Gender differences in anthropometric parameters and technical performance of youth soccer players

Considering that the popularity and professionalism of females soccer has increased markedly, the aims of this study were to evaluate the eventual (1) technical differences between the young male and female soccer players, and (2) relationship among anthropometrics characteristic (weight, height and Body Mass Index), soccer experiences, and soccer performances (juggling, speed dribbling, long and short passing, shooting from dead ball and from a pass; heading) in 16 female and 32 male soccer players (n: 48; age: 16 ± 1 years; BMI 20.8 ± 2.0 kg/m2). Unpaired student t test was applied to assess differences between groups (male vs female) to variables with normal distribution (age, height, weight, BMI, speed dribbling without ball, short pass), while Mann–Whitney U test was applied to the other non-parametric variables. Spearman Rho correlation was used to analyse relationships among variables considering all subjects, male, and female categories. Results showed differences (p < 0.05) between groups for height (p < 0.0001), weight (p = 0.0002), juggling foot–chest–head (p = 0.03), speed dribbling with (p = 0.01), and without (p < 0.05) ball. Correlations between variables were found in all subjects, female and male groups. Female soccer players showed better values than males in juggling test but worse in speed dribbling with ball and in shooting. Considering gender differences in soccer performance, cut-off used for male cannot apply to female because utilization of the same exercise and/or application of the same training volume might cause poor training effects.