| Comparison of Dribbling Speed and Performance in Adolescent Soccer Players with and Without Genu Varum |
| Paper ID : 1457-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
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نیلوفر قشقائی1, مهسا حکیمی پور2, محمد حسین علیزاده3, هومن مینونژاد *4 1کارشناس ارشد آسیب شناسی ورزشی و حرکات اصلاحی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران 2دکترای آسیب شناسی ورزشی و حرکات اصلاحی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران 3استاد گروه آسیب شناسی و بیومکانیک ورزشی، دانشکده علوم ورزشی و تندرستی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران 4دانشیار گروه آسیب شناسی و بیومکانیک ورزشی، دانشکده علوم ورزشی و تندرستی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: Genu varum, or bow-leggedness, is a common postural deviation among soccer players. This study aimed to investigate the effect of genu varum on dribbling speed and performance in adolescent soccer players. Methods: This field-based comparative study was conducted with the participation of 68 male soccer players aged 16–18 years, who were divided into two groups based on the intercondylar distance of the knees: those with and without genu varum. The tests used included the shuttle dribble test and the modified Illinois dribble test, which respectively assessed dribbling performance under peak and fatigued conditions, as well as change-of-direction speed with the ball. Given the normal distribution of the data, independent t-tests were applied for statistical analysis at the significance level of p < 0. 05 using SPSS version 26. Results: The findings indicated that players with genu varum demonstrated significantly better dribbling speed and quality (p < 0. 05) compared to their counterparts without the condition. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that genu varum is not necessarily a limiting factor in the technical performance of soccer players and may even provide a performance advantage in certain specific skills, such as dribbling. The observed performance differences between the groups may be attributed to compensatory biomechanical mechanisms in the lower limb structure of individuals with genu varum, which could optimize agility and ball control. Based on these findings, designing corrective and sport-specific training programs tailored to the structural characteristics of athletes is recommended. |
| Keywords |
| Dribbling speed, dribbling performance, soccer, genu varum |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
