Functional movement screen and asymmetries in female volleyball players across playing positions

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to identify positional differences and asymmetries in functional movement patterns among female volleyball players. A total of 107 professional female athletes from the provinces of Çanakkale and Istanbul participated in the study. Height and body weight measurements were taken to calculate body mass index (BMI), and the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) was administered. Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software package. The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was employed for asymmetry analyses, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to evaluate differences across playing positions. The findings revealed no statistically significant differences in FMS test scores among players in different positions for deep squat, hurdle step, inline lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight-leg raise, trunk stability push-up, and rotary stability. Regarding injury risk, no significant associations were observed between FMS scores and injury risk for deep squat, inline lunge, active straight-leg raise, and rotary stability; however, statistically significant associations were found for hurdle step, shoulder mobility, and trunk stability push-up. In terms of right-left asymmetries, no significant differences were identified in hurdle step, inline lunge, active straight-leg raise, and rotary stability, while shoulder mobility showed a statistically significant asymmetry between the right and left sides. In conclusion, FMS performance was found to be similar across playing positions among female volleyball players. Additionally, FMS testing appears to be a valuable tool for identifying movement-related indicators and detecting asymmetries in this population. FMS results may be practically applied to support individualized training design and preseason screening in volleyball players.