The Effect of Chronological Age of Young Male Football Players on Physical Performance: A Comparison of the U13, U14, and U15 Categories

The purpose of this study is to compare the speed (30 m sprint), change of direction speed (zigzag agility test), and vertical jump (counter-movement jump) performance of young soccer players in the U13, U14, and U15 age categories. The study included 56 male athletes actively playing soccer (U13: n=18, age: 12.72±0.57 years; U14: n=16, age: 13.81±0.40 years; U15: n=22, age: 14.59±0.50 years). Following measurements of the participants' body composition (height, body weight, body mass index), performance tests were conducted on three separate days with at least 48 hours of rest between tests, in accordance with standard protocols. Speed performance was measured using a photocell system over a distance of 30 m, agility performance was measured using a zigzag test created with five cones, and vertical jump performance was measured using a counter-movement jump test with a force platform (Hawkin Dynamics). Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. Intergroup comparisons were performed using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc test for parameters showing a normal distribution, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test for parameters not showing a normal distribution, and effect sizes were calculated. The level of statistical significance was set at p