Examining the Relationship Between Leg Strength, Speed and Technical Skills in Amateur Football Players

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the anaerobic power, and speed on the technical skills of amateur football players. Methods: The study included 20 volunteer male athletes with an average age of 22.8±7.4 years, an average height of 179.7±5.8 cm, an average body weight of 76.4±11.2 kg, and an average sports age of 9.2±6.9 years. Anthropometric measurements were taken on the participants. The 30-meter sprint was conducted to determine speed, the standing long jump was performed to assess leg strength, and the Mor-Christian general football ability test was administered to evaluate football-specific technical skills. Results: The average anaerobic power score was 14265.8±1252.6 W, and the average power score was 6683.2±637.9 W. The average dribbling time was 14.60±1.11 seconds, average shooting scores were 64.50±16.20 points, and average pass scores were 5.65±1.72 points. A significant negative relationship between speed and anaerobic power was not found. However, a positive relationship between pass skill and anaerobic power was observed. When comparing dribbling skills based on position, it was found that goalkeepers had significantly lower dribbling skills than players in other positions (p <0.05). Besides, study found that motor characteristics particularly the strong relationships between peak power, standing long jump, and average power, and their inverse relationship with speed. Conclusion: Encouraging further studies and comparing their results will be beneficial for new findings. Key words: Football, Technical skill, Anaerobic power, Speed