Abstract
Background: There is a lack of descriptive data available regarding the characteristics of female soccer players from the African continent or the Arab world. Objective: This study investigated the anthropometric and physical fitness profiles of Tunisian female soccer players in relation to field position. Methods: In all, 75 Tunisian sub-elite female soccer players, with an average of 4.3 ± 1.6 years of playing experience, including goalkeepers (GK; n = 11), central defenders (CD; n = 13), external defenders (ED; n = 15), central midfielders (CM; n = 10), external midfielders (EM; n = 14), and attackers (AT; n = 12), underwent anthropometric evaluations (body height, body mass, and body fat percentage) and physical fitness tests (flexibility, countermovement jump [CMJ], 20-m sprint, and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 [YoYoIR1]). Results: GK had significantly higher body mass (67.3 ± 2.4 kg), body height (169.3 ± 1.7 m) and fat percentage (24 ± 2.6%) compared to all field positions. AT were significantly faster (3.64 ± 0.10 s) than GK (3.75 ± 0.09 s) in the 20-m sprint (p < .01), but there were no significant differences among the other field positions. GK had a significantly lower Yo-YoIR1 performance (625 ± 84 m) than other field position players (p < .001), but no significant difference was found among other field positions. GK and AT showed significantly better CMJ performance (GK: 31.3 ± 2.6 cm, AT: 30.4 ± 2.4 cm) compared to other groups. GK had higher flexibility (21.6 ± 2.7 cm in the the sit-and-reach test) than all other positions (p < .05), but no significant difference was observed among players in the field. Conclusions: Overall, we can conclude that, in a north African sample of female soccer players, anthropometric profiles vary by playing position. As well, positional differences can be found when testing physical fitness components. This information could help coaches design more effective training programs to achieve success in modern soccer.
Highlights
IntroductionParticipation in women’s soccer has grown dramatically. In 2015, 30 million participants were recorded, which represents an increase of 37% compared to 2000 (FIFA, 2015)
In recent years, participation in women’s soccer has grown dramatically
Anthropometric measurements Concerning age and experience, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated a significant effect for Position (F(5, 9) = 2.83, p = .022, η2p = .17) and (F(5, 69) = 2.71, p = .027, η2p = .164)
Summary
Participation in women’s soccer has grown dramatically. In 2015, 30 million participants were recorded, which represents an increase of 37% compared to 2000 (FIFA, 2015). Previous research that examined positional differences among female soccer players were limited by the small groups of players (Andersson, Randers, Heiner-Møller, Krustrup, & Mohr, 2010; Hasegawa & Kuzuhara, 2015; Ingebrigtsen, Dillern, & Shalfawi, 2011; Krustrup et al, 2005; Lockie et al, 2018; Milanović, Sporiš, & Trajković, 2012; Sporiš et al, 2007) Most of these studies evaluated physical fitness using laboratory tests performed on cycle ergometers (Gil, Gil, Ruiz, Irazusta, & Irazusta, 2007; Hasegawa & Kuzuhara, 2015; Ingebrigtsen et al, 2011; Krustrup et al, 2005; Nikolaidis, 2014), which is not specific to the sport of soccer. This information could help coaches design more effective training programs to achieve success in modern soccer
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