Content Validity of a New Soccer (Football) Return-to-Play Test: The RONDO-TEST

Abstract

Objectives: The aim was to assess the content validity of a new field test on general and soccer-specific motor skills before return to play.

Methods: The RONDO-TEST was assessed by a Delphi panel for its content validity. It included a survey to evaluate 16 items related to the test consisting of four 10 m lines which cross over at their mid-point, resulting in eight 5 m sectors that include locomotor skills (speeding, moving sideways, side cutting, and jumping) and soccer-specific technical skills (dribbling, slalom course, and kicking/passing). The content validity was calculated with the Aiken's V coefficient of acceptance at 0.69 and 95% of confidence interval.

Results: Eight experts participated in the Delphi and agreed on the administration procedures after three rounds of suggestions. Major changes included the order of execution and the descriptions of the sectors. The results showed consensus (V = 1, maximum acceptance) for the clarity of instructions, the relevance of the skills to be evaluated, the order of execution, the materials and the relevance of measuring total and partial sector times.

Conclusions: The RONDO-TEST may be feasible and simple to administer and evaluate technical functional skills (actions) and condition-related abilities (e.g., the ability to repeat the test, fatigue curve, etc.), which are relevant aspects for return to play under optimum conditions.

Keywords: Delphi technique; agility; athletic performance; clinical decision-making; field test; functional test; health; leg injuries; sport; team sports.

Figure 1

RONDO-TEST draft. The figure shows an example of the preliminary version of the RONDO-TEST design that was finally changed.

Figure 2

RONDO-TEST detailed procedures. Starting point: The athlete stands 1 m from the center of the rondo above the line of Sector 2. They freely begin the attempt, running forward in the direction of Sector 1. The time starts when they break the photoelectric beam. Additionally, an acoustic signal is emitted to confirm that the beam was adequately broken every time they pass through the center. Sector 1 (Forward/Backward): Run forward to the pole and go backward around it./Run backward to the center. Sector 2: Move sideways to the ground marker and step on it/go back to the center. Sector 3: Go around the outside of each cone and the pole/go back while doing a lateral support on each cone. Sector 4: Jump over the 2 mini-hurdles and receive the ball with any limb. Go around the pole/jump over the first mini-hurdle and receive the ball with the same limb. Jump over the second mini-hurdle and land on the other limb. Sector 5: Take the ball and dribble linearly with the same limb. Go around the pole/dribble linearly with the other limb. Sector 6: Dribble with 1 limb and go around the cones and the pole/dribble with the other limb and go around the cones. Sector 7: Dribble freely up to the 3 m line from the mini-goal. Kick the ball into the goal with 1 limb/take the second ball located at the 3 m line from the mini-goal and dribble freely while returning to the center. Sector 8: Dribble freely until the next 3 m line from the second mini-goal. Kick the ball into the goal/go back to the center as fast as possible to finish the test.