Soccer requires endurance, strength, power, and repeated sprints, with lower limb force generation crucial for acceleration, deceleration, change of direction (COD), and linear sprinting (LS). The countermovement jump (CMJ) is commonly used to assess force production, and the bilateral limb deficit (BLD) quantifies the difference in force output between unilateral and bilateral CMJs. This study examined the relationship between BLD and COD and LS performance in Division II male soccer players. NCAA Division II male soccer players (n=19; 20.8 ± 1.51 years; 179.68 ± 7.36 cm; 75.2 ± 6.30 kg) participated in this study. Following a dynamic warm-up, participants completed unilateral and bilateral CMJs to measure BLD via peak propulsive force (Fz) and jump height (cm). They performed the 505 Agility Test with and 10m and 30m LS sprints on a turf field, best time was used. Pearson correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between BLD and LS 10m (1.75 ± 0.05s, r = 0.01, p = 0.702), 30m (4.21 ± 0.08s, r = 0.148, p = 0.570) or COD 505 right (2.52 ± 0.08s, r = -0.216, p = 0.405) and 505 left (2.53 ± 0.06s, r = -0.203, p = 0.434). While LS and COD tests are reliable soccer performance indicators, BLD was not a predictor of LS or COD performance in collegiate male soccer players. These results show soccer and strength coaches that while it is important to perform unilateral and bilateral exercises, BLD may not be something to focus on when thinking about soccer performance.
","abstract_html":"<p>Soccer requires endurance, strength, power, and repeated sprints, with lower limb force generation crucial for acceleration, deceleration, change of direction (COD), and linear sprinting (LS). The countermovement jump (CMJ) is commonly used to assess force production, and the bilateral limb deficit (BLD) quantifies the difference in force output between unilateral and bilateral CMJs. This study examined the relationship between BLD and COD and LS performance in Division II male soccer players. NCAA Division II male soccer players (n=19; 20.8 ± 1.51 years; 179.68 ± 7.36 cm; 75.2 ± 6.30 kg) participated in this study. Following a dynamic warm-up, participants completed unilateral and bilateral CMJs to measure BLD via peak propulsive force (Fz) and jump height (cm). They performed the 505 Agility Test with and 10m and 30m LS sprints on a turf field, best time was used. Pearson correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between BLD and LS 10m (1.75 ± 0.05s, r = 0.01, p = 0.702), 30m (4.21 ± 0.08s, r = 0.148, p = 0.570) or COD 505 right (2.52 ± 0.08s, r = -0.216, p = 0.405) and 505 left (2.53 ± 0.06s, r = -0.203, p = 0.434). While LS and COD tests are reliable soccer performance indicators, BLD was not a predictor of LS or COD performance in collegiate male soccer players. These results show soccer and strength coaches that while it is important to perform unilateral and bilateral exercises, BLD may not be something to focus on when thinking about soccer performance.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Capello Real, Giuseppe"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Health and Human Performance","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lukus Klawitter"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-04-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-04-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:24:36Z","subjects":["Bilateral limb deficit","Change of direction","linear sprint","unilateral and bilateral force production","soccer performance"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/869","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lukus Klawitter"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Capello Real, Giuseppe"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-04-10T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Health and Human Performance"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Bilateral limb deficit","Change of direction","linear sprint","unilateral and bilateral force production","soccer performance"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/869"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Soccer requires endurance, strength, power, and repeated sprints, with lower limb force generation crucial for acceleration, deceleration, change of direction (COD), and linear sprinting (LS). The countermovement jump (CMJ) is commonly used to assess force production, and the bilateral limb deficit (BLD) quantifies the difference in force output between unilateral and bilateral CMJs. This study examined the relationship between BLD and COD and LS performance in Division II male soccer players. NCAA Division II male soccer players (n=19; 20.8 ± 1.51 years; 179.68 ± 7.36 cm; 75.2 ± 6.30 kg) participated in this study. Following a dynamic warm-up, participants completed unilateral and bilateral CMJs to measure BLD via peak propulsive force (Fz) and jump height (cm). They performed the 505 Agility Test with and 10m and 30m LS sprints on a turf field, best time was used. Pearson correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between BLD and LS 10m (1.75 ± 0.05s, r = 0.01, p = 0.702), 30m (4.21 ± 0.08s, r = 0.148, p = 0.570) or COD 505 right (2.52 ± 0.08s, r = -0.216, p = 0.405) and 505 left (2.53 ± 0.06s, r = -0.203, p = 0.434). While LS and COD tests are reliable soccer performance indicators, BLD was not a predictor of LS or COD performance in collegiate male soccer players. These results show soccer and strength coaches that while it is important to perform unilateral and bilateral exercises, BLD may not be something to focus on when thinking about soccer performance.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BILATERAL LIMB DEFICIT AND CHANGE OF DIRECTION AND LINEAR SPRINT IN DIVISION II MALE SOCCER PLAYERS"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lukus Klawitter"],"dc:creator":["Capello Real, Giuseppe"],"dc:date.available":["2025-04-10T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Soccer requires endurance, strength, power, and repeated sprints, with lower limb force generation crucial for acceleration, deceleration, change of direction (COD), and linear sprinting (LS). The countermovement jump (CMJ) is commonly used to assess force production, and the bilateral limb deficit (BLD) quantifies the difference in force output between unilateral and bilateral CMJs. This study examined the relationship between BLD and COD and LS performance in Division II male soccer players. NCAA Division II male soccer players (n=19; 20.8 ± 1.51 years; 179.68 ± 7.36 cm; 75.2 ± 6.30 kg) participated in this study. Following a dynamic warm-up, participants completed unilateral and bilateral CMJs to measure BLD via peak propulsive force (Fz) and jump height (cm). They performed the 505 Agility Test with and 10m and 30m LS sprints on a turf field, best time was used. Pearson correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between BLD and LS 10m (1.75 ± 0.05s, r = 0.01, p = 0.702), 30m (4.21 ± 0.08s, r = 0.148, p = 0.570) or COD 505 right (2.52 ± 0.08s, r = -0.216, p = 0.405) and 505 left (2.53 ± 0.06s, r = -0.203, p = 0.434). While LS and COD tests are reliable soccer performance indicators, BLD was not a predictor of LS or COD performance in collegiate male soccer players. These results show soccer and strength coaches that while it is important to perform unilateral and bilateral exercises, BLD may not be something to focus on when thinking about soccer performance.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/869"],"dc:subject":["Bilateral limb deficit","Change of direction","linear sprint","unilateral and bilateral force production","soccer performance"],"dc:title":["THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BILATERAL LIMB DEFICIT AND CHANGE OF DIRECTION AND LINEAR SPRINT IN DIVISION II MALE SOCCER PLAYERS"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Health and Human Performance"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:24:36Z"}