Sport-specific Skill Characteristics Of Qatari Age Group Male Soccer Players

Abstract

BACKGROUND Qatari National age-group soccer teams have qualified for junior World Championships, however, this success has not been carried on at the Olympic and Full International levels. While objective assessment tools that measure tactical and technical competence would provide valuable insight into player development, the majority of soccer research has focused upon different fitness attributes. Of particular interest to this study was the recent finding that peak isokinetic leg torque plateaus in players' late teens. PURPOSE To quantify the progression of sport-specific skill characteristics in soccer athletes who represent Qatar at Under 14, (U14), Under 17 (U17), Under 20 (U20), and Full International (Nat) level. METHODS Following written, informed consent, 74 male athletes (aged 13–34 y) completed a battery of tests to determine counter movement jump (CMJ), counter movement jump with armswing (WAMJ), six repetitive reactivity jumps consisting of 6 calf jumps (6J), and a 20 m sprint test, with speed time measured with infrared photoelectric cells positioned at 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 m. RESULTS Factor analyses with subsequent multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) indicated significant main effects across age (p = 0.000). U-14 athletes were lighter, shorter and had a lower BMI (U14, 19.1 ± 2.4; U17, 20.8 ± 2.2; U20, 21.6 ± 5.4; Nat, 22.8 ± 2.1 kgm2) (Mean ± SD) than the other three groups. Sport-specific skill characteristics of soccer athletes revealed significant differences among the groups. Jump height for CMJ, WAMJ and 6J were lower in the U14 than the other groups, but there was no difference between the U17, U20, and Nat groups. Calculated mean 6J power was higher in the U17 than all other groups (U14, 38.5 ± 6.9; U17, 46.4 ± 7.7; U20, 37.1 ± 6.4; Nat, 35.1 ± 9.8 Wkg−1). Sprinting times were significantly lower in the U17, U20, and Nat groups compared to the U14 at all distances. Generally, there was no difference in sprint performance between the U17, U20, and Nat groups. However, at the 2.5 m (U14, 0.732 ± 0.058; U17, 0.689 ± 0.075; U20, 0.650 ± 0.003; Nat, 0.645 ± 0.057 s) and 10 m (U14, 2.062 ± 0.105; U17, 1.887 ± 0.094; U20, 1.845 ± 0.005; Nat, 1.828 ± 0.073 s) marks the Nat group was significantly faster than the U17 group. CONCLUSION Results indicate differences with increasing age in jump and sprinting performance and suggest these abilities plateau in a soccer player's late teens. In conclusion, improvements in sport-specific skill attributes should be addressed at this developmental level of competition.