Browsing by Author "Hendricks, Sharief"

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    Open Access
    Correction to: Quantifying the Collision Dose in Rugby League: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Critical Analysis
    (2020-10-27) Naughton, Mitchell; Jones, Ben; Hendricks, Sharief; King, Doug; Murphy, Aron; Cummins, Cloe
    An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
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    Development of an assessment framework for student engagement in design thinking projects for health innovation
    (2020) Dikgomo, Kagiso; Douglas, Tania S; Mutsvangwa, Tinashe; Hendricks, Sharief
    Student engagement is a dynamic and multifaceted concept – it encompasses physical, emotional, and cognitive components. Various instruments to assess student engagement exist, however these are not intended to assess how students engage with one another and with community stakeholders in participatory health projects. Although instruments do exist to assess participation/power-sharing in participatory health projects, none of the available instruments are suitable for the assessment of student engagement in such projects. The current study set out to develop an assessment framework for student engagement in design thinking projects for health innovation. Design thinking is a human-centred and participatory approach to problem-solving. The objectives of the project were: (1) the design and implementation of a questionnaire to assess student engagement in design thinking activities, and (2) assessment of the validity of the questionnaire. A preliminary questionnaire was developed with the aid of the literature and implemented for students taking a postgraduate course called Health Innovation & Design, which follows a design thinking approach for health innovation. Analysis of students’ written reflective reports and a focus group discussion were used to revise the questionnaire items. The revised questionnaire was validated by design thinking practitioners (the course lecturer and facilitators), and further modifications were made based on their views. The assessment framework developed in this study incorporates the design thinking phases according to the IDEO design thinking approach, an educational definition of student engagement, and recommendations by students of the Health Innovation & Design course and their course lecturer and facilitators. This questionnaire may be used to assess engagement in academic settings as well as non-academic settings when design thinking is applied for health innovation.
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    Open Access
    Differences in Technical Contact Performance Between Pool and Knockout Stages in Men's International Rugby Sevens
    (2022) de Klerk, Stephanus; Hendricks, Sharief
    Introduction: Rugby sevens is a high intensity, intermittent, collision field sport requiring a combination of physical fitness, and technical and tactical ability. Research on the running demands of rugby sevens matches has been synthesised to inform training and practice. In contrast, only a paucity of research is available on the technical contact demands. Moreover, less is known about the technical performances of successful teams. Therefore, the first part of this thesis conducted a systematic review of the literature of the tackle- and/or ruck frequencies within rugby sevens matches to understand the technical contact demands of rugby sevens. The second part of this thesis is an original study that retrospectively analysed and compared tackle and ruck events between the pool and knockout stages in one full season of the 2018/2019 International Men's Rugby Sevens World Series. Methods: For part one, a systematic search according to the PRISMA guidelines was performed on three electronic databases. The key word combinations included “Rugby Sevens” OR “Rugby” AND “Sevens” OR “Sevens” AND “Contact Demands”. The initial search across the databases retrieved 812 titles. The abstracts and full-text articles that presented with quantitative data on tackle- and/or ruck frequencies or rates within a given match or tournament were included. After the screening process, a total of 15 articles were included in the final review. For the second part of the thesis, all matches from the 2018/2019 International Men's Rugby Sevens World Series were analysed for tackle- and ruck events using Sports Code elite version 6.5.1. This equated to 21 226 tackle events and 6 345 rucks events across 450 matches. Results: The systematic review found that the mean rucks per match ranged from 7.1±4.6 (Mean±SD) to 9.5±4.5 for winning teams and 7.6±3.7 to 11.1±4.6 for losing teams on men's elite level. From a tackle demands perspective, studies on men's elite-level found that the mean tackles per match were 20.3±6.7 for winning teams and 20.4±6.1 for losing teams. In the original study, the mean tackles per match were 47.2, 95% CI 46.4-48.0 across the season with no significant difference between pool- and knockout stages of the tournaments. The mean rucks per match were 14.1, 95% CI 13.7-14.5 across the season with a significant difference between the stages of competition (P value < 0.001) (pool 14.8, 95% CI 14.2-15.4 vs knockout 13.3, 95% CI 12.7-13.9). Tackle variables that proved significant in pool matches for tackle outcomes included the type of tackle, point of body contact, tackle sequence, attacker intention, and match rank. For knockout matches only point of body contact and attacker intention proved to be significant Discussion: The systematic review provides a synthesis of the current state of technical contact demands in rugby sevens. The next step was to understand contact performance to identify what the determinants of contact success in rugby sevens are. For the original study, pool- and knockout stages had similar tackle frequencies, but dissimilar ruck frequencies, with more rucks occurring in the pool stages. Higher ranked teams and teams progressing to knockout stages of competition had less rucks and successful tackles. This showed that these teams were more proficient at evasive play with regards to contact performance. Practitioners and coaches can use this information to plan contact training and optimise tournament preparation in the Sevens World Series. The systematic review and original study gives insight into the contact demands and performance of a rugby sevens match. With stakeholder involvement this research has the potential to create innovative injury prevention and performance strategies to be implemented on all rugby sevens platforms.
