Contribution of Selected Anthropometric and Motor Fitness Variables to Soccer Performance Among Adolescent Male Soccer Players

The aim of this study was to estimate the contribution of selected anthropometric and motor fitness variables to soccer performance among adolescent male soccer players. 240 soccer players, aged 13 – 17 years were recruited from the teams’ memberships in one-eight period of Iranian premier soccer league in academic year 2011-12. The anthropometrical measurements encompassed 13 variables. Skin fold thickness measurements were taken using skin fold caliper at seven sites, and the Motor fitness variables were 6 tests contained 50-yard dash, shuttle-run, sit & reach, vertical jump, Burpee and 1-mile run. Soccer performance tests were administered: ball control by body, ball control by head, dribbling with a pass, dribbling speed, shooting accuracy and passing accuracy. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis of variance ANOVA were used in data procession. Anthropometric and motor fitness variables contributed significantly (p<0.05), but in different combinations to the variance of the 6 soccer performance tests: ball control by body (F=12.58; forearm, knee, 50-yard dash and Burpee test), ball control by head (F=9.44; arm length, thigh girth, knee diameter, 50-yard dash, vertical jump and Burpee test), dribbling with a pass (F=3.7; upper arm, biacromial, bicrystal, elbow, knee, lean body mass and 1-mile run), dribbling speed (F=5.09; bicrystal and Burpee test), passing accuracy (F=11.57; height, calf girth, biacromial, 50-yard dash and Burpee test), shooting accuracy (F=11.11; height, leg length, upper arm, elbow, 50-yard dash, shuttle-run, vertical jump and Burpee test), and view scores of teams’ coaches for performance ability (F=9.95; thigh girth, elbow, knee and shuttle-run). In conclusion, in except of the body mass, fat mass and sit & reach test, the whole of selected anthropometric and motor fitness variables were shown significantly contribution to variation in the 6 soccer performance tests.