Functional Movement Quality, Dynamic Balance and Injury Risk Profiles in Adolescent Soccer Players: Comparison with Sedentary Adolescents

Background Functional movement quality and dynamic balance are key components that play an important role in relation to injury risk (SR) in adolescent athletes. Rapid growth and neuromuscular changes during mid-adolescence can increase susceptibility to movement deficiencies and sports-related injuries. Comparing physically active and sedentary adolescents within the same methodological framework may contribute to a better understanding of modifiable IR factors. Methods A total of 184 adolescents aged 14–16 years were included in the study (48 male soccer players, 45 female soccer players, 48 sedentary males, and 43 sedentary females). Functional movement quality was assessed using Functional Movement Analysis (FMS), and dynamic balance was assessed using the Y-Balance Test. Agility, flexibility, and coordination tests were applied to assess biomotor capacities. The effects of activity level (soccer player/sedentary) and gender (male/female) on motor performance variables were analysed using 2x2 factorial ANOVA. The relationships between the groups' FMS, Y-Balance scores, and biomotor performance capacities were examined using Pearson correlation analysis. Results Football player groups exhibited significantly higher FMS scores (p < 0.05), Y-Balance composite scores (p < 0.001), and agility performance (p < 0.001) compared to sedentary participants. Activity level emerged as the primary determinant for all motor performance variables (p < 0.001), while the effect of gender was more limited. Significant correlations were found between FMS and Y-Balance test scores and agility and coordination performances (r = − 0.42 vs 0.58, p < 0.01). No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of IR (p > 0.05). Conclusion Regular soccer training was found to positively affect the functional movement quality, dynamic balance, and agility performance of adolescents. The results suggested that FMS and Y-Balance Tests were more suitable tools for identifying individual movement deficiencies and planning targeted training programs in this age group, rather than solely predicting IR.