To describe the anthropometric and maturity characteristics of a young athlete population who wish to play professional football

We studied 108 players (14-16 years) belonging to the schools of Sporting Club of Portugal.

The variables used in this study were weight, height, predicted height and sitting height, maturity and the specific position. The players were grouped by age and by specific positions.

We found significant differences by age in all variables except for height prediction. The centers presented significant differences in all variables when compared with the forwards, in all but the weight when compared with the defenders, and in stature when compared with the goalkeepers.

Height and weight are not critical for performance, but should be considered for the choice of certain specific positions.