Comparative characteristics of the young football players of different game roles technical and physical fitness at the specialized basic training stage

Rationale and purpose Differentiations of physical loads for athletes of different game roles in football are very impotent. The purpose of this research is to reveal the peculiarities of the technical and physical fitness of young football players of 15 years of age in various playing roles. Material and Methods 51 young football players were examined according to the level of physical and technical preparation, including 9 goalkeepers, 12 defenders, 15 midfielders, and 15 attackers. The following indicators were measured: body length, body weight, running time for 15 m, 30 m, 60 m, shuttle running time 5X20 m, heart rate at rest, heart rate after shuttle running, ball juggling (number of kicks with the ball before losing it), time of the ball in a certain area of the goal. For the comparative analysis of the indicators of football players of different playing roles, the dispersion analysis of the comparison of several unrelated samples according to Duncan’s multiple comparisons criterion was used. Results Based on the results of variance analysis using Duncan’s multiple comparisons criterion, it was established that goalkeepers have the smallest body length (p<0.05) and the highest indicator of technical readiness “Ball hit per range, m” (p<0.05). Defenders and midfielders showed the best indicators of speed endurance according to the indicators of the test “Time of execution of the shuttle run 5X20 m, s” (p<0.05). At the same time, their heart rate after performing this test is significantly lower than that of attackers (p<0.001). Also, attackers and defenders have significantly higher indicators of speed abilities compared to representatives of other playing roles according to the results of the “30 m, s” test (p<0.001). In addition, defenders and midfielders, and forwards have significantly higher speed abilities according to the results of the “Run 15 m, s” and “Run 60 m, s” tests compared to goalkeepers (p<0.001). Defenders can keep the ball on their feet the longest (p<0.001) and forwards can perform the most kicks (juggling the ball) (p<0.01). Attackers and midfielders have the highest quality of shots on goal compared to goalkeepers and defenders (p<0.05). Conclusions As a result of the cluster analysis, the functions of volleyball players were clarified and the players most similar to each other in terms of their preparation structure were identified, which sometimes causes some difficulties for coaches when working with athletes with implicitly expressed game functions. Individual profiles of players were compiled and individual recommendations for training volleyball players were developed based on the individual values of readiness factors and the results of cluster analysis.