title: Maturational effect on Functional Movement Screen™ score in adolescent soccer players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effect of maturity on Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores in elite, adolescent soccer players was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study was completed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 1163 male English Football League soccer players (age 8-18 years). Players were mid-foundation phase (MF) (U9); late foundation phase (LF) (U10 and U11); early youth development phase (EYD) (U12 and U13); mid-youth development (MYD) phase (U14-U15); Late Youth Development Phase (LYD) (U16) and early professional development phase (EPD) (U18). Age from peak height velocity was estimated and players were categorized as pre- or post-peak height velocity (PHV). To analyse where differences in FMStotal score existed we separated the screen into FMSmove (3 movement tests); FMSflex (2 mobility tests) and FMSstab (2 stability tests).
  
  
  RESULTS
  FMStotal median score ranged from 11 at MF to 14 for EPD. There was a substantial increase (10%) in those able to achieve a score of ≥14 on FMStotal in those who were post-PHV compared to pre-PHV. This was explained by a substantial increase in those achieving a score of ≥4 on FMSstab (21%). There was a substantial increase in the proportion of players who achieved the FMStotal threshold of ≥14 with an increase of 47.5 (41.4-53.6)% from the MF phase to the EPD phase due to improvements in FMSmove and FMSstab.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PHV and maturity have substantial effects on FMS performance. FMS assessment appears to be invalid for very young players. Findings are relevant to those analyzing movement in soccer players.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport & Exercise Sciences, Teesside University, UK. Electronic address: m.portas@tees.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Matthew David
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Portas
authors.affiliation: Pro-Football Support, Huddersfield, UK.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parkin
authors.affiliation: Pro-Football Support, Huddersfield, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Health & Social Care Institute, Teesside University, UK.
authors.forename: Alan Mark
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Batterham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000145:classification*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Adolescence; Athletic performance; Football; Movement