article · Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine
Profiling physical performance is vital for player development and tailored training programmes in women's football. This study assessed neuromuscular performance, sprint ability, change-of-direction speed, and maximal aerobic speed across 105 Moroccan female football players from the first and second divisions. Testing involved jump variations, sprint distances up to 30 metres, a 20-metre change-of-direction assessment, and aerobic evaluation. First-division athletes achieved significantly superior results in drop jumps, countermovement jumps, short sprints up to 20 metres, change-of-direction speed, and maximal aerobic speed compared to second-division peers. No differences emerged in squat jump or 30-metre sprint times. Countermovement jump and change-of-direction tests reliably predicted sprint outcomes across all distances. Overall, competitive distinction relies on a combination of dynamic jumping, acceleration, agility, and aerobic capacity.
Understanding physical differences across competitive tiers enables sports practitioners to identify benchmarks specific to female football players in North Africa. Using accessible field-based assessments allows clubs to pinpoint key athletic traits, such as short-distance acceleration and dynamic power, which are critical for advancement to elite divisions and can guide targeted training interventions.
This research provides applied testing protocols that football coaches, athletic trainers, and sports academies can adopt immediately using standard field equipment. While currently an applied observational study rather than a commercial product, the identified predictive metrics could be integrated into athlete management software or digital talent identification platforms to support data-driven player recruitment and training individualisation.
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Physical performance profiling is essential for monitoring player development and guiding individualized training in women’s football. However, multidimensional evidence from North African female football players remains limited. This study aimed to compare neuromuscular performance, sprint ability, change-of-direction speed, and maximal aerobic speed between Moroccan first- and second-division female football players. A total of 105 Moroccan female football players participated in this cross-sectional study, including 45 first-division and 60 second-division players. Participants completed a fieldbased testing battery including squat jump, countermovement jump, countermovement jump with free arms, drop jump, 10 m, 20 m, and 30 m sprint tests, a 20 m change-of-direction speed test, and the Vameval test. Between-division differences were examined using independent samples t-tests, while Pearson correlations, simple linear regressions, and multiple linear regression models were used to examine individual and combined associations with sprint performance. First-division players demonstrated superior performance in DJ (p < .001, d = 1.05), CMJ (p < .001, d = 0.82), CMJ-FA (p < .001, d = 0.86), 10 m sprint (p = .044, d = 0.40), 20 m sprint (p = .013, d = 0.49), 20 m change-of-direction speed test (p = .002, d = 0.65), and VMA (p < .001, d = 0.86). No significant differences were observed for squat jump or 30 m sprint performance. Countermovement jump was associated with sprint performance across all sprint distances. The 20 m change-of-direction speed test also predicted sprint performance across 10 m, 20 m, and 30 m, explaining 12.5%–21.7% of the variance. Competitive level in Moroccan women’s football appears to be characterized by dynamic jump performance, short-distance acceleration, change-of-direction speed, and aerobic fitness rather than by a single isolated physical quality. Multidimensional field-based testing may help coaches monitor player development and individualize training, with CMJ performance and 20 m change-of-direction speed potentially representing useful field-based indicators of sprint ability and competitive level.
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DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.260910
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