Unit 5 Research Project

Unit 5 Research Project
Worthing College Sports Science
Scott Goodman
2015

Assessment Criteria
Pages 3-17 & 27-38
• P2: carry out sport science or exercise science-
based research
• P3: collect and record data from the research
project conducted
• M2: correctly analyse collected data, describing
techniques used
• D1: correctly analyse data, explaining techniques
used
• P4: produce a full research report using a
standard scientific structure

Does optimal jumping height of a
performance level centre back
affect the amount of headers won?
P2: Carry out / P4: Produce

Abstract
My research project involves investigating whether there is a relationship between optimal
jumping height of a performance level centre back, affects the amount of headers won through
regaining possession in a 90 minute game of football. I aim to find out whether there was a
correlation between variables in my investigation and how strong it was. In my opinion it was
interesting to answer the question of, do you need to have a high optimal jumping height to win
headers against an opponent? Relating to this, does being tall enable your jumping height to not
be as high to win headers? I used Spearman’s rank data table to display the data I obtained from
performance level centre backs. This level falls into the Worthing college football academy
bracket. I used 9 players to obtain their optimal jumping height and their height and used this for
two separate parts of data. The correlation between optimal jumping height and headers won
was very strong. This supports my hypothesis as I predicted that having a higher optimal jumping
height would have an increase in the amount of headers won to regain possession in a 90 minute
game of football. The scope was relatively small, however, it sets a good enough base for further
research in this subject. This type pf research can be used to scout players and use variables such
as optimal jumping height or even height alone in relation to headers won. On the other hand, it
wont determine the view on performance level centre backs at this present time.

Contents: General
Page 3: Aim of research project
Page 4: Abstract
Page 5: Contents (General)
Page 6: Contents (Appendences)
Page 7: Contents (Figures & tables)
Page 8: Acknowledgements
Page 9: Introduction
Page 10: Literature review and references
Page 11: Project hypotheses
Page 12: Method
Page 13: Data collection
Page 14: Data Analysis
Page 15: Results
Page 16: Discussion
Page 17: Conclusion
Page 18: Assessment criteria pages 19-26
Page 19: Review 1/3
Page 20: Review 2/3
Page 21: Review 3/3
Page 22: Future recommendations 1/5

Contents: Appendices
Page 27: Appendix 1 title
Page 28: Player profile of Matthew Smith

Contents: Figures and Tables
Page 29: Figures and tables title
Page 30: Figures and tables spearman’s rank data
Page 31: Figures and tables scatter graph

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Paul Cox for his continued help throughout this project.
Also, I would like to thank both Paul Cox and Oscar Gamble for their help and
advice on Microsoft Excel. I would like to thank Matthew Smith, Callum Lee,
Josh Ethrington, Harry Lewington, David Beaney, Ben Rose, Jack Barnes and
Carl Boath as participants in my research project.

Introduction
The aim of this research project is to investigate the relationship between optimal
jumping height and the amount of headers won of a performance level centre back.
I chose this aim because optimal jumping height is a main component of defending
that football clubs focus on when scouting a player. I wanted to investigate whether
this has a major influence on the amount of headers a centre back wins. Heading and
tackling are the two main aspects of defending in football. Heading has a stronger
relation to optimal jumping height than tackling.
The aim was created a few weeks back. During this period of time I have obtained data
from numerous performance level centre backs and have focussed on collecting data
and analysing it. Evaluating and reviewing the data has been the main focus in recent
days through figures and tables.

Literature Review and References
https://worthingsportscience.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/unit-5-literacy-review-scott-goodman/

Project Hypothesis
“The higher the optimal jumping height of a
performance level centre back, the more
headers they will win.”
“The taller a performance level centre back is,
the more headers they will win.”

