Is quality of movement a factor that affects reaching the professional level in elite young football players?

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine whether the proportion of young elite football players with high functional movement screening (FMS) scores and reaching professionalism differs from the proportion of young elite football players with low FMS scores and non-professionals. Materials and Methods: Fifty-seven players were included in the study. The health files of the participants were retrospectively scanned. Physical information and FMS scores were recorded in the data form. The level of football career of the participants as of March 2022 was assessed on the website of the Turkish Football Federation. FMS scores were compared by dividing the participants into two groups as those with- and without professional football license. Results: The proportion of participants with a score above the FMS cut-off score and reaching the professional level was higher than the rate of non-professional participants with a score above the FMS cut-off score (p˂0.05). Conclusion: The quality of movement in young elite football players may be a determinant for being a professional football player. For this reason, starting from an early age, measuring the quality of movement regularly and trying to improve it may be important in realizing the career goals of elite young football players.