The impact of various forms of exercise-induced fatigue on the short-passing performance of sub-elite female football players

Introduction The purpose of this study was to describe physical and short-passing performance of sub-elite female soccer players and to determine the effects of fatigue induced by different exercise protocols on passing performance. Methods Forty-eight South African female football players participated in the study. Players completed the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) before and directly following the execution of two fatigue-inducing protocols: a repeated sprint ability (RSA) test and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) test. Peak heart rate and blood lactate concentration were obtained following the fatiguing exercises. Results A decline in the LSPT performance was found in terms of passing, penalty and total time following both fatiguing exercises. A significant ( p < 0.001) increase in penalty time (32.6%) and total performance time (10.1%) was recorded following the Yo-Yo IR1. Penalty time (20.4%) and total performance time (8.5%) also increased following the RSA test. Moderate to high correlations were found between Yo-Yo IR1(r = −0.47 – −0.51) and RSA (r = −0.40 – −0.48) results with baseline LSPT performance. Percentage decline in LSPT performance was not significantly associated with Yo-Yo IR1 and RSA performance. Discussion Physical fatigue has a detrimental effect on short-passing ability, with aerobic fatigue influencing passing accuracy more than anaerobic fatigue, resulting in a larger decline in short-passing performance. While higher fitness levels were associated with superior baseline short-passing performance, they did not protect players from the relative deterioration of skills once fatigued.