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    Open Access
    Does Foam Rolling have a Positive Effect on Performance and Recovery from Post Exercise Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review of the Literature to Guide Practitioners on the use of Foam Rolling
    (2018) Hill, Hayd'n; Hendricks, Sharief; Parker, Romy; Lombard, Wayne
    Foam rolling is a form of myofascial release performed by the individual using their body weight, as opposed to the pressure being applied by the clinician. Foam rolling is currently used by athletes at all levels, from recreational to elite athletes. Foam rolling is used as a warm up to aid performance and/or recovery. This study aims to review the literature to determine if foam rolling enhances performance, positively affects recovery from exercise induced muscle damage, and whether there is a consensus on the protocol to achieve performance and recovery enhancement. Seven electronic databases, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Pubmed Central, Pubmed, ISI Web of Science, Medline and Scopus, were searched using terms related to foam rolling between January 2006 and April 2017. Published articles that included foam rolling as a recovery intervention and/or a performance enhancing tool were included in the study and assessed using the PEDro scale for methodological quality ratings. This dissertation will consolidate and add to the knowledge on the use of foam rolling. It will highlight when foam rolling should be used and recommend a specific protocol that should be used for performance and/or recovery purposes. This may address the confusion around when foam rolling should be used and show foam rolling to be effective as a recovery tool or for enhancing performance. This may help with better management of athletes by sports personnel, and in turn improve their performance and enhance their recovery. A total of 33 articles met the inclusion criterion and were systematically reviewed. There is evidence supporting the use of foam rolling in a warm-up consisting of dynamic stretching and an active warm-up to enhance performance; mainly through its effects on flexibility while maintaining muscle contractility. There is also evidence supporting the use of foam rolling to enhance recovery from exercise induced muscle damage and delayed onset of muscle soreness, with its main effects being the shortening of time to return to baseline performance, flexibility and pressure pain threshold. The mechanism by which foam rolling acts seems to be a neural response to pressure exerted. Sixty to ninety seconds of foam rolling may suffice to achieve the above desired effects. Further research is needed to determine the exact mechanisms of action of foam rolling, as well as the risks that may be associated with foam rolling.
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    Measuring tackle and ruck technique in rugby union
    (2020) den Hollander, Stefanus; Lambert, Michael; Hendricks, Sharief
    Background: Developing tackle and ruck technique is important to improve performance in matches and reduce the risk of injury. Little is known regarding valid tools to assess tackle and ruck technique in rugby union. The aims of this thesis were (1) to assess the validity and representativeness of the contact assessment tool, and (2) to identify factors which may affect the degree to which contact technique developed in training transfers to matches. Methods: Tackle, ball-carry and ruck technique of players competing at different levels of play were assessed in a two-on-two training drill using standardised technical criteria. Technique scores between levels of play were compared to assess the validity of the contact assessment tool, and contact technique scores assessed in training and matches were compared to assess the representativeness of the tool. Physical qualities and questionnaire data on the importance of technique to improve performance and reduce injuries were compared to contact technique scores assessed in training, to determine the effect of physical conditioning and player's knowledge on contact technique proficiency. Finally, tackle and ruck technique scores assessed in training and matches were compared to measures of match performance and contact related injuries. Results: Senior players scored significantly higher in the tackle, ball-carrier and ruck assessment than academy 1st and 2nd level players, demonstrating the good construct validity of the assessment tool. Contact technique scores were associated with performance outcomes in training and in matches, although technique scores in matches were lower than technique scores in training. There were no significant relationships between player's knowledge of the importance of contact technique and their contact technique proficiency. There were moderate to large associations between various physical qualities and tackle, ball-carry and ruck technique scores assessed in training. Players with better contact technique in matches performed better in matches, however, there were no meaningful correlations between contact technique in training and match performance or match related contact injuries. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the validity of a tool to assess contact technique in rugby union with good representative learning design, however progressing the drill into less structured environments is recommended to further improve the representativeness of the assessment environment. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of contact skill training and physical conditioning to ensure skills developed in training are transferred to match performance.
