Background:
Force-velocity (F-V) profiling is increasingly employed in football to characterise neuromuscular performance and to guide individualised training. However, the extent to which vertical and horizontal F-V profiles reflect comparable mechanical qualities remains unclear, particularly among semi-professional players.

Methods:
Eighteen semi-professional Moroccan U23 male football players (age: 20.39 ± 1.82 years; height: 176.94 ± 9.69 cm; body mass: 65.39 ± 8.53 kg) underwent vertical F-V profiling through countermovement jump (CMJ) assessment and horizontal F-V profiling through 30-m sprint testing. Mechanical variables included theoretical maximal force (F₀), theoretical maximal velocity (V₀), maximal power output (Pmax), slope of the F-V relationship, peak ratio of horizontal force (RFmax), and rate of decrease in the force ratio (DRF). Correlation analyses, and tests for differences in profile distribution were performed.

Results:
Weak and mostly non-significant associations were observed between vertical and horizontal F-V variables, indicating limited transferability of mechanical qualities across tasks. A moderate inverse, non-significant relationship was found between F_{0_}vert and F^0_horiz (r = –0.412, p = 0.089), whereas trivial associations were observed for V0 and Pmax across tasks. Profile distribution differed significantly between vertical and horizontal assessments (χ2 = 8.667, p = 0.034), with a predominance of velocity-oriented profiles in the vertical assessment and a more balanced distribution in the horizontal assessment. Substantial inter-individual variability was also observed across both profiling approaches.

Conclusions:
Vertical and horizontal F-V profiles were only weakly associated, suggesting that these assessments may reflect task-specific mechanical characteristics rather than interchangeable expressions of explosive performance. Combining both profiling approaches may, therefore, provide a more comprehensive basis for individualised performance assessment and training prescription in football.