Kicking is one of the most important skills in soccer and the ability to achieve ma ximal kicking velocity with both legs leads to an advantage for the soccer player. This study examined the relationship be tween kicking ball velocity with both legs using anthropometric measurements and vertical jumps (a squat jump (SJ); a countermovement jump without (CMJ) and with the arm swing (CMJA) and a reactive jump (RJ)). Anthropome tric measurements did not correlate with kicking ball velocity. Vertical jumps correlated significantly with kicking ball velocity using the dominant leg only (r = .47, r = .58, r = .44, r = .51, for SJ, CMJ, CMJA and RJ, respectively) . Maximal kicking velocity with the dominant leg was significantly higher than with the non-dominant leg (t = 18.0 4, p < 0.001). Our results suggest that vertical jumps may be an optimal test to assess neuromuscular skills involved in kicking at maximal speed. Lack of the relationship between vertical jumps and kicking velocity with the non-dominant leg may reflect a difficulty to exhibit the neuromuscular skills during dominant leg kicking.

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Abstract:Kicking ability in soccer has been evaluated predominantly by the maximum ball velocity. The kicking deficit (KD) may be defined as the percentage of the difference between the maximum ball velocity each player achieved by the non-preferred leg kick in relation to the preferred leg kick. This study aimed to compare: side-to-side kicking velocity, vertical jumps and anthropometrics between the younger (G-14) and older (G+14) than 14 years soccer players. An additional aim was to investigate associations among these variables. Participants were 92 young elite soccer players from the development programme of a top Spanish division club. They were divided into two age groups according to their growth and motor development stages (10.80-13.55 years, n=46; 14.02-16.39 years, n=46). Student's t-test showed that the maximum kicking velocity with the preferred and non-preferred leg, jumping performance, and all anthropometric measurements were significantly (p<.01) higher in G+14 compared with G-14. In contrast, KD values remained stable (15.31%-15.83%) without significant differences between the groups. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that vertical jump tests and anthropometric measurements correlated with kicking ball velocity produced by the preferred and non-preferred leg. Our results demonstrate that kicking skills are still not consolidated and power factors may be determinant for kicking performance in young soccer players. In addition, the KD may be a constant element for both the under and above 14 years soccer players and could result from an unequal and greater use of the preferred leg in comparison with the non-preferred leg.