Table 2.
Characteristics of studies included in the review.
| Author/Country | Study Design Duration |
Participants | Motor Performance Assessments (Tests) | Main Results | Quality Score |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age Number | ||||||
| (Philippaerts et al., 2006) [17]/Belgium |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
11–13 y at baseline | 33 | Physical performance: Plate tapping, sit and reach (SR), sit-ups, bent arm hang, standing long jump (SLJ), vertical jump (VJ), endurance shuttle run (ESHR). Soccer specific physical performance: 30 m repeated sprint (RSA), agility shuttle run 5 × 10 m (SHR). |
Physical performance improved non-linearly and reached its peak around peak height velocity (PHV), yet with different timing and tempo. | 65% |
| (Huijgen et al., 2010) [18]/Netherlands |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
12–19 y at baseline |
267 | Physical performance: shuttle sprint and dribble test. Soccer specific skills: slalom sprint and dribble test. |
Speed and dribbling improved with age mainly at 12–14 y, but with different tempo. Dribbling improved after 16 y and sprinting from 14 to 16 y. Additionally, fat free mass, weekly hours of practice and playing position were positively associated with dribbling changes. | 70% |
| (Mirkov et al., 2010) [48]/Serbia |
Longitudinal 4 y |
11 y at baseline |
S_g = 26 C_g = 63 |
Physical performance: SR, SLJ, countermovement jumps (CMJ) with and without arm swing, slalom running with obstacles, SHR. | Physical performance improved with age in both groups, yet soccer players performed better in agility and motor coordination. | 85% |
| (Roescher et al., 2010) [40]/Netherlands |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
12–19 y at baseline | Pro = 53 N_pro = 77 |
Soccer specific physical performance: intermittent endurance (ISRT). | Aerobic capacity increased non-linearly with age but differences between groups occurred from 17 y onwards. Training was positively associated with performance. | 75% |
| (Williams et al., 2011) [39]/United Kingdom |
Longitudinal 3 y |
U12–U16 at baseline |
200 | Physical performance: sprints 10 m (S10 m), 30 m (S30 m), VJ. | Physical performance improved linearly but with different rates for 10 m speed, 30 m sprint and vertical jump. | 80% |
| (Gonaus and Muller, 2012) [45]/Austria |
Mixed-longitudinal 9 y |
14–17 y at baseline | 1642 | Physical performance: S20 m, hurdles agility run, CMJ, drop jump, foot tapping reaction medicine ball throw 2 kg, SR, 20 m multi-stage endurance run (MSER). Soccer specific physical performance: (SHR). |
Speed, power, flexibility, and endurance improved with age. Power and flexibility as well as endurance effect sizes decreased with age; however, in speed results were stable from 14 to 17 y. | 80% |
| (Valente-dos-Santos et al., 2012) [25]/Portugal |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
11–13 y at baseline |
83 | Physical performance: MSER. | Aerobic performance unfolding was related to chronological and skeletal ages, and training stimuli. | 90% |
| (Valente-dos-Santos et al., 2012) [19]/Portugal |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
11–13 y at baseline |
83 | Physical performance: MSER, CMJ. Soccer specific physical performance: RSA. |
Repeated sprint performance changes were related to chronological and skeletal ages, as well as fat free mass, aerobic endurance, and lower limb explosive strength. | 55% |
| (Valente-dos-Santos et al., 2012) [26]/Portugal |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
11–13 y at baseline | 83 | Physical performance: MSER, CMJ. Soccer specific physical performance: RSA. |
Repeated sprint performance development was related to chronological age, maturity status, fat free mass, body size, aerobic endurance, and lower limb explosive strength and annual training. | 80% |
| (Valente-dos-Santos et al., 2012) [27]/Portugal |
Mixed- Longitudinal 5 y |
11–13 y at baseline |
83 | Physical performance: SHR, MSER, CMJ. Soccer specific physical performance: RSA. Soccer specific skills: Ball control, dribbling speed, Shooting accuracy, wall pass. |
