Cutting performance wearing different studded soccer shoes on dry and wet artificial turf

The ability to perform fast cutting manoeuvres is essential in soccer and requires sufficient traction between shoe and surface. Artificial turf (AT) surfaces are widely used in soccer and among others turf moisture and shoe studs can influence traction. The aim of this study was to quantify the influence of moisture (DRY and WET AT), for three realistic shoe stud characteristics sets [Turf Field (TF), Artificial Grass (AG) and Firm Ground (FG)], on cutting performance, executed traction and perception of the players. Twelve experienced soccer players performed 10 x 5 m shuttle run tests. Ground reaction forces of the open stance phase of the 180 degrees turns were measured and required traction was calculated. Players' perception was also measured. A two-way 2x3 analysis of variance (ANOVA) Repeated Measures with Bonferroni correction was conducted. On dry AT no performance differences between the three tested shoe stud characteristics sets could be measured. On wet AT the AG and FG designs performed evenly well but when wearing the TF shoe, equipped with 74 short studs, significant surface x shoe interaction effects indicated decreased performance and traction on the wet surface. The experienced players perceived shoe x surface evoked differences in performance and traction very well.