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What separates a game-changing play from a costly injury? Often, it's not just speed—but how well an athlete can slow down. A new peer-reviewed study conducted with elite U.S. soccer players has shed light on the science of deceleration, with cutting-edge insights made possible by VueMotion’s AI movement analysis platform.
Spearheaded by Damian Harper, Steve Fell and Darcy Norman, the full research is now available for download here, but below, we break down the most impactful takeaways—and what they mean for coaches, physios, and athletes focused on performance and longevity.
VueMotion at the Core of the Study
To analyze how elite soccer players brake during sudden direction changes, researchers turned to VueMotion’s smartphone-based biomechanics engine. Using only iPhone video and VueMotion’s AI-powered analysis, the study delivered validated insights into how athletes decelerate across different test conditions - 10-0-5, 20-0-5, and 30-0-5 change-of-direction (COD) drills.
This marks another validation of VueMotion as a scalable, field-ready alternative to lab-based motion capture systems. As noted in the paper, VueMotion “has been reported to have high accuracy compared to a 3D motion capture system.”
Why This Research Matters
Horizontal deceleration is one of the most critical, and risky, elements in field sports. Poor braking mechanics are linked to ACL injuries, hamstring strains, and performance breakdowns. But until now, there’s been limited clarity on how deceleration profiles vary by approach speed, and what aspects of braking really separate elite movers from injury-prone ones.
Key Takeaways
Early Braking = Safer, Smarter Movement
Players who excel in the early deceleration phase, the moment just after peak speed, tend to have stronger overall braking performance. This early-phase ability was shown to be a strong predictor across all tests (r = 0.71 to 0.85).
Faster Isn’t Always Better
Surprisingly, high peak speeds in shorter COD tests (10-0-5 and 20-0-5) did not strongly correlate with better deceleration. However, in the 30-0-5 test, where players reach higher momentum, a very strong link between peak speed and deceleration ability emerged (r = -0.89). This suggests that training deceleration at high velocities is critical for game-speed effectiveness.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Some athletes had strong deceleration in short tests but struggled when approach speed increased, and vice versa. This variation reinforces the need for individualized profiling, precisely what VueMotion enables with its rapid, multi-condition testing.
Late-Phase Loads Are High
Across all conditions, the late deceleration phase consistently showed the highest forces. This phase, closer to the final foot plant, carries the most joint-loading risk and underscores the importance of eccentric strength and neuromuscular control.
VueMotion’s Role in Modern Performance Science
VueMotion allows teams to capture high-fidelity movement data in minutes using just a smartphone and tripod; no lab, no wearables, no complicated setup. This research demonstrates how field-ready AI tools like VueMotion can now deliver granular insights once reserved for biomechanics labs.
As sports science shifts toward scalable, athlete-specific insights, VueMotion stands at the forefront of this evolution, helping high-performance teams, clinicians, and researchers build smarter programs and reduce preventable injuries.
Download the full research paper here:
📄 Download Now – SPSR243: Deceleration Profiles of Elite U.S. Soccer Players