The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthropometric measurements, physical fitness and performance of teen elite soccer boy players, as well as verifying the differences among tactical positions: goalkeepers (n = 12), defenders (n = 38), midfielders (n = 44), and strikers (n = 26) in the studied variables. The sample was composed by 240 memberships of the premier Iranian soccer league (14.67 ± 0.48 years) of the teen elite boy students in the Khuzestan state in the curriculum year 2010–11. All the evaluations were accomplished during the competitive period. Body composition was determined through skin folds measurement and both of the fitness and performance tests data obtained through usual daily practice of soccer teams. The goalkeepers were shown taller, heavier and with larger amount of leg and arm length, forearm girth, fat mass and fat%, but in fitness and performance tests, speed, agility, cardiovascular endurance, leg strength, passing and dribbling were weaker than the other athletes, on the other hand, strikers were shown, lower than others in amount of body mass, fat mass, fat%, knee and bicrystal diameters, calf and forearm girths, but the best in 10m & 30m-sprints and dribbling tests. The Midfielders, nearly like the strikers condition were shown lower amounts in height, leg and arm lengths and biacromial diameter, but the best in agility, cardiovascular endurance and passing tests, and with larger amount of calf girth than the other positions. The defenders were shown results almost like the goalkeepers but their leg strength were best. All these data were observed as a statistical significant (P<0.05). Thus, we can conclude that there are anthropometric, physical fitness and performance differences among the players and their tactical positions.
anthropometric measurements, physical fitness, performance, teen soccer players, field position
