Enter your details:
Name:
E-mail:
 
Thank you for subscribing.
Subscribe to our newsletter!


Sami Sermaxhaj1, Fitim Arifi2, Iber Alaj3, Musa Selimi4

1College “Universi”, Physical Culture Sport and Recreation, Prishtina, Kosovo
2Kosovo Olympic Academy, Prishtina, Kosovo
3Director of Department of Sport, Prishtina, Kosovo
4Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Prishtina, Kosovo

The Impact of Morphological Characteristics and Motoric Skills in Young Football Players’ Selection

Sport Mont 2022, 20(3), 35-39 | DOI: 10.26773/smj.221006

Abstract

This research aims at showing the impact of basic morphological characteristics and specific motoric skills in the selection of young football players, specifically in showing the differences between FC Prishtina’s U17 first and second teams. 30 football players participated in this study and were divided into two teams: a first team (n=15) and a second team (n=15). The competitive season performance of football players served as the selection criterion. It was always based on the eye of the coaches. The morphological measurements (body weight and height; BMI) and the assessment of specific motoric skills (speed, agility, and others) were done at the beginning of the competitive season. The research results through T-test analysis have proven differences between the first and second teams (in favor of the first team) in specific motoric skills: sprint 10 m, sprint 30m, specific endurance 300 m, agility without ball 20 m, agility with ball 20 m, but no significant differences between teams in morphological characteristics (body weight and height, BMI). So, based on this study, we can affirm that the selection of more qualitative football players (for the first team) is significantly influenced by specific motor skills (speed, agility, and specific endurance) but not by morphological characteristics (body weight and height, BMI).

Keywords

football player selection, speed, agility, body weight, and height



View full article
(PDF – 97KB)

References

Bidaurrazaga, I, Carvalho, H., & Lekue, J. (2015a). Applicability of an agility test in young players in the soccer field. Revista Brasiliera de Medicine do Esporte, 2 (21), 133-138.

Bidaurrazaga, I., Lekue, J. Amando, M., & Concejero, J. (2015b). Identifying talented young soccer players: Conditional, anthropometrical and physiological characteristics as predictors of performance. Internacional de Ciencias del Deporte, XI (39),79-95.

Bjelica, D., Gardasevic, J., Vasiljevic, V., Arifi, F., & Sermaxhaj, S. (2019). Anthropometric Measures and Body Composition of Soccer Players of Montenegro and Kosovo. Journal of Anthropology of sport and Physical Education, 3(2), 29-34.

Bugarski, S., Đurić, S., & Marković, S. (2013). Changes in motor skills of young football players in different age groups and different positions. Sportkon 4, 104-112.

Bradley, P., Sheldon, W., Wooster, B., & Olsen, P. (2009). High-intensity running in English FA Premier League Soccer Matches. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27 (2), 159-68.

Emmonds, S., Till, K., Jones, B., Mellis, M., & Pears, M. (2016). Anthropometric, speed and endurance characteristics of English academy soccer players: Do they influence obtaining a professional contract at 18 years of age? International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 11, 212–218.

Enoksen, E., Tønnessen, E., & Shalfawi, S. (2009). Validity and reliability of the Newtest Powertimer 300-series testing system. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27, 77–84.

Gardasevic, J., Bjelica, D., Vasiljevic, V., Corluka, M., Arifi, F., & Sermaxhaj, S. (2020). Differences in Body composition between young football players of clubs in Montenegro, Bosnia and Kosovo Kinesiologia Slovenica, 26 (1), 27-32.

Gonaus, C., & Muller, E. (2012). Using physiological data to predict future career progression in 14–17 year old austrian socer academy players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30, 1673–1683.

Gil, S.M., Irazusta, A., Ruiz, F., Gil, J., & Irazusta, J. (2007). Selection of young soccer players in terms of anthropometric and physiological factors. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 47, 25–32.

Hirose, N., & Seki, T. (2016). Two-year changes in anthropometric and motor ability values as talent identification indexes in youth soccer players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19 (2), 158-62.

Huijgen, B.C.H., Elferink-Gemser, M.T., Lemmink, K.A.P.M., & Visscher, C. (2014). Multidimensional performance characteristics in selected and deselected talented soccer players. European Journal of Sport Science, 14, 2–10.

