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Abstract

PURPOSE: This project aimed to determine upper extremity techniques during defensive flag pulls in women’s flag football. METHODS: Eleven healthy, female flag football players with at least high school varsity experience volunteered to participate in this study. Participants were instructed to pull the flag(s) of a stationary dummy placed 3 yards away as fast as possible. Trials were conducted in flags facing forward (F), angled 45° left (L), and angled 45° right (R) of the flag puller. Motion capture (Vicon, 120 Hz) and video analysis were used to analyze technique. The Waterloo Handedness Survey was used to indicate hand preference. Appropriate ANOVA techniques were used to find differences between total movement times and reach to pull times based on technique as well as joint kinematic differences by movement direction and sides of the body (ɑ = 0.05). RESULTS: Across all subjects, players were predominantly right-handed (1.46 ± 0.239). A two-handed technique was utilized for the majority of trials across the three directions (6/11 players). Four of 11 players used a one-handed technique, with players using either hand depending on condition. There are no differences between L, F, and R conditions in total movement time (1.22 s ± 0.06; 1.23 s ± 0.09; 1.22 s ± 0.08; p = 0.874) and reach-to-pull time (0.44 s ± 0.07, 0.47 s ± 0.08, 0.47 s ± 0.05; p = 0.101). Reach-to-pull times were not different between one-handed and two-handed techniques (p = 0.754). Shoulders (-3 - 7°) were near neutral and elbows (55 - 62°) were flexed at beginning of reach. Shoulders (26 - 40°) and elbows (48 - 60°) were flexed at flag pull. CONCLUSIONS: Although subjects preferred to use the right hand in everyday tasks, the results indicate that handedness in flag-pulling is task-dependent. Directional conditions did not have an effect on overall movement time. Similarly, reach-to-pull times in one-handed and two-handed flag pulls suggest that speed is also not influenced by technique. Players may prefer a two-handed technique to provide multiple opportunities to pull the flag to increase chance of success. The arm (left vs right) utilized in angled directions is more extended (e.g. in R trials, right shoulder more flexed and right elbow less flexed), suggesting that players maximize reach to optimize the flag pull.

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