The present study aimed to assess the reliability, responsiveness, and age-related and competitive level differences of a 25-m change of direction (COD) maneuver (V-cut test) in football players. Two-hundred and eighty-nine male football players performed the V-cut test. Thirty-four players underwent the test on two occasions, separated by 5-7 days, to assess test-retest reliability. Eighty-six young players performed the V-cut test three times, separated by 12 weeks, to analyze responsiveness. Finally, 89 young players of different ages (U-15 to U-20) and 80 adult players of different competitive levels performed the V-cut test several times throughout the season to examine between-group differences. Reliability scores showed a high intraclass correlation coefficient ((ICC)=0.94) and a low coefficient of variation ((CV)=0.8%). The responsiveness was dependent on the maturity status, showing a positive response in those players who were pre- (short-term p < 0.05) or post-PHV (short- and long-term p < 0.05), though PHV did not exceed minimal detectable change. Age-related (Effect size ES:0.93-5.68) and competitive-level differences (ES: 0.57-1.96) analysis reported better V-cut test performance as age and competitive-level increased in football players. The V-cut test is reliable for assessing COD ability and can be used to monitor COD ability depending on maturity, allowing it to differentiate between players of different ages and levels.
Oliver Gonzalo-Skok (Fri,) studied this question.