Jukic, J., Prnjak, K., Zoellner, A., Tufano, J., Sekulic, D., & Salaj, S. (2019). The Importance of Fundamental Motor Skills in Identifying Differences in Performance Levels of U10 Soccer Players. Sports (Basel), 7 (7), 178.

Le Gall F., Carling C., Williams M., & Reilly T. (2010). Anthropometric and fitness characteristics of international, professional and amateur male graduate soccer players from an elite youth academy. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13, 90–95.

Leäo, C., Simöes, S.B., Clemente, F.M., Bezerra, P., & Camöes M. (2017). Body Composition Evaluation Issue among Young Elite Football Players. DXA Assessment. Sports, 5 (17), 2-9.

Marfell-Jones, M., Olds, T., Stew, A.D., & Carter, J.E.L. (2006). International standards for anthropometric assessment. Potchesfstroom: International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry.

Murr D., Raabe J., & Honer O. (2018). The prognostic value of physiological and physical characteristics in youth soccer. European Journal of Sport Science, 18 (1), 62-74.

Pankhurst A., & Collins D. (2013). Talent identification and development: The need for coherence between research, system, and process. Quest, 65(1), 83-97.

Unnithan V., White J., Georgiou A., Iga J., & Drust B. (2012). Talent identification in youth soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30, 1719–1726.

Reilly T., Williams A.M., Nevill A., & Franks A. (2000). A multidisciplinary approach to talent identification cation in soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, 695–702.

Sander, A., Keiner, M., Wirth, K., & Shmidbleicher, D. (2013). Influence of a 2-year strength training programme on power performance in elite youth soccer players. European Journal of Sport Science, 13(5), 445-51.

Sarmento H., Anguera M., Pereira A., & Araújo D. (2018). Talent Identification and Development in Male Football: A Systematic Review. Sport Medicine, 48 (4), 907-931.

Sermaxhaj, S., Arifi, F., Osmani, A., Preljevic, A., & Selimi, I. (2021a). Anthropometric characteristics of Kosovo Superleague Footballers. Sport Mont, 19(2), 115-117.

Sermaxhaj, S. (2021). Football, Physical, Technica, Tactical Preperation and Team Leadership. Prishtina: Football Federation of Kosovo.

Sermaxhaj, S., & Telai, B. (2014). Influence of some anthropometric variables and the specific motoric on the success of the Football players of First Junior League of Kosovo. Research in Physical Education, Sport and Health, 3 (3), 111-115.

Sermaxhaj, S. (2017). The impact of regular training programme on the speed and agility performance of the young soccer players. Sport Science, 10, 117–121.

Sermaxhaj, S., Arifi, F., Bahtiri, A., & Imrani, I. (2015). The difference in anthropometric characteristics, motor and technical skills among successful soccer players to those less successful. Sport Mont, XIII (43,44,45), 109-112.

Sermaxhaj, S., Havolli, J., Luta, F., & Isufi, I. (2021b). The effect of physical exercise according to the program for the development of flexibility in the motoric abilities of young soccer players. Sport Mont, 19 (1), 25-29.

Sermaxhaj, S. (2022). The effect of static stretching exercise in the flexibility and speed ability of young soccer players. Journal of Anthropology of Sport and Physical Education, 6 (3), 27-29.

Sieghartsleitner R., Zuber C., Zibung M., & Conzelmann A. (2019). Science or Coaches' Eye? - Both! Beneficial Collaboration of Multidimensional Measurements and Coach Assessments for Efficient Talent Selection in Elite Youth Football. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 18 (1), 32-43.

Vänttinen, T., Blomqvist, M., Nyman, K., & Hakkinen, K. (2011). Changes in body composition, hormonal status, and physical fitness in 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old Finnish regional youth soccer players during a two-year follow-up. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(12), 3342-51.

Verheijen, R. (1997). Handbuch fur Fussballkondition. Amsterdam: Leer, BPF Versand.

Waldron, M., & Worsfold, P. (2010). Differences in the game specific skills of elite and sub-elite youth football players: Implications for talent identification. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 10, 9–24.