Anthropometric characteristics of professional football players in relation to the playing position and their significance for success in the game

Abstract

Background: Football is a game in which anthropometric characteristics are important factors for specific player positions, where morphological characteristics differ in relation to the competitive level and the position in the game. Body composition is an important indicator of the physical fitness and general health of athletes so today its often discussed in scientific literature. The aim of the research was to determine the differences in the anthropometric characteristics of the professional football players in relation to the player's position and to determine their importance in the game. Material: Twenty-nine male football players of the national team of Serbia participated in the research, in which the body height, weight and Body mass index were measured. Results: The results of the study indicate that statistically significant differences in body height and body weight were recorded between goalkeepers and midfielders (p <0.01) and goalkeepers and attackers (p <0.05) in favor of goalkeepers, while no statistically significant differences were recorded in the Body Mass Index. The lowest height, weight and BMI were recorded in the midfielders. Conclusions: Based on the results of the research it can be concluded that the morphological characteristics have a vital role in determining the success of athletes. Football coaches can use the results of this study as a means to better understand and interpret anthropometric characteristics and their importance in relation to the gaming position. The acquaintance of noticed differences could improve the training process as well as the selection at the early age.

Anthropometric characteristics and aerobic performance of professional soccer players by playing position and age

“…the differences in stature between the defenders and forwards compared with the rest of the playing positions reflect the demands of those positions, with increased stature being an essential component of their success. Evidence suggested that anthropometric characteristics may impact on soccer success, with stature and body weight being advantageous for certain positions, such as goalkeepers, defenders, and attackers [24]. this study indicated that defenders and forwards were significantly taller and heavier than the rest of the playing positions, while their bF% was not significantly different, which implies that the increased body mass may be attributed to increased stature or increased muscle mass.…”

Comparative Analysis of Morphological Indicators of Street Workout Athletes with Different Training Experience

“…The purpose of these methods is to determine the probability of achieving success and increasing sportsmanship. Methods of analysis of physical development (Podrigalo, Cynarski, Rovnaya, Volodchenko, Halashko, & Volodchenko, 2019;Joksimović, Skrypchenko, Yarymbash, Fulurija, Nasrolahi, & Pantović, 2019;Lilić, Joksimovic, D' Angelo, Karišik, Hamad, & Gardašević, 2020), psychophysiological characteristics (Volodchenko, Podrigalo, & Aghyppo, 2017;Wolska et The main criteria for dividing street workout athletes are age and training experience. In our opinion, the training experience is the most important.…”

Body Height, Body Mass, Body Mass Index of Elite Basketball Players in Relation to the Playing Position and Their Importance for Success in the Game

“…Since all data are available on the official euro basket website, the study does not require ethical approvals and consent forms (Joksimović et al, 2020). BMI was calculated by dividing the body mass by the square height of the body in meters (Kubayi et al, 2017;Joksimović et al, 2019). This study analyzed the morphological parameters (Body height, Body mass, Body Mass Index) in players competing in the first leagues in Europe in the 2020/21 season.…”