Method for training the legs of a football player

Abstract

The invention relates to medicine and can be used for training football players during the rehabilitation of functional disorders of a player's musculoskeletal system, as well as in the training of a

Description

The invention is medical in nature and can be used by footballers for training when recovering from functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system, as well as to exercise the weak foot [A63B67 / 00, B64F1 / 00]. In the prior art, the EXERCISE AND RECOVERY SYSTEM [MX 2015001533 A, published 2016-08-02] is known. The system uses exercise programs to develop mental capabilities, giving the athlete the ability to control their own mind and, therefore, focus on specific aspects of their experience. The system has a weakness, which lies in it being unsuitable for use in recovery and weak foot exercises. Also in the prior art, the FOOTBALL EXERCISE MACHINE [CN 208049328 U, published 2018-11-06] is known. The exercise machine comprises an adjustable goal, a case to extract the ball from and a supplementary device. The adjustable goal comprises six L-shaped steel pipes, four short axles, two medium length axles, two long axles and four T-shaped steel pipes. The short axle is connected with the hole in the medium length axle; the cross hole in the T-shaped steel pipe is aligned with the hole in the L-shaped steel pipe and the T-shaped steel pipe. The system has a weakness, which lies in it being unsuitable for use in recovery and weak foot exercises. The METHOD FOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE [CN 107376275 A, published 2017-11-24] is the closest to the claimed invention in its engineering essence. The method comprises stages that involve a football practice device. The football practice device includes at least one imitation football frame, back screens located behind football frames and a control terminal used to control the football practice device operation. Recovery channels are established between imitation football frames and back screens. The football practice device also includes ball launchers. Each ball launcher is installed on one end of a certain recovery channel. Imitation ball frames suggest the target while ball launchers launch balls. Footballers catch balls and kick them on target. Imitation ball frames decide if a footballer scored or not. The control terminal keeps the scoring statistics. That gives footballers an ability to make multiple training plans in line with their needs, like shooting drills or practices. The system has a variety of functions with realistic imitation of pressing and changing match situations. The method is useful for improving the reaction and physical strength of footballers. The key engineering issue with the prototype is long recovery times for athletes and no options to exercise the weak foot. This invention aims to eliminate the shortcomings the prototype has. The engineering result of the invention cuts down the recovery time after injuries, as well as the time required to train the skills a footballer needs to use their weak foot effectively. The engineering result of the invention is achieved by foot exercises done in multiple stages: - warming up and loosening the footballer's leg muscles; - immobilising the footballer's arm on the side of the foot about to be exercised; - doing the ball exercise drill with only the foot that requires exercising; - a practice game. In particular, the footballer's arm is immobilised with an orthotic device. In particular, the exercise drill comprises: square, long and short distance passing, shots on goal from the outside of the penalty box, direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks. Brief description of the drawings. Fig. 1 shows the flowchart for the foot exercise method. The figure demonstrates: 1 - warming up and loosening the footballer's leg muscles; 2 - determining the foot to be exercised; 3 -immobilising the footballer's arm; 4 - ball exercise drill; 5 - practice game. Fig. 2 shows an example of arm immobilisation using an orthotic device. Professional footballers injure their legs and feet fairly often. Injuries can range from bruising to fractured bones. Healing injuries like that takes time, sometimes up to a few months; in that time, the footballer loses a significant portion of their ball handling skills. Correspondingly, restoring those lost skills can also take significant time. On average, post-injury rehabilitation for footballers lasts from two weeks to three months. Its duration depends heavily on the severity of the injury: the more serious the injury, the longer the healing period and the longer the time needed to reacquire lost skills. This invention helps cut down rehabilitation (recovery) time for footballers. The method can also be used to exercise the weak foot. The concept of the dominant or take-off foot relates to a person using their right or left foot more actively for various purposes. The choice of the foot is inborn. This is similar to situations where a person prefers using only one of then* hands for work. The dominant foot can be visibly observed in various processes, such as applying the greatest power when kicking the ball with one or the other foot. But the choice of the supporting foot for stomping is generally related to the preference for using one or the other foot in a specific position. Sports are the same. Footballers most often kick the ball with their feet. The dominant foot can be the one the athlete uses to kick the ball with the greatest power and control. For most people, the supporting and the kicking foot is their right foot. Skilled footballers who rely on their left foot for kicks are relatively rare and, therefore, highly valued. Also rare are 'ambidextrous' players who are equally skilful in using both their feet. Only one in every six footballers in the top European pro league is ambidextrous. As opposed to the dominant foot, there is also a concept of the 'weak foot'. In a right-handed person, the right foot will be dominant and the left one, weak. Aside from helping footballers recover after injuries, this method can also be used to exercise the weak foot, training athletes to use both their feet with equal skill. The key aspect needed to achieve this goal is to stimulate the athlete's cognitive abilities. In order to do that, we put their mind in a stress situation: we handicap the balance by immobilising one of the arms depending on which one of the feet is dominant. One of the reasons why this weak foot exercise method can help a footballer become ambidextrous is that by immobilising the footballer's arm on the side of the foot to be exercised, we help this footballer shift the focus away from using the dominant foot, concentrating instead on actively exercising the weak one. That can help the footballer develop muscles and skills in the weak foot, ultimately improving its power, precision and control. Additionally, an immobilised arm can help correct errors and defects in the weak foot's technique, because it makes it harder for a footballer to rely on the dominant foot to compensate. That makes them able to use the weak foot more effectively, overcoming its limitations and significantly improving performance in a competitive environment. Using our method to exercise the weak foot can help a player improve balance and coordinate their feet better. This is especially important in football, where players often have to make decisions and execute them quickly, reacting to the situation developing on the pitch. Improved balance and coordination help footballers become more agile and adaptable which is important for handling various game situations successfully. In other words, immobilising one arm makes the footballer's dominant foot less effective during practice, creating new conditions of discomfort which the footballer's mind has to adapt to. Put in a situation like that, the footballer starts involuntarily using the dominant foot as the supporting one and vice versa. Adapting to new conditions, the footballer starts feeling the weak foot better and understands the movements of their body as a whole, therefore developing the ability to use both their feet with equal skill. The method is used as follows. 