitative intra-session approach for assessing athletes' multidirectional sprint abilities by calculating the octagonal area on the basis of velocity data. This holistic analysis identifies asymmetries and performance weaknesses, providing valuable insights for coaches.