The effect of six weeks of Thrower's Ten program on performance indicators and shoulder injuries prevention in Premier League volleyball players: randomized controlled trial

1. To determine the effect of Thrower's Ten exercises on upper limb explosive power, serve accuracy, shoulder joint stability and functional stability, internal and external rotation range of motion, internal and external rotation joint position sense of the shoulder joint.

A randomized controlled trial with parallel groups, single-blind (outcome assessor-blinded), phase 3, on 40 male Premier League volleyball players (20 intervention, 20 control). Simple randomization was performed using Random Allocation Software, and allocation concealment was done using sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes (SNOSE).

Study conducted in Premier League volleyball halls with pre-test, 6‑week intervention (Thrower's Ten vs. routine warm‑up), post‑test, and assessor‑blinding.

1. Voluntary written consent 2. Male volleyball players aged 18–30 years 3. At least 2 years of regular training (≥3 sessions/week) 4. No severe injury (>3 weeks absence) in the past 6 months 5. No history of fracture or surgery affecting shoulder function 6. No local steroid injection in the past month

1) 6 weeks of Thrower's Ten exercises (4 sessions/week, 10–15 min/session) as warm-up 2) routine warm-up without any structured intervention.

Upper limb explosive power; Volleyball serve accuracy; Shoulder joint stability and functional stability; Internal and external rotation range of motion; Internal and external rotation joint position sense.

Randomization Method: Simple randomization with a 1:1 allocation ratio will be used. Unit of Randomization: The unit of randomization is individual; each participant will be independently assigned to either the experimental or control group. Stratification: Due to the relative homogeneity of the target population (male Premier League volleyball players aged 18–30) and the use of simple randomization, no stratified randomization will be performed. Randomization Tool and Sequence Generation: The random allocation sequence will be generated using specialized randomization software (Random Allocation Software version 2.0 / Sealed Envelope). After entering the participant's demographic data and unique code, the software will automatically generate a random sequence assigning each individual to either the intervention or control group. Allocation Concealment: To ensure allocation concealment and prevent selection bias, the Sequentially Numbered, Opaque, Sealed Envelopes (SNOSE) method will be employed. The allocation codes generated by the software will be placed in identical, opaque, sealed envelopes numbered sequentially (1 to 40). These envelopes will be prepared and kept by a third party not involved in the assessment or intervention process. The envelopes will be opened sequentially only after the completion of baseline (pre-test) assessments for each participant.

Blinding Description: Due to the nature of the exercise-based intervention, it is not feasible to blind the participants or the intervention providers (principal investigator and coaches). However, to minimize detection bias, the outcome assessor and the statistician will be blinded to group allocation. Participants: Not blinded (aware of their allocated group due to the nature of the warm-up protocol). Intervention Providers (Principal Investigator/Coaches): Not blinded (supervise the execution of the specific exercises). Outcome Assessor: Fully Blinded. All pre- and post-intervention assessments (ROM, Joint Position Sense, UQYBT, Medicine Ball Throw, and Serve Accuracy) will be performed by an independent assessor who has no knowledge of the participants' group assignments. Participants will be instructed not to reveal their training protocol to the assessor. Data Analyst: Blinded. Data will be analyzed using coded groups (e.g., Group A vs. Group B) until the final statistical analysis is completed. The allocation codes will be revealed only after the main analysis is finalized. Support Staff/Data Collectors: Blinded to group allocation. Overall, this trial is classified as a Single-Blind (Assessor-Blind) randomized controlled trial.

De-identified individual participant data including demographic information (age, height, weight, sports history), as well as all raw data related to primary outcome variables (scores of explosive power, serve accuracy, functional stability, range of motion, and joint position sense tests) after complete anonymization.

Three months following publication of the main results. Up to two years after publication of the main results.

Data and documents from this study will be available to all researchers affiliated with academic, research, and scientific institutions (both public and private), as well as clinical specialists (physiotherapists, sports medicine physicians) and sports coaches who provide a methodologically sound proposal and demonstrate the capacity to analyze data related to sports pathology and corrective exercises. Access for individuals working in the industry sector (e.g., sports equipment manufacturers) is also possible upon submission of a valid research proposal and approval by the ethics committee.

Permitted Purpose of Data/Document Usage: Data and documents from this study will be made available exclusively for scientific research and educational purposes in the fields of sports pathology, corrective exercises, shoulder injury prevention, and sports biomechanics. Any commercial use, legal use, or attempts at participant re‑identification are strictly prohibited. Conditions for Data/Document Usage: Submission of a formal written request to the principal investigator (corresponding author), including the title and objectives of the proposed analysis. Provision of a methodologically sound analytical proposal (specifying variables, statistical tests, and software to be used). Obtaining ethics committee approval from the requesting institution (if applicable). Signing a data confidentiality agreement, in which the requester commits to: Using the data solely for the approved purposes. Refraining from any attempt to re‑identify participants. Not sharing the data with third parties without the principal investigator's written permission. Not using the data for commercial or for‑profit purposes. Acknowledging the data source (citing the main research article and this proposal) in all publications and reports resulting from the received data. Providing a summary report of their analytical findings to the principal investigator upon completion of the analysis.

1. Email (First Priority) Name: Dr. Amirhossein Barati (Supervisor and Principal Investigator) Email Address: ah_barati [at] sbu.ac.ir 2. Postal Mail (Second Priority) Name: Dr. Amirhossein Barati Faculty: Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University Address: Shahid Shahriari Square, Daneshjou Boulevard, Shahid Chamran Highway, Tehran, Iran Postal Code: 1983969411 3. Telephone Contact (Third Priority) Faculty Phone Number: +98-21-29905824 (extension to the Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health)

Step 1: Initial Request (Days 1–3) The applicant sends a formal email to the principal investigator (Dr. Amirhossein Barati). The email must include: request title, analytical proposal (objectives, variables, statistical methods, and proposed software), and identification documents proving organizational affiliation. Step 2: Initial Review by Principal Investigator (Days 4–7) The principal investigator reviews the request for completeness of documents and scientific validity of the proposal. If modifications or additional documents are required, the applicant will be asked to submit revisions within 5 working days. Step 3: Submission of Commitment and Confidentiality Forms (Days 8–10) After initial approval, the principal investigator sends the Data Confidentiality Agreement and the Formal Data Access Request Form to the applicant. The applicant must sign and return these forms, along with their institution's ethics committee approval (if required). Step 4: Final Review by the Data Access Committee (Days 11–14) In this study, the Data Access Committee consists of the principal investigator, the advisor (if any), and an independent faculty member from the Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health. This committee reviews the final request for alignment with the main study objectives and absence of conflicts of interest, and issues final approval. Step 5: Data Preparation and Delivery (Days 15–21) After final approval, the principal investigator de-identifies the requested data (removing all identifying information) and sends the data files (in Excel or CSV format) along with a Data Dictionary via email or a secure file-sharing link.