1. The first stage involves warming up and loosening the footballer's leg muscles. The total time needed for this stage is 20-40 minutes. It can, for example, include the following exercises. Knee rotations. Legs slightly bent at the knee, hands on thighs. Rotate knees slowly clockwise and counterclockwise, without putting any pressure on thighs. 10 rotations in each direction. Leg swings. It can be done from the prone or seated position. This exercise is good for developing hamstring and buttock muscles, depending on the position. Different types of leg swings are used to warm up all muscles and joints. Start with slow movements. 10-15 swings per leg. Deep lunges. Lunges help warm up muscles in the legs and the whole body. Stand tall, feet together. Take a long step forward with one foot, lowering the thigh to the ground. Lower the body down until the forward thigh is parallel with the ground. The forward knee should be on the same vertical as the toes of the feet or slightly behind them. Resume the initial position by pushing back with the forward foot. 10-12 lunges with each foot. Rock climber. Hands on the floor right below shoulders (the push-up position). Raise the left thigh to the chest and keep it there for a couple of seconds, then resume the initial position. Repeat with the right thigh. The body should be tense during movement. The body should be still, not shaking. Caterpillar. This exercise is good for warming up core, leg and upper body muscles. Stand tall, back straight. On an exhale, bend the body in a V shape, reaching for the floor with your palms. Once palms are flat on the floor, use arms to take steps forward. Take steps until the push-up position is achieved. Next, use the same movement, but in reverse. Dynamic squats. This exercise is different from the classic squats in its rate and the whole body movement. To be performed in the middle or toward the end of the warm-up. Stand tall, hands on shoulders or down sides. Squat and quickly push off from the lowest point with a small jump. Feet should leave the floor. Return to the squatting position just as quickly. Repeat 10-12 times. These jump squats use all muscles in the body, but the majority of work falls on the quadriceps. 2. The second stage is determining the foot to be exercised. You can skip this stage on subsequent sessions if the athlete already knows which foot the player should work on. 3. The third stage involves immobilising the footballer's arm on the side of the foot about to be exercised. In other words, if the athlete wants to exercise the left foot, the left arm has to be immobilised and vice versa. The method for immobilising the arm is not important. Preferably, it should be done with an orthotic device (Fig.2), which immobilises the arm effectively while not numbing it over a long period of wear. 4. The fourth stage involves a ball exercise drill for which the footballer can only use the foot that requires exercising. In particular, the exercise drill can comprise: square, long and short distance passing, shots on goal from the outside of the penalty box, direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks, etc. In other words, if the athlete wishes to exercise the left foot, the drill should be done using only the left foot with the left arm immobilised; if the athlete wishes to exercise the right foot, the drill should be done using only the right foot with the right arm immobilised. The exact composition and the order of exercises in the drill may vary. 5. The last stage is a practice game. The footballer's arm remains immobilised. Accordingly, physical activities at stages 4 and 5 are done by the footballer with one arm immobilised as it was back at stage 3. This method has been tested by real footballers. They used the method both to speed up post-injury recovery and to develop skills related to using the weak foot. Example 1 Maksim, 25, a professional football player. Maksim fractured his shin bone when he fell from his bicycle. In order to recover faster after the bone fracture, Maksim used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 10 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 5 minutes, - long and short distance passes ^15 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 10 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 10 minutes; - practice game - 30 minutes. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 3 weeks (as per the statistics, recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 5 weeks). Maksim ultimately was able to resume practice to the full extent in 3 weeks, being in good physical shape, with no pain or movement restrictions. His football skills were restored to the pre-injury level. Example 2 Andrey, 20, a youth team footballer. Andrey was injured during practice, pulling ligaments in his knee. In order to recover faster after the injury, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up -15 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 7 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 12 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 8 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 8 minutes; - practice game - 45 minutes. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 2 weeks (as per the statistics, recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 4 weeks). In 2 weeks, Andrey was able to return to the team, demonstrating highly precise and swift kicks and excellent mobility on the pitch. Example 3 Ekaterina, 29, a female team footballer. Ekaterina fractured her malleolus falling from a horse. In order to recover faster after the bone fracture, Maksim used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 10 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 5 weeks (as per the statistics, full recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 6 weeks). In 5 weeks, Ekaterina was able to start playing with a fully functional leg, demonstrating excellent kick technique, pass stability and mobility on the pitch. Her play level even improved a little compared to the season before. Example 4 Ivan, 18, a youth team footballer. Ivan injured his leg during practice, pulling muscles and ligaments. In order to recover faster after the injury, Ivan used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 15 minutes. - ball exercises: - square - 8 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 10 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 8 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 12 minutes; - practice game - 40 minutes. