Agility and Foot-Eye Coordination in Youth Soccer: A Cross-Sectional Study on Dribbling Skills

Abstract

Introduction: Dribbling is a fundamental soccer skill, often associated with agility and foot-eye coordination. However, the extent to which these factors contribute to dribbling skills requires further investigation. This study aims to analyze the relationship between these variables and dribbling skills in Soccer School (SSB) participants aged 10-12 years in Denpasar.

Methods: This analytical observational study employed a cross-sectional design and involved 78 SSB participants in Denpasar, selected through purposive sampling. Agility was measured using the Balsom Agility Test, foot-eye coordination using the Mitchell Soccer Test, and dribbling skills using the Dribbling Test. Normality testing was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, while correlations between variables were analyzed using Pearson and Spearman correlation tests and multiple regression analysis.

Results: The findings indicated a weak to moderate positive correlation between agility and dribbling skills (r = 0.384, p = 0.000), suggesting that higher agility is associated with better dribbling skills, albeit with a relatively weak relationship. Conversely, foot-eye coordination showed a weak, non-significant negative correlation with dribbling skills (r = -0.174, p = 0.178), indicating that better foot-eye coordination does not necessarily enhance dribbling skills. There was a slight tendency toward an inverse relationship, although weak.

Conclusion: Agility has a weak positive correlation with dribbling skills, whereas foot-eye coordination exhibits a weak, non-significant negative relationship. Factors like BMI, speed, and balance may also influence dribbling skills and should be explored in future research.