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    Perceived and objective neighborhood support for outside of school physical activity in South African children
    (BioMed Central, 2016-06-01) Uys, Monika; Broyles, Stephanie T; Draper, Catherine E; Hendricks, Sharief; Rae, Dale; Naidoo, Nirmala; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Lambert, Estelle V
    Background: The neighborhood environment has the potential to influence children’s participation in physical activity. However, children’s outdoor play is controlled by parents to a great extent. This study aimed to investigate whether parents' perceptions of the neighborhood environment and the objectively measured neighborhood environment were associated with children's moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) outside of school hours; and to determine if these perceptions and objective measures of the neighborhood environment differ between high and low socio-economic status (SES) groups. Methods: In total, 258 parents of 9–11 year-old children, recruited from the South African sample of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE), completed a questionnaire concerning the family and neighborhood environment. Objective measures of the environment were also obtained using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Children wore an Actigraph (GT3X+) accelerometer for 7 days to measure levels of MVPA. Multilevel regression models were used to determine the association between the neighborhood environment and MVPA out of school hours. Results: Parents’ perceptions of the neighborhood physical activity facilities were positively associated with children’s MVPA before school (β = 1.50 ± 0.51, p = 0.003). Objective measures of neighborhood safety and traffic risk were associated with children’s after-school MVPA (β = −2.72 ± 1.35, p = 0.044 and β = −2.63 ± 1.26, p = 0.038, respectively). These associations were significant in the low SES group (β = −3.38 ± 1.65, p = 0.040 and β = −3.76 ± 1.61, p = 0.020, respectively), but unrelated to MVPA in the high SES group. Conclusions: This study found that several of the objective measures of the neighborhood environment were significantly associated with children’s outside-of-school MVPA, while most of the parents’ perceptions of the neighborhood environment were unrelated.
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    Quantifying the Collision Dose in Rugby League: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Critical Analysis
    (2020-01-22) Naughton, Mitchell; Jones, Ben; Hendricks, Sharief; King, Doug; Murphy, Aron; Cummins, Cloe
    Abstract Background Collisions (i.e. tackles, ball carries, and collisions) in the rugby league have the potential to increase injury risk, delay recovery, and influence individual and team performance. Understanding the collision demands of the rugby league may enable practitioners to optimise player health, recovery, and performance. Objective The aim of this review was to (1) characterise the dose of collisions experienced within senior male rugby league match-play and training, (2) systematically and critically evaluate the methods used to describe the relative and absolute frequency and intensity of collisions, and (3) provide recommendations on collision monitoring. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science) using keywords was undertaken. A meta-analysis provided a pooled mean of collision frequency or intensity metrics on comparable data sets from at least two studies. Results Forty-three articles addressing the absolute (n) or relative collision frequency (n min−1) or intensity of senior male rugby league collisions were included. Meta-analysis of video-based studies identified that forwards completed approximately twice the number of tackles per game than backs (n = 24.6 vs 12.8), whilst ball carry frequency remained similar between backs and forwards (n = 11.4 vs 11.2). Variable findings were observed at the subgroup level with a limited number of studies suggesting wide-running forwards, outside backs, and hit-up forwards complete similar ball carries whilst tackling frequency differed. For microtechnology, at the team level, players complete an average of 32.7 collisions per match. Limited data suggested hit-up and wide-running forwards complete the most collisions per match, when compared to adjustables and outside backs. Relative to playing time, forwards (n min−1 = 0.44) complete a far greater frequency of collision than backs (n min−1 = 0.16), with data suggesting hit-up forwards undertake more than adjustables, and outside backs. Studies investigating g force intensity zones utilised five unique intensity schemes with zones ranging from 2–3 g to 13–16 g. Given the disparity between device setups and zone classification systems between studies, further analyses were inappropriate. It is recommended that practitioners independently validate microtechnology against video to establish criterion validity. Conclusions Video- and microtechnology-based methods have been utilised to quantify collisions in the rugby league with differential collision profiles observed between forward and back positional groups, and their distinct subgroups. The ball carry demands of forwards and backs were similar, whilst tackle demands were greater for forwards than backs. Microtechnology has been used inconsistently to quantify collision frequency and intensity. Despite widespread popularity, a number of the microtechnology devices have yet to be appropriately validated. Limitations exist in using microtechnology to quantify collision intensity, including the lack of consistency and limited validation. Future directions include application of machine learning approaches to differentiate types of collisions in microtechnology datasets.