Method
I collected the optimal jumping height of each of my participants through the vertical jump test.
The height of each participant was also obtained for additional data that supports another
hypothesis if needed (see appendix 1).
I then ensured I watched a full 90 minute game of football of each participant. I used notational
analysis to record the amount of headers each of my participant won in the game. Based upon
two factors, I only recorded specific headers. The header must have resulted from a jump. In
addition, the ball must have made contact with a teammate before an opposition player.
Following on from this, I put the data gained from observing my participants in a table along with
the optimal jumping height and height (see figures and tables)
This allowed me to place this information into another table in rank order. This is for both optimal
jumping height and headers won. This allowed me to calculate spearman’s coefficient rank of
results on Microsoft excel. A separate table of results was formed for height and headers won.
Using the data calculated by excel, I formed two graphs showing the correlation between optimal
jumping height and headers won and the correlation between height and headers won.
P3: Collect and record / M2: Correctly analyse & describe techniques / D1: Correctly analyse & explain techniques

Data Collection
All my data is quantitative and is from a primary source. Because this data is field data,
the data is more reliable as you have recorded it yourself and shows more precise data
as opposed to desk data which is a secondary form. I had to go out and conduct tests
to gain the specific data I need in terms of optimal jumping height, height and headers
won. A drawback of this type of data is that it is time consuming. A large proportion of
this project was actually going out and collecting the data to put in my figures and
tables (see figures and tables). Although my tests were easily accessible and without
cost, field data can be cost effective which is another disadvantage.
On the other hand, my data collection did not breach any of the legal and ethical rules
set by BASES. In terms of the data protection act, I ensured I stayed within the
guidelines and instructions set for protection of all individuals involved n my research.

Data Analysis
Spearman’s rank table ordered from highest to lowest
the optimal jumping height and the headers won to
indicate any relationship between both variables. Once
I collected all data I put it into an ordinal ranked data
table for my results. I used this data to create a scatter
graph for both the relationship between optimal
jumping height and headers won, as well as, the
relationship between height and headers won.

Results
The results showed that the correlation between optimal jumping height of a
performance level centre back and the amount of headers they win in a game of
football was very strong. This supports my hypothesis very strongly that the higher the
optimal jumping height of a performance level centre back, the more headers they
will win. The scatter graph (see figures and tables) shows that the participant with the
highest optimal jumping height, won the most headers in a game. In addition, the
participant with the lowest optimal jumping height, won the least headers in a game.
Therefore, this is evident that optimal jumping height plays a major role in the
defensive qualities of a centre back. There was no outlier in my results.
In terms of the correlation between height and headers won, the results show that my
hypothesis was correct but not as strongly as optimal jumping height to headers won.
This shows that you do not necessarily need to be tall to win headers in football
because your optimal jumping height may be high. However, the results showed that
the participant with the smallest height, won the least amount of headers in a game.
There was no outlier in my results.

Discussion
I found out from my research that the correlation between the optimal jumping height of a
performance level centre back and the amount of headers they win is very strong. I know this
from the spearman’s rank data is obtained through my own data I collected. The results show
that the participant with the highest optimal jumping height, won the most headers in a game.
On the other hand, the participants with lower optimal jumping height did not win the most
headers in a game. Both of these outcomes support my hypothesis strongly. The factors that
make a successful header were made from a higher optimal jumping height. Although every
participant made more headers than recorded, I only used the headers that regained possession
as valid data. This showed that the optimal jumping height created a more possession regained
percentage from the total headers won.
When discussing the outcome of height to headers won, my hypothesis was correct but did not
support it as strongly as the optimal jumping height data. The correlation between height and
headers won was strong. However, the data proved that you do not need to be tall to have a
higher optimal jumping height. You can be small and have a higher optimal jumping height, or be
tall with a lower optimal jumping height.

Conclusion
Does optimal jumping height of a performance level centre back affect the amount of headers won?
In terms of my literacy review, there isn’t any specific topic that is re-occurring enough to be a trend.
However, one specific topic that is mentioned the most is the contribution to being good in the air when
jumping. moharrami etal, (2011), sorenson etal, (2007), shergold, (2013), zonalmarking, (2012), all refer
to the fact that you need to have specific qualities when umping to optimize a jumping height when
heading. Zonalmarking, (2012) states that no matter how tall a player is, the jumping height can
optimize can be higher of a smaller individual than to a taller individual.
The results showed that the correlation between optimal jumping height of a performance level centre
back and the amount of headers they win in a game of football was very strong. This supports my
hypothesis very strongly that the higher the optimal jumping height of a performance level centre back,
the more headers they will win. The scatter graph (see figures and tables) shows that the participant
with the highest optimal jumping height, won the most headers in a game. In addition, the participant
with the lowest optimal jumping height, won the least headers in a game. Therefore, this is evident that
optimal jumping height plays a major role in the defensive qualities of a centre back. There was no
outlier in my results.
In terms of the correlation between height and headers won, the results show that my hypothesis was
correct but not as strongly as optimal jumping height to headers won. This shows that you do not
necessarily need to be tall to win headers in football because your optimal jumping height may be high.
However, the results showed that the participant with the smallest height, won the least amount of
headers in a game. There was no outlier in my results.