Overall physical performance development was related to chronological age, maturation status, fat mass, dribbling speed and training stimuli. In general, soccer skills unfolding was related to chronological age, playing position, fat and fat-free mass, repeated sprint and aerobic endurance and training stimuli. | 90% |
| (Huijgen et al., 2013) [41]/Netherland |
Mixed-longitudinal 3 y |
10–18 y at baseline |
270 | Soccer specific skills: Loughborough Soccer Passing (LSPT). | Soccer skills improved non-linearly: 18% in speed pass, and 32% in speed and accuracy pass with age. | 85% |
| (Carvalho et al., 2014) [42]/Spain |
Mixed- Longitudinal 4 y |
U11 age category at baseline |
33 | Soccer specific physical performance: The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (YYIR1). | Aerobic performance increased non-linearly with chronological age; yet, between 12–13 y decreased. Additionally, aerobic performance was related to training stimuli but not with body size and maturity status. | 80% |
| (Deprez et al., 2014) [31]/Belgium |
Longitudinal 5 y |
11–14 y at baseline | 162 | Soccer specific physical performance: YYIR1. | Aerobic performance improved non-linearly with age and was related to stature, fat-free mass, and motor coordination. | 85% |
| (Valente-dos-Santos et al., 2014) [28]/Portugal |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
10–14 y at baseline |
83 | Physical performance: SHR. Soccer specific skills: Dribbling. |
Agility development was related to chronological and skeletal age, stature, fat-free mass and playing position. Dribbling changes were related to chronological and skeletal age, stature, playing position and training stimuli. | 85% |
| (Valente-dos-Santos et al., 2014) [29]/Portugal |
Mixed-longitudinal 5 y |
11–13 y at baseline |
83 | Physical performance: SHR, MSSE, CMJ. Soccer specific skills: Dribbling. |
Agility changes were related to skeletal age, maturity status, fat-free mass, aerobic endurance, and explosive strength. Dribbling changes were associated with skeletal age, maturity states, fat-free mass, aerobic endurance, explosive strength, and training stimuli. | 75% |
| (Wrigley et al., 2014) [36]/United Kingdom |
Longitudinal 3 y |
U12–U16 age category at baseline | S_g = 27 C_g = 18 |
Physical performance: S10 m, S20 m, CMJ, agility (505 test). Soccer specific physical performance: RSA, YY IRT2. |
Systematic soccer specific training stimuli had significant effects on physical performance changes in young male players independently from baseline levels of performance and biological maturation. | 90% |
| (Bidaurrazaga-Letona et al., 2015) [24]/Spain |
Mixed- Longitudinal 4 y |
U11 age category at baseline | 38 | Physical performance: CMJ, agility (barrow zigzag run), S15 m. | Non-linear improvement in explosive strength and agility performance with higher development rates for early matures. However, late matures had better linear improvements in speed performance. | 75% |
| (Deprez et al., 2015) [32]/Belgian |
Longitudinal 2 y and 4 y |
4 y: ~12 y at baseline 2 y: ~13 y at baseline |
21 21 |
Soccer specific physical performance: YYIR1. | Aerobic performance stability was moderate in 4 y and high over 2 y. | 85% |
| (Deprez et al., 2015) [33]/Belgian |
Mixed- Longitudinal 7 y |
7–17 y at baseline |
555 | Physical performance: CMJ, standing broad jump (SBJ). | Explosive strength development was related to chronological age and motor coordination. However, in 11–15 y was positively influenced by stature and negatively by fat mass, but in 16–20 y positively influenced by fat free mass. | 75% |
| (Deprez et al., 2015) [34]/Belgian |
Mixed- Longitudinal 7 y |
11–14 y at baseline | 356 | Physical performance: CMJ, SBJ. | Explosive strength performance improved non-linearly with age in CMJ test and linearly is SBJ. Additionally, explosive strength performance was related to leg length, fat free mass, flexibility, and motor coordination also maturity status except in SBJ test. | 90% |
| (Forsman et al., 2016) [46]/Finland |
Longitudinal 1 y |
12–14 y at baseline | 288 | Physical performance: S30 m, agility (8-figure). Soccer specific skills: Dribbling, passing. |
Physical performance and soccer skills remained relatively high and stable across the period of one year. | 85% |
