Somatotype of Iranian Soccer Premier League Players

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the somatotype of elite soccer players based on positions. A total of 232 elite male soccer players (24.14±5.15) participated in this study. Methods. All anthropometric measurements (10 variables) were performed by a criterion anthropometrists according to the standards of the International Society for Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Heath-Carter Somatotyping method was used to calculate endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy components. Results. The mean body mass and height were 76.29 ± 7.96 kg and 180.42 ± 6.82 cm, while the mean somatotype values were 1.89 ± 0.60 - 4.91 ± 0.80 - 2.65 ± 0.77. Somatotype, height and body mass of the goalkeepers showed a significant difference with the other positions. Conclusion. The findings of this study provide a valuable reference data to support soccer talent identification programs and development of more specific preparatory strategies for soccer.