A valid and reliable test of technical skill for vision impaired football

The International Paralympic Committee requires international federations to develop and implement sport-specific classification guidelines based on scientific evidence. As a result of these requirements, new evidence-based criteria are required in football for athletes with vision impairment (VI). Performance tests are key to the development of a new classification system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable test of technical performance for VI football. To assure content and face validity, the Vision Impaired Football Skills (VIFS) test was based on recommendations from experienced players and coaches. To test construct validity, we compared 24 sighted football players that were split into two groups based on highest-level of performance achieved but matched on experience. To test reliability all players completed the VIFS three times on two separate days. Results supported construct validity through detecting significant differences in performance times between the two groups (p = .004, g = 1.28 95% CI = 0.41 - 2.15). The small bias between visits (.54s ± 2.93s; 95% LoA = -5.21– 6.29) and intraclass correlations (.81, 95% CI = .56 - .92) showed between-day agreement and reliability. Within-day reliability was good when participants had completed a familiarisation trial. Results support the suitability for the use of the VIFS test for classification research. Future work should establish feasibility for players with a VI.