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    The agreement, reliability and accuracy of a subjective-rating for technique measurement in rugby union after video-based training
    (2018) Wulfsohn, Jason; Hendricks, Sharief; Lambert, Michael
    Background: Rugby union is a high-intensity, intermittent sport, characterised by numerous contact events, such as rucks, mauls, scrums, and tackles. Specifically, the tackle is the most common action to occur during a rugby game. Subsequently, the tackle (tackler and ballcarrier) is responsible for the highest number of total injuries during a season. The most effective tackle technique is associated with a lower risk of injury than poorly executed tackles. Considering the prevalence of tackles, their propensity to cause injury, and the link between safety and proper tackle technique, a tool for assessing individual tackling and ball-carrying technique would be useful for rugby union researchers and practitioners. In particular, the assessment of tackling and ball-carrying technique would aid in monitoring adaptations to training, evaluating training programs and the prescription of training, assessing player qualities, and predicting performance and identifying future talent. Objectives: The primary objectives of this study were 1) to determine if undergoing videobased training would improve the agreement, reliability, and accuracy of raters using a subjective-rating measure to assess contact technique in rugby union, and 2) to establish if a self-selected viewing pace resulted in improved agreement, reliability, and criterion-validity over a real-time pace. Methods: Data were collected from 30 participants, with no prior experience in rugby union, who were randomly divided into training and non-training groups. After completing the training or non-training visits, all participants conducted tackling and ball-carrying technique assessments in 4 subsequent visits. Participants viewed video footage of players tackling and carrying the ball into contact during a full contact rugby drill on a laptop computer. Participants assessed tackling and ball-carrying technique using the standardised list of technical criteria. Technical proficiency scores were calculated out of 12 for tackling technique and out of 10 for ball-carrying technique, respectively. Agreement and reliability of the assessments were measured using the proportion of observed agreement (Po) and Kappa statistics (K). Criterion validity (accuracy) was measured using the proportion of observed agreement (Po) by comparing the raters’ assessments to a criterion. Between groups comparisons for technical proficiency scores and accuracy were done with hypothesis testing and effect sizes. Results: Over the real-time and self-selected paces, the training group produced 61-73% (K=0.24-0.38, Fair) and 63-73% (K=0.12-0.17, Poor) inter-rater agreement for tackling and ball-carrying technique, respectively. The non-training group produced 61-72% (K=0.26-0.38, Fair) and 59-71% (K=0.15-0.19, Poor) inter-rater agreement for tackling and ball-carrying technique, respectively. Including both real-time and self-selected paces, the within session intra-rater agreement for the training group ranged from 71-84% (K=0.43-0.65, Moderate-Substantial) and 74-83% (K=0.39-0.48, Moderate) for tackling and ball-carrying technique assessment, respectively. Then, the intra-rater agreement for the non-training group ranged from 68-83% (K=0.40-0.62, Fair-Moderate) and 67-84% (K=0.31-0.55, Fair-Moderate) for tackling and ball-carrying technique assessment, respectively. In terms of between session reliability, over the real-time and self-selected paces, the training group achieved intra-rater reliability that ranged from 74-83% (K=0.50-0.62, Moderate-Substantial) and 72-82% (K=0.35- 0.45, Fair-Moderate) for tackling and ball-carrying technique assessment, respectively. The non-training group achieved intra-rater reliability ranging from 72-82% (K=0.46-0.59, Moderate) and 69-81% (K=0.33-0.48, Fair-Moderate) for tackling and ball-carrying technique assessment, respectively. The technical proficiency scores between the groups displayed variation, and in some cases it was statistically significant. Compared to the criterion scores, the training group produced observed agreement of 68% and 67% for real-time pace and 74% and 72% for self-selected pace on tackling and ball-carrying technique assessment, respectively. The non-training group produced observed agreement of 66% and 67% for realtime pace and 74% and 73% for self-selected pace on tackling and ball-carrying technique assessment, respectively. Conclusion: Whether trained or untrained, the individual should be able to produce the same results if the footage is assessed within the same viewing period (agreement) or over two separate viewings (reliability). The tool is accurate for both groups when assessing at real- time or self-selected paces, with the latter being more accurate. However, it would appear that the tool is insufficiently robust when it comes to agreement between different raters. Future research should explore the inter-rater dynamics of assessing tackling and ball-carrying technique.
