ORIGINAL PAPER
Bilateral lower-limb flexibility and its association with jump performance in football players
1
Department of Movement and Training Sciences, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
Submission date: 2026-01-11
Acceptance date: 2026-04-08
Online publication date: 2026-06-03
Corresponding author
Fahri Safa Cinarli
Department of Movement and Training Sciences, Inonu University, Elazığ Road, 10th km, 44281, Battalgazi, Malatya, Turkey
Department of Movement and Training Sciences, Inonu University, Elazığ Road, 10th km, 44281, Battalgazi, Malatya, Turkey
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
This study aimed to examine the association between bilateral lower-limb flexibility asymmetries and both vertical and horizontal jump performance in adolescent football players.
Methods:
Adolescent male football players (n = 20; age, 16.4 ± 0.68 years) voluntarily participated. Bilateral flexibility was assessed using a manual goniometer, while jump performance was evaluated through countermovement jump and standing long jump tests. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationships and explain the variance.
Results:
Significant negative correlations were observed between flexibility asymmetries and countermovement jump performance for the hamstrings (r = –0.624, p = 0.003), quadriceps (r = –0.652, p = 0.002), and plantarflexors (r = –0.608, p = 0.004). Standing long jump performance was negatively correlated with quadriceps (r = –0.530, p = 0.016), plantarflexor (r = –0.518, p = 0.019), and hamstring (r = –0.477, p = 0.034) flexibility asymmetries. Regression analyses revealed that asymmetries in hamstrings, quadriceps, and plantarflexors significantly predicted both vertical (r2 = 0.370–0.425) and horizontal (r2 = 0.227–0.281) jump performance.
Conclusions:
Bilateral lower-limb flexibility asymmetries were negatively associated with vertical and horizontal jump performance. These findings highlight the potential relevance of monitoring flexibility asymmetries in youth football training contexts.
This study aimed to examine the association between bilateral lower-limb flexibility asymmetries and both vertical and horizontal jump performance in adolescent football players.
Methods:
Adolescent male football players (n = 20; age, 16.4 ± 0.68 years) voluntarily participated. Bilateral flexibility was assessed using a manual goniometer, while jump performance was evaluated through countermovement jump and standing long jump tests. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationships and explain the variance.
Results:
Significant negative correlations were observed between flexibility asymmetries and countermovement jump performance for the hamstrings (r = –0.624, p = 0.003), quadriceps (r = –0.652, p = 0.002), and plantarflexors (r = –0.608, p = 0.004). Standing long jump performance was negatively correlated with quadriceps (r = –0.530, p = 0.016), plantarflexor (r = –0.518, p = 0.019), and hamstring (r = –0.477, p = 0.034) flexibility asymmetries. Regression analyses revealed that asymmetries in hamstrings, quadriceps, and plantarflexors significantly predicted both vertical (r2 = 0.370–0.425) and horizontal (r2 = 0.227–0.281) jump performance.
Conclusions:
Bilateral lower-limb flexibility asymmetries were negatively associated with vertical and horizontal jump performance. These findings highlight the potential relevance of monitoring flexibility asymmetries in youth football training contexts.
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