Effects of Agility Ladder Training on Football Players

Effects of Agility Ladder Training on Dynamic Balance, Performance, and Flexibility of Lower Limb Among Football Players.

Football world has been using new techniques to have edge in competitions. One such tool is agility ladder that involve repetitive series of high intensity in and out movements between rungs' and is made out of two nylon straps with plastic rungs spaced 15-18 inches, but it can also be made by using home supplies of PVC pipes or ropes or simply sticking tape on floor. The standard ladder is 10 yards long. It is used to improve speed, balance, coordination, power and agility. But it is not limited to only these qualities, it's a multipurpose equipment with which sport specific skills can be improved. For footballers it can be used to improve dynamic balance, flexibility and running performance.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sports Physical Therapy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Group A: will perform agility ladder training exercises.; Other: Group B: will continue their regular training program throughout experiment.

Detailed Description

Footballer world is eagerly searching for new techniques and equipment to give them edge in a competition. Agility ladder is one fun tool that involve repetitive series of high intensity in and out movement between rungs. It is made out of two nylon straps with plastic rungs spaced 15-18 inches, but it can also be made by using home supplies of PVC pipes or ropes or simply sticking tape on floor. The standard ladder is 10 yards long. It is used to improve speed, balance, coordination, power and agility. But it is not limited to only these qualities, it's a multipurpose equipment with which sport specific skills can be improved.

It will be a randomized controlled trial study with simple size 24 using non-probability sample technique. The study will include 14- to 40-year-old healthy and physically fit footballers. Participants that have less than two mis attempts during star excursion balance test are eligible for the study. They will be randomly placed in control group and experimental group. Both groups dynamic balance will be pretested using star excursion balance test and flexibility via toe touch test and sit and reach test. Yo-yo intermittent recovery test will be used to check running performance. The experimental group will perform agility ladder drill training exercises for 4 weeks (3 times per week). Data will be assessed by using SPSS version 25.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab Province
    • Zafarwal, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 51670
      • Zafarwal playzone

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age: 18 to 30 years.
2. Physically fit and healthy footballer players
3. Not more than two mis-attempt during Star Excursion balance test. -

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Players with any lower limb injuries
2. Players with history of any chronic diseases.
3. Players with history of any congenital deformities.
4. Players with any other systemic diseases or musculoskeletal issues. -

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group A: will perform agility ladder training exercises.; The participants will perform ladder drills training program in a period of 4 weeks, three session per week. They will perform 2 sets of 3 repetitions of each drill for 2 weeks. (in and out training drill, Icky shuffle drill, Slalom jumps, carioca drill and hopscotch). Then 4 sets of 5 reptations for next 2 weeks.	Other: Group A: will perform agility ladder training exercises.; Agility ladder is a ladder that include in and out movements to improve dynamic balance, flexibility and performance.
Experimental: Group B: will continue their regular training program throughout experiment.; Whereas the control group of this research will be instructed to continue their regular dietary and physical activity practices throughout the experiment.	Other: Group B: will continue their regular training program throughout experiment.; Whereas the control group of this research will be instructed to continue their regular dietary and physical activity practices throughout the experiment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
dynamic balance	It will be assessed by the star excursion balance test ,measurements will be taken before and after agility ladder training exercises for the participants of both groups.	10 months
Running performance	Running performance is assessed by 30 meter sprint fatigue test, measurements will be taken before and after agility ladder training exercises for participants of both groups.	10 months
flexibility	It will be assessed via toe touch and back saver test, measurements will be taken before and after agility ladder training exercises for participants of both groups.	10 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Amna Shahid, t-DPT, Riphah International University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 15, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 15, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): August 20, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 23, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 24, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 23, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/RCR & AHS/23/04/0479

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No