Introduction: Football is a sport that requires a variety of motor skills during both high- and low-intensity efforts. Motor abilities such as speed, endurance and balance are crucial in adolescent football players; it is likely that performance on individual tests assessing each motor ability should show some relationships. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between balance and running tests in adolescent football players. Material and methods: Fifty adolescent male football players (mean age: 16.6 ± 0.5 years) who had been training football were included in the study. The study was conducted over the period of three consecutive training days. All athletes underwent measurements on the stabilometric platform, Y-Balance Test (Y-BT), speed test, and endurance (beep) test. Results: There were significant correlations between the speed test (measured on 5 m, 10 m, 30 m) and the anterior direction reach distance for right limb (R = -0.45, p < 0.001; R = -0.59, p < 0.001; R = -0.44, p = 0.001), left limb (R = -0.43, p = 0.001; R = -0.57, p < 0.001; R = -0.45, p = 0.001) and anterior direction mean score (R = -0.44, p = 0.001, R = -0.57, p < 0.001, R = -0.45, p = 0.001). The following stabilometric measurement track length (eyes open 30 s) was correlated with speed measured at 5 m (R = 0.78, p < 0.001), at 10 m (R = 0.68, p < 0.001) and at 30 m (R = 0.67, p < 0.001). There was also a negative correlation between the total number of completed 20 m repetitions in endurance test and the posteromedial direction in the Y-BT on the left (R = -0.33, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Adolescent football players show moderate to very strong correlations between balance parameters (static and dynamic) and linear speed. The results of the present study point to the need for further research into the role of balance training in the development of some motor skills like endurance or speed.
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