Analysis of Force–Velocity Profiles in Young Football Players: Effect of Competition Level and Position

We evaluated the force–velocity profiles of young male football players and examined the associations between their competitive levels and positional roles. Thirty-eight male players from a team registered with the National Football Federation who had an average age of 17.08 ± 0.94 y, a height of 1.77 ± 0.06 m and a body mass of 69.08 ± 7.02 kg volunteered to participate. Players performed countermovement jumps under loading conditions corresponding to 30, 50 and 70% of their body mass to assess their actual and optimal force–velocity profile variables. Results showed that 26% of players exhibited a high force deficit, 50% had a low force deficit, 3% had a low velocity deficit and 21% demonstrated a well-balanced force–velocity relationship. When comparing competitive levels, players in the 1st national division exhibited a more balanced force–velocity compared to players in the 2nd division (83.05 ± 20.34 vs. 62.94 ± 21.28%) but showed lower maximal power values (26.95 ± 4.17 vs. 31.54 ± 6.45 W/kg). Positional analysis revealed that forwards demonstrated a more balanced force–velocity than midfielders (84.64 ± 13.46 vs. 58.70 ± 21.31%), yet had lower maximal power values (25.11 ± 3.59 vs. 32.05 ± 5.57 W/kg). No differences were observed in vertical jump performance across either levels or positions. These findings underscore the variability in neuromuscular profiles among young players and highlight the importance of individualized strength training to address force–velocity deficits and enhance ballistic performance (particularly vertical jumping).