The Effect of Rubber-Based Training on Shooting Skills in Football Games

Abstract

Shooting is one of the most decisive technical skills in football because it directly determines a player’s ability to create scoring opportunities and contribute to team success. However, preliminary observations at SSB SWADIRI showed that players’ shooting ability was still relatively low, particularly in terms of power, accuracy, and execution toward the goal. This study aimed to determine the effect of elastic resistance-band training on the shooting ability of football players at SSB SWADIRI. This research used a quantitative experimental method with an intact-group comparison design. The sample consisted of 20 football players divided into two groups: an experimental group that received elastic resistance-band training and a control group that followed conventional football training. Data were collected using a football shooting test and analyzed through descriptive statistics, normality and homogeneity tests, paired-samples t-tests, and independent-samples t-tests. The results showed that the experimental group improved from a pre-test mean of 6.00 to a post-test mean of 9.50, with a mean difference of 3.50 points and p = 0.000 < 0.05. The control group also improved from 2.90 to 5.10, with a mean difference of 2.20 points. The between-group comparison showed a significant difference of 8.20 points, indicating that elastic resistance-band training was more effective than conventional training. Therefore, elastic resistance-band training is recommended as a practical, affordable, and sport-specific method to improve shooting ability in youth football players.