The Functional Movement Screen total score and physical performance in elite male collegiate soccer players

The objectives of this study were to compare the differences in physical performance of elite male collegiate soccer players according to the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) total scores and to investigate the association between the FMS total score and physical performance. A total of 20 elite male collegiate soccer players (mean age, 19.6±0.7 years; height, 173.4±4.4 cm; body weight, 66.9±7.3 kg; and body mass index, 22.0±2.0 kg/m(2)) participated in the present study. The subjects were divided into two groups: the high FMS (FMS total score ≥14 points, n=10) and low FMS (FMS total score <14 points, n=10). All participants completed 10-m and 30-m sprint tests, the arrowhead agility test (right and left), and a coordination test. The statistical methods used to verify the study results were the independent sample t-test and Kendall’s Tau b correlation test. There were significant differences between the high and low FMS groups in the 10-m (P=0.014) and 30-m sprint (P=0.002) and arrowhead agility tests (right, P=0.039). Conversely, there were no significant differences in the arrowhead agility (left) and coordination tests between the two groups (P>0.05). Moreover, the FMS total score was found to have significant negative correlations with the 10-m sprint (r=−0.444, P=0.017), 30-m sprint (r=−0.425, P=0.016), and arrowhead agility tests (right, r=−0.389, P=0.023). These results suggest that higher FMS total scores could have a positive effect on the physical performance of the players.