| (Francioni et al., 2016) [20]/Italy | Longitudinal one season |
U8-U12 age category at baseline | 103 | Physical performance: CMJ with and without free arm, S15 m. Soccer specific skills: Touch of the ball with the body and the head, passing, shooting, dribbling, dribbling with pass. |
Physical performance and soccer specific skills increased with age in one season. | 70% |
| (Zuber et al., 2016) [21]/Swiss |
Longitudinal 3 y |
U13 age category at baseline | 119 | Physical performance: S40 m, CMJ. Soccer specific physical performance: YY IRT1. Soccer specific skills: Dribbling, passing, Juggling. |
Change pattern showed to be partial structural with high individual motor performance stability. | 70% |
| (Carvalho et al., 2017) [43]/Spain |
Mixed- Longitudinal 6 y |
U11 age category at baseline | 33 | Physical performance: Agility (barrow zigzag run), S15 m, CMJ. Soccer specific physical performance: YYIR1. |
Agility and aerobic performance improved non-linearly and reach a steady rate around 3–4 y after PHV. Sprint and explosive strength maximum velocity occurred around 2 y after PHV. | 80% |
| (Fransen et al., 2017) [35]/Belgian |
Mixed- Longitudinal 6 y |
5–20 y at baseline |
2228 | Physical performance: Agility (T-Test), S10 m, S20 m, S30 m, SR, hand grip. Soccer specific physical performance: YYIR1. |
Linear increases of all physical performance tests. Yet, there is a suggestion of reaching a plateau around 15–17 years of age. | 75% |
| (Rebelo-Goncalves et al., 2017) [22]/Portugal |
Mixed- Longitudinal 5 y |
11–13 y at baseline | 16 | Physical performance: MSSE. Soccer specific skills: Dribbling speed, wall pass. |
Aerobic capacity and passing skills improved linearly in goalkeepers yet dribbling speed development was non-linear. Soccer skills improvement were mostly explained by training stimuli not by fat-free mass increases. | 60% |
| (Francioni et al., 2018) [44]/Italy |
Longitudinal one season |
U14 age category at baseline | 33 | Physical performance: CMJ with and without free arm, S15 m. Soccer specific skills: Touch of the ball with the body and the head, passing, shooting, dribbling, dribbling with pass. |
Motor performance improved in U14 age categories during one soccer season independent of training exposure. | 80% |
| (Coutinho et al., 2018) [30]/Portugal |
Longitudinal 10 weeks |
U15, U17 age category at baseline |
E_g = 15 C_g = 15 |
Physical performance: CMJ, S30 m, agility (repeated change in direction). | Physical performance of U15E improved in 10 weeks. Training had a moderate effect in U15E agility and in U17E CMJ improvements. | 95% |
| (Leyhr et al., 2018) [47]/Germany |
Longitudinal 3 y |
U12 age category at baseline | 1134 | Physical performance: S20m, agility (slalom course). Soccer specific skills: Dribbling, ball control, shooting. |
Motor performance improved non-linearly with time. Future professional players performed better at baseline and maintained their superiority across time. | 80% |
| (Bennett et al., 2019) [23]/Belgium |
Mixed-longitudinal | 6–20 y at baseline |
2201 | Physical performance: CMJ, SBJ. | Explosive strength improved non-linearly with age. The length of the time between assessments did not show a strong impact on player’s future performance. | 70% |
| (Moran et al., 2020) [37]/United Kingdom |
Longitudinal 6 y |
U10 age category at baseline | 6 | Physical performance: S10 m, S20 m, CMJ. | Straight speed and lower limb explosive strength performance can arise rapidly and in radical fashions. | 90% |
| (Saward et al., 2020) [38]/United Kingdom |
Longitudinal 11 y |
U9–U19 age category at baseline |
2875 | Physical performance: S20 m, agility (slalom test), CMJ, the multistage fitness tests/ 20 m multi (MSER) (MSFT). | Agility, explosive strength, and speed improved non-linearly except aerobic capacity which improved linearly with age. Differences in playing position occurred in physical performance development. Future professional players had a faster rate as they get older, with different development patterns in explosive strength and agility. | 90% |
y = years, g = group, Pro = professional, S = soccer, C = control, E = experimental.