Anthropometric and Performance Differences Among High-School Football Players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine physical and performance differences between grade levels and playing positions within High-School football players. Two thousand three hundred and twenty-seven athletes were tested for height, weight, 40-yd sprint time, proagility time, and vertical jump height. Mean scores across age groups and playing positions were compared using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and 1-way ANOVAs. The results indicate that defensive players in the 11th and 12th grades were significantly faster in the 40-yd sprint, quicker in the proagility, and generated more power than 9th and 10th grade defensive players across all positions (p < 0.05). Similarly, offensive players in the 11th and 12th grades were significantly faster, quicker, and jumped higher than did football players in lower grades (p < 0.05). Overall, these data suggest that there are distinct differences in the physical and performance characteristics of high-school football players. The greatest difference is observed between the sophomore and junior years. Older, more mature athletes are faster, quicker, and capable of generating more power than younger athletes. Practically, these data lend support to the common 3-tiered approach (i.e., Freshman, Junior Varsity, and Varsity) most high schools use for their football programs. This approach is likely indicated to allow for physical maturation of young players and to allow time for the development of strength, power, speed, and agility necessary to compete with older players.

Anthropometrics, Physical Performance, and Injury Characteristics of Youth American Football

“…Several studies have examined the anthropometric and physical performance and characteristics of professional, 30 collegiate, 17 and high school American football players. 10,14 For example, Dupler et al 10 reported that 11th and 12th grade players tend to be taller, heavier, faster, able to jump higher, and generate greater power than players in the 9th and 10th grades. Physical characteristics (body size and strength) have been suggested as risk factors for injury in American football.…”

Comparison of Anthropometric Characteristics Between Professional Triathletes and Cyclists

“…swimming [1], middle and long distance running [2–6], tennis [7], rowing [8], kayaking [9], or cycling [10, 11], and also for many team sports (e.g. rugby [12], football [13, 14] and soccer [15–17]). Zampagni et al [1] reported that hand-grip strength, age and height in short distance swimming, and age and height in long distance swimming, are positively related to performance.…”

The Difference Is in the Start: Impact of Timing and Start Procedure on Sprint Running Performance

“…In American football, measuring the 40-yd (36.58-m) dash performance from a 3-point stance is standard practice (2,3,6,(8)(9)(10). In contrast, most sprint tests in soccer studies use a rocking start or allow leaning back before movement initiation from a standing start (1,(11)(12)(13)(14).…”