Dusko Bjelica1, Borko Katanic2, Zoran Milosevic3, Arben Osmani1, Alem Kukic4, Mima Stankovic5
1University of Montenegro, Faculty for Sport and Physical Education, Niksic, Montenegro
2Montenegrin Sports Academy, Podgorica, Montenegro
3University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Novi Sad, Serbia
4OS 'Mesa Selimovic', Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
5University of Nis, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Nis, Serbia
Exploring the Anthropometric Profiles of Youth Footballers: Differences Between Players from Top and Bottom Teams in the Montenegrin First Cadet League
Sport Mont 2025, 23(1), 131-135 | DOI: 10.26773/smj.250220
Abstract
Although recent studies support the importance of assessing the anthropometric status of football players, there is still a need for research that examines differences in anthropometric characteristics based on the quality of the team they represent. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the differences in anthropometric characteristics between cadet football players from top-ranked and lower-ranked teams in the league. This study included a total of 136 professional cadet football players from the Montenegrin First League, divided into two groups: players from top-ranked teams (n=61, 16.04±0.63 years, body height 177.43±6.74 cm, body weight 70.02±10.30 kg) and players from bottom-ranked teams (n=75, 16.00±0.76 years, body height 179.20±6.63 cm, body weight 68.13±10.01 kg). For the purposes of this study, a battery of seven anthropometric variables was used: arm span (AS), body height (BH), body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The Student's t-test determined that football players from top-ranked teams had higher values of body mass index (p=0.017), waist circumference (p=0.001), and waist-to-hip ratio (p=0.001), while players from bottom-ranked teams had higher values of hip circumference (p=0.005). There were no differences in other anthropometric parameters between football players from top-ranked and bottom-ranked teams. These findings showed that football players from top-ranked teams have higher values of weight-related parameters compared to those from bottom-ranked teams. Further research should include a broader range of anthropometric parameters, as well as body composition parameters. Additionally, young football players should be analyzed based on their positions within the team, which would lead to more comprehensive conclusions.
Keywords
anthropometric characteristics, morphology, weight status, football, soccer players, youth
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