Performance Factors, Psychological Assessment, Physical Characteristics, and Football Playing Ability

Abstract

Fifty nine Division 1AA Scholarship football players served as subjects to assess performance, physical and personality factors, and football playing ability. Subjects were categorized according to position and also by high and low strength levels, starters and nonstarters, and race. Player rank was determined independently for the first and second team by the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and the strength and conditioning coach. Coaches' rankings were averaged for data analysis. Each player was ranked based on the coaches' perception of his athletic ability regardless of position. Variables tested included physical characteristics, the 1-RM squat, squats to exhaustion at 70 and 90% of 1-RM, vertical jump and static vertical jump, 5-, 10-, and 300-yd shuttle runs, the 1.5-mile run, and Cattell 16 PF Inventory. Results suggest that positions can be differentiated by a number of variables including physical characteristics and strength and endurance measures. Starters can be differentiated from nonstarters by strength and jumping ability.