Khalid El Mouahid1, Salim Khairi1, Mohammed Benhida2, Mouhcine El Qryefy3, Khalil Masrour1, Otmane Ennajmi1, Paweł Chmura4
1Department of Sports Training, Sports Science and Performance Optimization Research Team, Royal Institute for Managerial Training in Youth and Sport, Salé 11000, Morocco
2Research Laboratory in Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kénitra, Morocco
3Laboratory of Electronic Systems, Information Processing, Mechanics and Energetics, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kénitra, Morocco
4Department of Individual and Team Sports, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wrocław, Poland
Physical Predictors of Sprint Performance in Moroccan Female Football Players Across Competitive Levels
Monten. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2026, 15(2), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.260910
Abstract
Physical performance profiling is essential for monitoring player development and guiding individualized training in wom- en’s football. However, multidimensional evidence from North African female football players remains limited. This study aimed to compare neuromuscular performance, sprint ability, change-of-direction speed, and maximal aerobic speed be- tween Moroccan first- and second-division female football players. A total of 105 Moroccan female football players partici- pated in this cross-sectional study, including 45 first-division and 60 second-division players. Participants completed a field- based testing battery including squat jump, countermovement jump, countermovement jump with free arms, drop jump, 10 m, 20 m, and 30 m sprint tests, a 20 m change-of-direction speed test, and the Vameval test. Between-division differences were examined using independent samples t-tests, while Pearson correlations, simple linear regressions, and multiple linear regression models were used to examine individual and combined associations with sprint performance. First-division play- ers demonstrated superior performance in DJ (p < .001, d = 1.05), CMJ (p < .001, d = 0.82), CMJ-FA (p < .001, d = 0.86), 10 m sprint (p = .044, d = 0.40), 20 m sprint (p = .013, d = 0.49), 20 m change-of-direction speed test (p = .002, d = 0.65), and VMA (p < .001, d = 0.86). No significant differences were observed for squat jump or 30 m sprint performance. Countermovement jump was associated with sprint performance across all sprint distances. The 20 m change-of-direction speed test also pre- dicted sprint performance across 10 m, 20 m, and 30 m, explaining 12.5%–21.7% of the variance. Competitive level in Moroc- can women’s football appears to be characterized by dynamic jump performance, short-distance acceleration, change-of-di- rection speed, and aerobic fitness rather than by a single isolated physical quality. Multidimensional field-based testing may help coaches monitor player development and individualize training, with CMJ performance and 20 m change-of-direction speed potentially representing useful field-based indicators of sprint ability and competitive level.
Keywords
women’s football; sprint performance; countermovement jump; change-of-direction; maximal aerobic speed; physical profiling
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