Game responses during young padel match play: Age and sex comparisons

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess match activity profile and temporal structure in U-16 and U-18 male and female padel players from the 2014 Spanish Youth National Championship. A total of 1670 rallies from 12 matches were recorded through systematic observation. Variables pertaining to game and point duration, rest interval time, number of strokes per rally, and match total duration were registered. Current findings show significant influences of age and gender on game demands in youth padel players, strengthen the importance of knowing specific game characteristics during formative stages for training accordingly. In particular, padel match activity in youth players was characterized by longer rallies, longer resting interval time and more number of strokes per rally compared to other racket sports, resulting in lower effort index. More specifically, results revealed an increment on match requirements in U-18 players compared to U-16. Besides, we found a greater use of lobs in females, particularly in U-16 players. This information may constitute a useful guide for the design of appropriate game strategies and specific-training sessions according to competitive demands in youth padel players.