Assessment Criteria Pages 19-26
• P5: carry out a review of the research project
conducted, describing strengths, areas for
improvement and future recommendations.
• M3: carry out a review of the research project,
explaining strengths, areas for improvement
and future recommendations.
• D2: carry out a review of the research project,
justifying future recommendations for further
research.

Review (1/3)
One conclusion of the project is that there is a
very strong correlation (see figures and tables)
between optimal jumping height and headers
won in a game. This meets my project aim as the
results show that there is a relationship
between these two variables no matter how
strong or weak the correlation is.
P5: Describe / M3: Explain / D2: Justify

Review (2/3)
In my opinion, one strength of my research was that it was investigating something to with
football that was very specific. I included 3 variables and was specific to the sporting level and
position. I could have chosen professional player and not included position. It is easier to obtain
data from elite level because of all the sporting profiling and player profiling that surrounds it in
desk form. In addition, the presentation of my data was professional through Microsoft excel in
the form of spearman’s rank data and the scatter graphs I produced. Without these utilities, the
data would be more difficult to analyse. Furthermore, they way I went about gathering my data
for every participant that played centre back for Worthing College academy was good. I collected
field data through the vertical jump test and recorded their height as well as observing them in
games to record the amount of successful headers they perform from an optimal jump. Prior to
the research, I wanted to challenge myself in the way I collect my data. At first I chose to analyse
these variables at the elite level. The data for this would be easily accessible. Because of this I
chose to research performance level players so I could obtain the data myself. The fact there was
no outliers was also another positive to add to my research.

Review (3/3)
The scope of my research was small an could have been larger to produce more data
for my research. I only analysed 9 performance level centre backs from Worthing
college. To improve this, I could have analysed other centre backs at other Colleges
that are within the same performance level. This could have altered the correlation
between the variables within my aim for this research. Therefore, the correlation
could have been weaker due to the larger scope.

Future Recommendations (1/5)
If was to complete the project again I would change the scope
by increasing the amount of participants within my research.
Increasing this would provide my research with additional
data which could alter the correlation between optimal
jumping height and headers won.
If I was to complete the project again, I would aim to
investigate other variables that contribute to a performance
level centre back’s headers won succession rate. There is
much more to a defender than their aerial ability to win
headers. These factors would make my data more varied and
provide other evidence that supports a defender’s abilities in
the air.
P4: Produce / P5: Describe / M3: Explain / D2: Justify

The data collected would be more expansive and
the results would be more representative to a
larger population within my scope. In addition, the
varied factors that influence a performance level
centre back’s aerial ability could be used for
scouting and could define specific attributes that
certain teams are looking for in a centre back. At
performance level, there is a lot of elite level scouts
looking at games and this would benefit this and
also aid a players’ performance.

“To investigate whether there is a relationship
between performance level centre backs and
elite level centre backs in terms of optimal
jumping height and the amount of headers won
in a game”.

“To investigate whether there is a relation
between performance level centre backs and
elite level centre backs in terms of height and
the amount of headers won in a game”.

“To investigate whether there is a relationship
between optimal jumping height and the
amount of headers won between performance
level centre backs and other positions within
performance level”.

Appendix 1
Name: Matthew Smith
DOB: 11/02/97
Place of birth: Shoreham-by-sea
Height: 6ft 0inches (182.2cm)
Optimal Jumping height: 52.7cm
Club: Worthing College /Burgess Hill
Squad: 1XI captain (Worthing College)
U18’s captain full-time/U21’s Part-time
(Burgess Hill)
Position: Centre Back
Injury History: Broken tibia, torn gastrocnemius

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Unit 5 Research Project

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