Despite Low Concordance, Change of Direction and Maneuverability Both Differentiate Between Performance Levels in Field Hockey.

Authors

Sebastian Puschkasch-Möck, Paul A Jones, Soufiane Kaabi, Konstantin Warneke, Paul Comfort

Published in

Journal of strength and conditioning research. Sep 10, 2026. Epub Sep 10, 2026.

Abstract

Puschkasch-Möck, S, Jones, PA, Kaabi, S, Warneke, K, and Comfort, P. Despite low concordance, change of direction and maneuverability both differentiate between performance levels in field hockey. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2026-This study examined the reliability and discriminatory ability of a newly developed Slalom maneuverability test compared with the established 505 change of direction (CoD) test in elite and junior elite male field hockey players. Thirty international-level (16 senior elite and 14 junior elite) athletes performed a battery of tests, including linear sprinting, the 6-bounds test, the 10-5 repeated jumps test, the Slalom test, and the 505 CoD test. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), mean absolute and percentage errors, and coefficients of variation (%CV). Both the Slalom and 505 tests demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability (ICC = 0.709-0.982, %CV < 6%). Significant differences (ranging between p = 0.043 and p < 0.001) between performance levels were observed for the turning and total times in both the Slalom and 505 tests, whereas no differences (ranging between p = 0.193 and p = 0.961) were found for sprint or jump performance. Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed acceptable to excellent discriminatory power (Area under the Curve = 0.70-0.84), slightly favoring the 505 test. However, concordance between the 2 tests was low to moderate, suggesting that they might reflect partly different aspects of multidirectional speed performance. Most athletes adopted a pacing strategy during the 505 test, suggesting possible test-specific adaptations. Overall, both tests effectively differentiated performance levels, with the Slalom test providing a reliable, field-specific measure of maneuverability that complements traditional CoD assessments. These findings highlight the importance of assessing both linear and multidirectional movement efficiency for accurate evaluation of performance in field hockey.

PMID:
42721273
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 11 Sep 2026.

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