Comparative analysis of motor abilities between senior and junior male football players: a multidimensional approach

Background: Football is a sport that requires a high level of technical, tactical, and motor skills, with particular emphasis on agility, speed, explosive strength, and flexibility. The development of these abilities depends on biological maturity, training experience, and individual factors, which affect player performance across different age categories. Purpose: The aim was to examine and compare the level of motor abilities between football players of FC GOŠK Gabela (Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the junior (U19) and senior (U25) age categories, focusing on key elements such as agility, speed, explosive and repetitive strength, as well as flexibility. Method: The sample consisted of 22 players from the same club, divided into two groups by age category: 11 juniors (U19) (body height = 181.56 ± 5.74 cm; body weight = 73.29 ± 6.40 kg; BMI = 22.21 kg/m²) and 11 seniors (U25) (body height = 184.98 ± 5.97 cm; body weight = 77.35 ± 5.70 kg; BMI = 22.55 ± 0.38 kg/m²). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, and differences between groups were determined using an independent t-test for small samples. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Mean Difference and 95% Confidence Intervals were also calculated to further assess the significance and effect size of the detected differences (Cohen’s d). Results: Seniors achieved significantly better results in agility tests (Illinois and Zig-Zag tests) and the 60-meter sprint, while differences in other tests were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Differences in upper body explosive strength (medicine ball throw) and flexibility were not significant, although seniors showed slightly better average values. Conclusion: The obtained results indicate that biological maturity and longer training experience significantly influence the improvement of motor abilities, especially agility and speed over longer distances.