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Assessing Maximum Sprinting Speed in Female Team Sport: The Role of Sprint Distance and Timing-Gate Configuration

McGuinness, Eddie orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-8958-8514, Lyons, Mark orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-1269-4890, Beattie, Kris orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-8277-0145, Lane, Aoife orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-9991-554X, Healy, Robin orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-5305-370X and Higginbotham, Clement orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-8100-6276 (2025) Assessing Maximum Sprinting Speed in Female Team Sport: The Role of Sprint Distance and Timing-Gate Configuration. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 20 (8). pp. 1168-1171. ISSN 1555-0273

Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to (1) determine if differences exist in female team-sport maximum sprinting speed (MSS) using sprint distances of 30 and 40 m and split times over 5- and 10-m intervals, (2) determine the intertrial reliability of MSS using each measurement method, and (3) examine the association between sprint acceleration distance and MSS. Methods: Elite and subelite female Gaelic football players (N = 62) performed 40-m sprints with dual-beam timing gates placed every 5 m. Four measurement methods were used to determine MSS: 5-m split times over a 40-m sprint distance, 5-m splits over 30 m, 10-m split times over 40 m, and 10 -m splits over 30 m. Results: A repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant differences (P < .001) in MSS-derived differences from the different measurement methods with a η2p of .494 (large effect). MSS was significantly different between all methods (mean differences: 0.02–0.08 m·s−1; Cohen dz: 0.49–1.25). The greatest mean MSS was achieved using 5-m splits over 40 m. All MSS measurement methods had high relative and absolute reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: .97–.98; coefficient of variations: 1.0%–1.2%; standard error of measurement: 0.07–0.08 m·s−1). There was a significant moderate positive correlation (ρ = .41) between MSS and acceleration distance. Conclusion: The highest estimate of MSS was found using 5-m splits over 40 m. All measurement methods displayed high reliability; we recommend the use of 5 -m splits over ∼30 m when assessing MSS in female team-sport athletes with timing gates.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:female athlete; Gaelic football; speed profiling; dual-beam timing; sprint-performance assessment
Subjects:Medical Sciences > Health
Medical Sciences > Performance
Medical Sciences > Sports sciences
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Health and Human Performance
Publisher:Human Kinetics Journal
Official URL:https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/i...
Copyright Information:Authors
ID Code:33186
Deposited On:23 Sep 2026 13:09 by Eimear Maher . Last Modified 23 Sep 2026 13:09
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