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    The rating of perceived challenge- the relationship between player and coach perceptions of rugby training
    (2022) Bam, Jenna; Hendricks, Sharief
    Introduction: Monitoring training is a common practice in sport, however skill training is not periodised and monitored to the same extent as physical training. Furthermore, it is important that the coach's and player's understanding of the training load is alike to avoid maladaptation and to modify future training sessions. The first part of this thesis aims to synthesise research that investigates the relationship between coach RPE and player RPE by means of a systematic review. The second part is an original study that uses a technical skill measurement (rating of perceived challenge, RPC) and tests (i) the relationship between player and coach RPC, (ii) the relationship between player session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and RPC, and (iii) the differences between backs and forwards for sRPE and RPC, within gym and field-based training sessions. Methods: For the systematic review, 4915 articles were retrieved from 4 databases using the following search terms: Train*) OR (‘Training-Load') OR (‘Load-monitoring') OR (‘training-load-monitoring') AND (‘Internal-load') OR (‘subjective-ratings') OR (‘perception-of-effort') OR (‘perceived-exertion') OR (‘perceived-stress') AND (Coach*) OR (Player*) OR (Player*). After duplicates were removed a total of 1591 articles were reviewed for inclusion. Studies that reported the relationship, association, difference or agreement between the player and coach were included in the systematic review which amounted to 25 articles. For the second part of the thesis, fifty-one (n=51) male u21 rugby union players' sRPE and RPC scores were collected after team, split, and gym sessions. The coaches' (n=4) RPC ratings were only collected after team sessions and split sessions. This equated to a total number of 1798 observations over 11 weeks (a total of 66 training sessions). Results: The systematic review reported a range of correlations and differences between player and coaches' perception of training. Coaches both overestimated and underestimated session intensities. A weak positive relationship (rho= 0.30; p< 0.01) was found between player RPC (4.30 ± 1.60 AU) and coach RPC (4.95 ± 1.32) for team sessions, while a moderate positive relationship (rho= 0.47; p< 0.05) was found for split sessions (player RPC 4.32 ± 1.84 AU; coach RPC 4.19 ± 1.49 AU). A moderate positive relationship (rho= 0.67; p< 0.05) was found between player RPC (4.32 ± 1.84 AU) and player sRPE (4.57 ± 1.59 AU) for split sessions, as well as for team sessions (RPC 4.95 ± 1.32 AU; sRPE 5.53 ± 1.51 AU; rho= 0.47; p< 0.01). Forwards reported higher RPC (5.32 ± 1.58 AU) compared to backs (3.35 ± 1.53 AU) for split and team sessions (forward's RPC 4.83 ± 1.49 AU; backs RPC 3.71 ± 1.52 AU). No differences in RPC and sRPE between forwards and backs were found for gym sessions (p> 0.05). Discussion: The systematic review gives insight into the different factors which may influence the relationship between player and coach RPE, such as the player's and coach's experience, the player's age and sex, and the method of data collection. The utility of the RPC may be more meaningful in the skill development focused stages such as coordination training and skill adaptability, where coaches are working with fewer players, and focused on specific technical outcomes.