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 2 weeks (as per the statistics, recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 4 weeks). Ivan was ultimately able to regain form and return to competitive play in 2 weeks, showing excellent passing speed and precision, as well as kick effectiveness. Example 5 Oleg, 23, an amateur league footballer. Oleg got injured after a fall, fracturing his metatarsal bone. In order to recover faster after the bone fracture, Maksim used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 10 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 5 minutes, - long and short distance passes ^15 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 10 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 10 minutes; - practice game - 30 minutes. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 7 weeks (as per the statistics, full recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 9 weeks). Oleg was able to recover fully in 7 weeks and returned to active play. He also improved his physical performance, agility and endurance. Example 6 Dmitry, 32, an amateur team footballer. Dmitry was injured during practice, pulling ligaments in his ankle. In order to recover faster after the injury, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 15 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 7 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 12 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 8 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 8 minutes; - practice game - 45 minutes. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 3 weeks (as per the statistics, recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 4 weeks). Dmitry was able to fully recover after the injury in 3 weeks. Example 7 Natalya, 27, a female team footballer. Natalya got injured in a fall, fracturing her femur bone. In order to recover faster after the bone fracture, Maksim used the method in the following way: - warm-up 20 minutes. - ball exercises: - square - 10 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box -15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 15 minutes. - practice game - 1 hour. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 7 weeks (as per the statistics, full recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 8 weeks). In 7 weeks, Natalya was able to start playing again, becoming one of her team's key players. Example 8 Aleksandr, 21, a student team footballer. Aleksandr was injured during practice, pulling muscles in his thigh. In order to recover faster after the injury, Ivan used the method in the following way: - warm-up -15 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 8 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 10 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 8 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 12 minutes; - practice game - 40 minutes. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 3 weeks (as per the statistics, recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 4 weeks). Aleksandr recovered successfully and was able to play football at the same level as before. Thanks to his improved skills, he was made team captain, leading his team to winning the student championships. Example 9 Anastasia, 24, a female team footballer. Anastasia got injured in a fall, fracturing a bone in her foot. In order to recover faster after the bone fracture, Maksim used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 10 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 6 weeks (as per the statistics, full recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 7 weeks). Anastasia was able to resume practice, performing all ball drills at a high level. Example 10 Artyom, 28, an amateur footballer. Aleksandr was injured during practice, pulling muscles in his thigh. In order to recover faster after the injury. Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 15 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 8 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 10 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 8 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 12 minutes; - practice game - 40 minutes. The full recovery of the leg was achieved in 3 weeks (as per the statistics, recovery from injuries of that type takes at least 4 weeks). Ultimately, Artyom was able to get his physical form back and returned to his team with a sufficiently quick reaction time and agility. His kicks became more decisive while his passing accuracy improved. Examples of using the method to exercise the weak foot. Example 11 Andrey, 21, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box -15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Andrey needed 4 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 12 Nikolay, 17, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square -15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Nikolay needed 7 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 13 Maksim, 22, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Maksim needed 6 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 14 Yevgeny, 25, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box -15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks -15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Yevgeny needed 8 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 15 Dmitry, 22, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Dmitry needed 5 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 16 Ivan, 27, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Nikolay needed 7 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 17 Vladimir, 23, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks ^15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Yevgeny needed 8 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 18 Viktor, 18, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box ^15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Dmitry needed 5 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 19 Sergey, 23, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square - 15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box -15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, comer kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Maksim needed 6 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Example 20 Oleg, 17, a footballer, dominant right foot, weak left foot. In order to improve his weak foot performance, Andrey used the method in the following way: - warm-up - 20 minutes; - ball exercises: - square -15 minutes, - long and short distance passes - 20 minutes, - shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box - 15 minutes, - direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks - 15 minutes; - practice game - 1 hour. Andrey needed 4 months to get his weak foot performance almost on the level with his dominant foot (as per the statistics, at least 10 months are required for that). Therefore, the exercise method comprising stages like: warming up and loosening the footballer's leg muscles; immobilising the footballer's arm on the side of the foot about to be exercised; doing the ball exercise drill with only the foot that requires exercising; and a practice game, cuts down recovery time after injuries for footballers, as well as the time needed to train the weak foot skills.

