A - 33 Examining the Relationship Between Playing Position and Executive Function Performance in Professional Football Players

Abstract Purpose Professional football demands varying cognitive skills across playing positions. Limited research has examined the relationship between position and executive function performance in professional players. The current study aims to assess the association between executive functioning and playing position in professional football players. Method Neuropsychological data was collected at Nova Southeastern University from 161 professional football players across three position groups (Group 1- Big (Offensive and Defensive Linemen): n = 39, Mage = 51.95 years; Group 2- Athletic Big (Running back, Fullback, Tight End, Linebacker): n = 52, Mage = 50.12 years; Group 3- Athlete (Quarterback, Wide Receiver, Defensive Back, Special Teams): n = 70, Mage = 46.36 years). Executive function was assessed using multiple measures: Digit Span (working memory), Letter-Number Sequencing (working memory and sequencing), Symbol Search (processing speed), Trail Making Test (cognitive flexibility), and Verbal Fluency (executive control). Results Positional patterns emerged, with Group 2 performing highest across all executive function measures (mean T-scores 44.62–46.00). Group 2’s greatest performance, compared to group 1 and 3, was in Trail Making (Group 2: 46.00 ± 11.67; Group 1: 39.41 ± 10.86) and Symbol Search (Group 2: 44.71 ± 11.43; Group 1: 39.85 ± 10.38). However, across positional groups, statistical significant was not reached on any subtest; Trail Making: F(2,158) = 3.70, p = 0.81; Symbol Search: F(2,158) = 2.67, p = 0.77; Verbal Fluency: F(2,158) = 1.49, p = 0.69; Letter-Number Sequencing: F(2,152) = 0.95, p = 0.62; and Digit Span: F(2,158) = 0.78, p = 0.58. Conclusions While our findings suggest potential patterns in executive functioning across playing positions, with Group 2 showing superior performance across multiple domains, significance was not reached. These results highlight the need for large-scale studies to better understand position-specific cognitive profiles. Future research should consider additional cognitive measures and examine on-field positional success.