The level and relationship between speed and agility according to the playing roles in elite young soccer players
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to determine the level and relationship between speed abilities and agility for individual playing roles in young Czech elite players and to compare the results with previously presented foreign studies. The research group consisted of 31 players divided according to their playing roles (goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and attackers).
Players performed the following tests: 5m sprint (S5), 10 m sprint (S10), 20 m flying sprint (F20) and 505 agility test with turning on the dominant (A505D) and non-dominant leg (A505N). In S5 test, the best time (1.07 +- 0.05 s) was achieved by midfielders; on the contrary, the worst time (1.11 +- 0.02 s) was found in defenders.
This difference was significant (p0.05). In F20 test, attackers achieved the best time (2.34 +- 0.07 s).
We observed a significant difference between attackers' and midfielders' performance (p<0.05). Performance in S5 and S10 significantly correlated (p<0.01).
Performance in F20 significantly correlated only with S10 performance. Significant correlation was also found between performance in A505DL and A505NL (r = 0.58, p<0.01).
Agility test A505N correlated with performance in S10 (p<0.01). Players from the Czech national team are not prepared as well as elite players from abroad in terms of speed and agility.
Speed component together with agility is a part of high quality performance of professional players. It is essential to continuously prepare players for changes of direction, acceleration, deceleration or controlling their own bodies as there are many such situations during the match.