Claims

1. A foot exercise method for footballers, comprising the following stages:- warming up and loosening the footballer's leg muscles;- immobilising the footballer's arm on the side of the foot about to be exercised;- doing the ball exercise drill with only the foot that requires exercising;- a practice game.

2. A method as per cl. 1, characterized by immobilising the footballer's arm with an orthotic device.

3. A method as per cl.l, characterized by an exercise drill comprising: square, long and short distance passing, shots on the goal from the outside of the penalty box, direct and indirect free kicks, corner kicks.INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT International application No. PCT / RU 2024 / 050086A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTERA63B 23 / 04 (2006.01); A63B 69 / 34 (2006.01)According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPCB. FIELDS SEARCHEDMinimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols)A61H 1 / 00, A61F 5 / 00, 5 / 01, A63B 23 / 04, 67 / 00, 69 / 34Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searchedElectronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used)PatSearch, RUPTO, E-Library, EAPATIS, Espacenet, Google Patents, USPTO, PubMed, Google Scholar, CNIPAC. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANTCategory* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No. D, A CN 107376275 A (GUANGZHOU DAZHENG NEW MAT TECH CO LTD) 24.11.2017 1-3 A RU 2250791 C2 (KHARKOV LEONID ALEKSANDROVICH) 27.04.2005 1-3 A RU 2568181 C1 (FEDERALNOE GOSUDARSTVENNOE BIUDZHETNOE OBRAZOVATELNOE UCHREZHDENIE VYSSHEGO PROFESSIONALNOGO OBRAZOVANIIA "CHUVASHSKII GOSUDARSTVENNYI PEDAGOGICHESKII UNIVERSITET IM. LIA. IAKOVLEVA") 10.11.2015 1-3— Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C. See patent family annex. * Special categories of cited documents: “T” later document published after the international filing date or priority “A” document defining the general state of the art which is not considered to he of particular relevance date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand the principle or theory underlying the invention “E” earlier application or patent but published on or after the international filing date “X’’ document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive “L” document which may throw doubts on priority claim(s) or which is step when the document is taken alone cited to establish the publication date of another citation or other special reason (as specified) “Y” document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when the document is “O" document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other means combined with one or more other such documents, such combination being obvious to a person skilled in the art “P” document published prior to the international filing date but later than ±e priority date claimed document member of the same patent familyDate of the actual completion of the international search 17 July 2024(17.07.2024) Date of mailing of the international search report 15 August 2024(15.08.2024) Name and mailing address of the ISA / o UM RU Facsimile No. Authorized officer Telephone No.Form PCT / ISA / 210 (second sheet) (July 1998)

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