The current was a within and between group repeated measures comparison of the performance of professional and semi-professional football players following off-season and pre-season training periods on a battery of fitness tests. Following ethical approval, 23 professional and 16 semi-professional male football players completed informed consent and medical questionnaires. Participants completed two testing sessions, immediately following the off-season and 6-week pre-season training periods. A mixed design group (playing level) by time MANOVA indicated an effect for differences in performance over time (Wilks lambda 7,28 = .20, P < .01, Partial Eta2 = .90) and an interaction effect for differences in performance over time by playing level (Wilks lambda 7,28 = .20, P < .01, Partial Eta2 = .80). Univariate follow-up tests indicated effects for differences over time in body fat (F 1,44 = 54.62, P < 0.01, Partial Eta2 = .62), 15m sprint time (F 1,44 = 67.96, P < 0.01, Partial Eta2 = .67), anaerobic endurance (F 1,44 = 18.17, P < 0.01, Partial Eta2 = .35), and the YIET (F 1,44 = 46.98, P < 0.01, Partial Eta2 = .58). Interaction effects were indicated for differences in body fat (F 1,44 = 25.78, P < .01, Partial Eta2 = .43), 15m sprint time (F 1,44 = 71.36, P < .01, Partial Eta2 = .68), anaerobic endurance (F 1,44 = 5.32, P = .03, Partial Eta2 = .14), and agility (F 1,44 = 5.78, P = .02, Partial Eta2 = .15), over time by playing level. With the exception of 15m sprint time, all interaction effects were due to the greater improvements over time of the semi-professional players. Pre-season training programmes may lack sufficient specificity to illicit adaptations in certain key fitness components. Consequently, football players may be commencing the playing season without the necessary levels of conditioning.

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