The role of somatic maturation in the tactical effectiveness, efficiency and variability of young soccer players

The purpose of this study was to compare the tactical behaviours of soccer players who differed in their temporal distances from their respective peak height velocity (PHV). Seventy-eight soccer players (age = 14.1 ± 1.4 years, height = 163.2 ± 11.6 cm, weight = 52.5 ± 11.9 kg) participated in the study. Temporal distances from PHV were found using chronological age and anthropometric variables: height (cm), body mass (kg), sitting height (cm) and leg length (cm). Thus, sample was stratified into three groups: Pre-PHV, PHV and Post-PHV. Individual tactical behaviour was assessed using the System of Tactical Assessment (FUT-SAT). One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test were used to examine group differences in tactical behaviour and performance (level of significance of 5%). Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to verify the tactical variability. There was no difference in the tactical performance between groups (F2,75 = 1.1; p = .75; ƞp2 = .05); players who belonged to Post-PHV were more effective in their execution of penetrations than players who belonged to Pre-PHV (F2,56 = 5.0; p = .01; ƞp2 = .94); however, Pre-PHV group had more tactical variability. The somatic maturation affected the behaviour and tactical variability but did not affect the tactical performance.