The Effects of Proprioceptive Training on Speed, Agility and Quickness Performance in Young Football Players

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Kirişci İ., Gök B.

Anatolia Sport Research, cilt.7, sa.2, ss.231-242, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

Aim: The present study was conducted with a view to evaluating the effects of proprioceptive training on the performance of speed, agility, and quickness in young soccer players.

Material and Method: The study comprised a sample of 20 licensed male athletes from the U16 category of Sarıyer Belediyespor, who were free from any health issues. Participants were randomly divided into two groups using a simple (coin-toss) randomisation procedure: the experimental group (n=10) and the control group (n=10), in a pre-test–post-test control group quasi-experimental design. The experimental group underwent proprioceptive exercises in addition to regular football training for a period of six weeks, while the control group continued with its regular three-times-per-week football training programme without any additional intervention. Performance measurements were conducted on both groups using the Illinois Test, the 505 Test, and the 30-meter Speed Test before and after the six-week training period. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS 24.0 statistical software.

Results: The experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in agility (t=10.40, p<0.001, d=3.29) and quickness (t=3.61, p=0.006, d=1.14), whereas the improvement in speed was not significant (t=1.20, p=0.260). No significant pre-post changes occurred in the control group for any parameter (all p>0.05). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for pre-test scores, confirmed that the experimental group improved significantly more than the control group in agility (p<0.001) and quickness (p=0.012), but not in speed (p=0.296). These findings indicate that a six-week proprioceptive training programme produces genuine, control-group-verified improvements in agility and quickness, though a longer intervention period may be required to elicit measurable improvements in linear speed.

Conclusions: A six-week proprioceptive training programme, applied in addition to regular football training, produced statistically significant improvements in agility and quickness performance in young male footballers, while speed did not improve significantly over this period. These findings suggest that proprioceptive training can be a useful short-term addition to youth football conditioning, particularly for change-of-direction qualities, whereas the development of linear speed may require longer or more speed-specific interventions.

Keywords: Agility, Football, Proprioception, Quickness, Speed.