Associations between Anthropometry and Motor Performance in Young Elite Football Players from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Football player performance depends on agility, speed, explosive and repetitive strength, flexi-bility, and anthropometric characteristics such as height, weight, and BMI. Monitoring and ana-lyzing these variables are crucial for optimizing training, preventing injuries, and player selec-tion. Data on the physical and motor profiles of U25 football players in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina are limited. To assess the anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities of U25 football players from FK GOŠK Gabela and to examine the relationships be-tween these variables. The study included 22 healthy male players (mean height 183.27 ± 5.98 cm, weight 75.32 ± 6.27 kg, BMI 22.38 ± 0.60 kg/m²). Anthropometric measurements were conducted according to ISAK protocols. Nine standardized motor tests were administered to evaluate agili-ty (505 test, T-test, Illinois test, 5-10-5 drill, Zig-Zag test), speed (30 m and 60 m sprint), explosive and repetitive strength (push-ups in 10 s), and flexibility (sit & reach). Testing was conducted over two consecutive days during the 2024 pre-season, following a standardized warm-up under controlled conditions. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and the multiple regression analysis were applied. Player height and weight were significantly correlated with agility and sprint per-formance, while BMI showed moderate associations with selected agility tests. Multivariate analysis confirmed that height, weight, and BMI significantly predicted performance across agil-ity, sprint, and strength tests, with body dimensions explaining 65–68% of the variance in the 10-second push-up test (R² = 0.682), the 505 agility test (R² = 0.678), and the 60-meter sprint (R² = 0.671; all p < 0.01). The findings provide insight into the physical and motor profiles of elite young football players and can be used to optimize performance, design individualized training programs, and monitor player development.