Alexis Hernandez
ICT Final Presentation
June 1st, 2023
Non-Discriminatory Sports Performance and Promotion:
A Reflection on Gender Differences in ICT Data
Differences in sports rules and regulations vary on a wide range of factors; level of professionalism, age of
participants, specific federations or competitions, etc. Gender identity has become a hot topic in the United States,
with debate marginalizing scientific data differences in maximizing performance. Instead, equality debates have
focused on reaching equal benefits instead of reaching comparable performance. This review sets out to argue
that performance equality should be the target. In the case of soccer, advancing maximization of on-field
performance will result in the following:
1. Reduced injury to female players
2. Extend the career of female players
3. Increased on-field performance will yield better self-promoting gameplay
4. Awareness of specific ICT implications of different body types
Objective
To achieve the maximization of on-field performance in women's soccer and to reduce
the unjust inflicted upon female athletes compared to their male counterparts.
Literature Review
Depending on the sport, rule variances for gender are not uncommon in all casual and
serious leisure, amateur, and professional levels. A controversial example of rule differences by
gender is in competitive tennis. In the Grand Slam events, the men play a "best-of-five" series,
whereas the women play a "best-of-three" series. Apart from the disadvantages of quicker sets,
a powerful argument is that ads during the TV slot for men's tennis are more valuable, and
tournament organizers are maximizing profits.
Less controversial differences are in track & field, golf, basketball, and volleyball. Shot
puts for female athletes are roughly 75% the weight of those for men, ladies' tees are set to
reduce fairway length, the three-point line in basketball is nearly two feet closer for females,
and the net in volleyball is lowered slightly for female athletes. Golf does not make the cup
wider, does not change the size of the ball, nor discounts strokes for female players, but
understands the biological differences and lower body strength in women, in which the first
shot being closer to the target compensates for.
FIFA, the governing body of soccer (football), only mandates that field sizes be within a
specific range of dimensions. There are no gender-based differences in goal or ball sizes. Since
the last women's World Cup, the USWNT has been at the forefront of the push for equal pay,
but what about equal performance and injury of risk? Scientific biological evidence reveals that
the no gender-based differences mean that the women are kicking balls heavier and larger to
their body proportions, related to men, leading to difficulties in performance achievement.
Implications from "Afforadance-based control in deceptive and non-deceptive penalties in soccer goalkeeping:
Gender Matters"
Zheng et al. (2022) revealed no difference in gender when penalties were taken with
deception (i.e., the striker uses trickery before kicking the penalty kick). However, women were
significantly more likely to save penalty kicks when deception was not used. When relating leg
strength against the weight of the ball, and placement in relation to the relative size of the ball,
affordance-based control theory may provide the necessary insights needed to understand
differences between genders.
Following the affordance-based control theory, a person's maximum capability
boundaries set limitations to achievements, in this case, speed and placement of the ball.
Athletes will perform in a manner that allows them to, when accounting for their possible and
impossible actions, act within their boundaries. This implies that athletes will approach a
penalty kick situation with attitudes that are confined within their controls. For an athlete to be
successful, they are sensitive to their limitations.
The argument that the proposed study makes is that relative to body height and weight,
on average, FIFA size 5 balls are disproportionately larger and heavier. A larger object is harder
to control with one's foot, in which women have 12% smaller feet. A heavier object is harder to
move, and women have 17% less striking power than men (Sakamoto et al., 2012).
Implications from "Compartive Study of Female and Male Soccer Players in Kicking Motion" and "Reference
Values for Hand Grip Strength in the South Korean Population"
Biological differences in body structures influence body techniques and kicking motions,
where females exhibited lower striking power, velocity, and ball-to-foot ratio mass. Studies
performed with high-speed video cameras showed that the ball-to-foot ratio significantly
reduced the amount of striking mass. Additionally, height ratio was a factor, as well as the
differences in hip and thigh placement directly before the impact with the ball. (Sakamoto et al.
2012)
The study concludes that, in comparison to the common ball (FIFA-approved size-5 ball)
used with both genders, women have lower ball-to-foot velocity and that mechanical
properties of the ankle and hip joints suggest different kicking techniques. That is due to the
increased ratio of ball weight and mass to the female body; soccer techniques must change to
be more effective, therefore influencing biased gameplay performance. Following this study, to
achieve a better on-field performance maximization rate, a reduction in ball size and weight
would be beneficial.
Muscle strength sets genders apart and directly ties into ball striking ability. Kim et al.
(2018) recorded muscle strength being significantly higher over all age groups and particularly
higher in the 20-24 age group when most soccer athletes would start their professional careers.
Understanding that Sakamoto et al. (2012) showed differences in kicking style, muscle strength
is a key component in striking ability and has a significant difference in genders of nearly double
in the early twenties.
Research Idea
The fight for equality goes far beyond the size of a ball. Social and ethical issues that
harp on traditional gender and social roles theories are a major milestone yet to be fully
crossed. The purpose of the study is to maximize on-field performance by understanding data
collection while keeping in mind sensitive social issues. For any sport to survive, exposure is
necessary, and regardless of the influx of attention women's sports are experiencing,
progression is needed to achieve continued success.
Qualitative analysis of women's emotional reactions and intent toward a change in
sports equipment should not be ignored. The following research should heavily follow the
attitudes of those involved and directly affected, regardless of business implications.
Quantitative analysis of body differences to find an optimal ball size for women's soccer
will be heavily reliant on sports ICT, particularly relations of ball-to-foot velocity as seen before,
but all ball-to-foot with regard to ball control. The model below asks how ball size relates to
pass accuracy, pass distance, shot accuracy, and shot power.
In this model, measures of four skill sets that are high-impact factors in the game should
be analyzed. Pass accuracy affects team possession and turnover rate and leads to higher
offensive scoring chances. This could be measured in a similar way as the penalty kick
experiment, with accuracy measured against ball size. Pass distance also highly influences the
play of the game, as opponents are able to "lockdown" a possession when the chance of escape
is reduced. Increased pass distance rates, hypothetically, should increase the chance for more
ball possession by the attacking team.
Shot power was measured using the standard FIFA-approved size-5 ball. Research
should extend this field by trying different-sized balls (i.e., size 5, size 4.5, size 4, etc.). When
accounting for the ball-to-foot ratio with respect to the control of the ball and the projection of
kicks (i.e., shots and passes), this study aims to measure the affordance-based control theory of
players.
Lastly, depending on the results produced from the first quantitative test, assuming that
the FIFA size-5 ball is disproportionately larger, message framing of the implications is expected
to be significant.
When on-field performance is expected to be higher, promotion-framed messaging
should produce more trust and satisfaction from sports consumers. When injury harm to
players is expected, prevention-based framed messaging should produce more trust and
satisfaction from sports consumers. The variable that needs to be observed is in relation to
gender equality, shown in the model below.
Conclusions
Women deserve equality on and off the field. However, the study aims to define
equality in relation to the affordance-based control theory. Assuming that the FIFA size-5 ball is
disproportionately heavy to body and ball-to-foot ratio, the purpose would be to reconsider the
optimal ball size. At the start of the decade, women's sports accounted for only 4% of televised
sporting programs. Huge strides must be taken in the promotion of the product that exists, but
also improving the outcome for both commercial aspects and players' safety.