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    The relationship between reported coaching behaviours and learning resources on youth rugby players' attitudes towards injury prevention and performance in the tackle
    (2018) Garnett, Daniel; Hendricks, Sharief
    Background: Involvement in sports has numerous well-documented physiological and psychological benefits but also carries a risk of injury. Due to the contact nature of Rugby, involvement in the game carries a greater risk of injury compared to other sports. The tackle phase of the game has resulted in the most number of injuries in all levels of the game. Coaches are key elements in developing players and implementing injury prevention programmes. Certain coach behaviours may influence a player’s attitude, in turn the player’s behaviours, when implementing tackle techniques during training sessions and matches. Player behaviour has previously been identified as a risk factor for sustaining, or causing, an injury during a tackle. Objective: To examine the relationship between reported coaching behaviours and learning resources on players’ attitudes and behaviours towards injury prevention and performance in the rugby tackle. Methods: This cross-sectional survey used a questionnaire comprising a 5-point Likert scale to assess junior rugby players’ (n=164) attitudes (importance) and behaviours (frequency and quantity). The main outcome measurements were the relationships between reported tackle coaching methods and the players' tackle training attitudes and behaviours using the χ² test and Cramer's V. Results: Player-rated importance of injury prevention was positively correlated with verbal instruction from the coach to the individual player (29% somewhat important - very important, χ² (16)=30.41, p<0.05, Cramer's V=0.22, moderate) and to the entire team (34% somewhat important-very important, χ² (16)=34.05, p<0.01, Cramer's V=0.23, moderate). The more time spent by the coaches on teaching proper techniques to prevent injuries, the higher players rated the importance of injury prevention (28% somewhat important-very important, χ² (16)=29.13, p<0.05, Cramer's V=0.21, moderate). Training books as a learning resource was positively associated with how important players rated tackle injury prevention (27% somewhat important-very important/much-very much, χ² (16)=28.67, p<0.05, Cramer’s V=0.21, moderate) and performance (32% somewhat important-very important/much-very much, χ² (16)=27.22, p<0.05, Cramer’s V=0.21, moderate). Training videos, as a learning resource, was also positively associated with the importance of tackle performance (32% somewhat important-very important/much-very much, χ² (16)=27.22, p<0.05, Cramer’s V=0.21, moderate) but not injury prevention (39% somewhat important-very important/much-very much, χ² (16)=21.50, p<0.05, Cramer’s V=0.18, weak) Conclusions: This research reports on the association between reported coaching behaviours and learning resources on players’ attitudes and behaviours towards injury prevention and performance in the tackle in rugby. Reported coaching behaviours, which incorporated individual and team verbal instructions when teaching tackle techniques to prevent injuries, resulted in more risk adverse player attitudes towards injury prevention when performing the tackle skill in training and matches. When the goal was to improve tackle performance, more importance is given to training proper technique in the tackle when compared to the goal of preventing injury. Players identified training videos and training books as the most preferential learning resources for improving tackle performance. Training books were also identified as an important learning resource with regards to tackle-related injury prevention attitudes and should be explored further.
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    The what and how of video analysis research in rugby union: a critical review
    (Springer International Publishing, 2018-06-18) den Hollander, Steve; Jones, Ben; Lambert, Michael; Hendricks, Sharief
    Background Video analysis is a common tool used in rugby union research to describe match performance. Studies using video analysis range from broad statistical studies of commercial databases to in-depth case-studies of specific match events. The range of types of studies using video analysis in rugby union, and how different studies apply the methodology, can make it difficult to compare the results of studies and translate the findings to a real-world setting. In attempt to consolidate the information on video analysis in rugby, a critical review of the literature was performed. Main body Ninety-two studies were identified. The studies were categorised based on the outcome of the study and the type of research question, sub-categorised as ‘what’ and ‘how’ studies. Each study was reviewed using a number of questions related to the application of video analysis in research. There was a large range in the sample sizes of the studies reviewed, with some of the studies being under-powered. Concerns were raised of the generalisability of some of the samples. One hundred percent of ‘how’ studies included at least one contextual variables in their analyses, with 86% of ‘how’ studies including two or more contextual variables. These findings show that the majority of studies describing how events occur in matches attempted to provide context to their findings. The majority of studies (93%) provided practical applications for their findings. Conclusion The review raised concerns about the usefulness of the some of the findings to coaches and practitioners. To facilitate the transfer and adoption of research findings into practice, the authors recommend that the results of ‘what’ studies inform the research questions of ‘how’ studies, and the findings of ‘how’ studies provide the practical applications for coaches and practitioners.