Differential Contributions to the Ball Control Among the Adolescent Elite Boy Players Playing in Different Positions

The aim of this study was to assess the contributions of age, playing experience, selected anthropometric and motor fitness variables to the two skills of ball control (with the body and with the head) among the adolescent elite boy soccer players in the different field positions. A total of 240 adolescent boys aged 13–17 membership of premier league soccer teams in Iran were selected for the present study (the goalkeepers= 33, defenders= 73, midfielders= 89 and strikers= 45 subjects). The age and playing experience were assessed in years by a questionnaire. The anthropometrical measurements encompassed 12 variables. Skin fold thickness measurements were taken using skin fold caliper at 7 sites, and the motor fitness variables were 6 tests contained 50-yard dash, shuttle-run, sit & reach, vertical jump, Burpee and 1-mile run/walk. Soccer performance tests were administered: ball control with the body, ball control with the head. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used in data procession. The age, playing experience, Anthropometric and motor fitness variables contributed significantly (p<0.05) among the different positions, but in different combinations to the variance of the ball control with the body and ball control with the head. In conclusion, the whole of the age, playing experience, and selected anthropometric and motor fitness variables were shown significantly contribution to variation in the two soccer performance tests with different combinations among the different playing positions.