Relative Age Effect (RAE) in Football Talents – the Role of Youth Academies in Transition to Professional Status in Germany

Abstract We test for the existence of relative age effects in professional American football. In a sample of 18,898 football players born on or after 1940, there is an excess of January and February births – consistent with a relative age effect associated with calendar year – as well as a slight increase in September births – consistent with the fact that some football players we analyze attended high school in states with fall school cutoff dates. We consider the possibility that relative age effects may affect skilled football positions more than positions relying heavily on player weight, and we find suggestive evidence of this. Lastly, and contrary to what has recently been shown in professional hockey, we find no evidence that misguided preferences for relatively older players lead to selection-based inefficiencies in football player drafting. Our results have implications for evaluating potential football players and speak broadly to the role of physiological factors beyond player control on athletic success.

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The relative age effect in FIFA U-17 World Cup: The role of the playing position and the continent

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity ◽

10.29359/bjhpa.12.2.02 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 12-18

Author(s):

ALI IŞIN ◽

TUBA MELEKOĞLU

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Age Effect ◽

Group Differences ◽

Football Players ◽

World Cup ◽

Chi Square ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the relative age effect of the countries which attended the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and to research the relative age effect in terms of continents and the players’ position. Material and methods: 504 male football players from 24 countries which participated in the U-17 World Cup in India in 2017 were included in the study. Football players’ dates of birth were grouped into periods of three months in quarter years (Q): Q1 – January-March, Q2 – April-June, Q3 – July-September, Q4 – October-December. To study the sub-group differences of the relative age effect, meaningful chi-square (χ²) values were followed by calculating the odds ratio and %95 confidence intervals. To determine the effect size, Cramer’s V was used. Results: The relative age effect was based on quarter years’ distributions. Significant differences were found among age quartiles for all teams in FIFA U-17 World Cup. However, when the variables analysed were according to the continents, the relative age effect disappeared in Africa, Asia and Oceania. Conclusions: In the comparison of the players’ continents, a relative age effect was observed in Europe, North America, and South America. When the players’ positions are compared, a relative age effect was found in defenders, midfielders and forward players.

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Prevalence of Relative Age Effect in Russian Soccer: The Role of Chronological Age and Performance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16214055 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (21) ◽

pp. 4055 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Eduard Nikolayevich Bezuglov ◽

Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis ◽

Vladimir Khaitin ◽

Elvira Usmanova ◽

Anastasiya Luibushkina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Effect ◽

Fourth Quarter ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Chronological Age ◽

Children And Adolescent ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect ◽

And Performance ◽

Selection Of

The relative age effect (RAE) has been well studied in adolescent and adult soccer players; however, less information has been available about children engaged in regular soccer training and the role of performance. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of RAE in children and adolescent soccer players, as well as the role of age and performance. Russian soccer players (n = 10,446) of various ages, playing positions and performance levels were examined for their date of birth. It was observed that RAE was widespread in Russian soccer teams of all age groups. RAE was most pronounced in children teams of the top tier Russian soccer academies and junior Russia national teams, where the proportions of soccer players born in the first quarter were 43.9% and 39.8%, respectively, whereas those born in the fourth quarter of the year were 7.7% and 6.3%, respectively. In top tier soccer academies, RAE did not vary by age group. In the middle tier soccer academies, RAE was less pronounced. It was still prevalent in the junior teams of the top tier clubs of the Russian Premier League, where 14.3% of the soccer players were born in the fourth quarter of the year compared to 42.9% born in the first quarter of the year. RAE can be observed in the top tier Russian adult teams as well, although it is less pronounced there. In summary, RAE is highly prevalent in Russian children and junior soccer and is associated with the level of competitiveness. At the same time, the proportion of players born in the fourth quarter of the year is higher in adult teams than in junior and youth teams, which is most likely due to the wider selection of players, not limited by their age and place of residence. In junior teams, RAE results in a bias towards selection of players who are more physically mature, whereas children who may be more talented but are less developed due to their younger chronological age tend to be overlooked.

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The Role of a Relative Age Effect in the 12th Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in 2015

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.1177/0031512516640390 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 122 (2) ◽

pp. 701-718 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Lisa Müller ◽

Carolin Hildebrandt ◽

Martin Schnitzer ◽

Christian Raschner

Keyword(s):

Age Effect ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect ◽

European Youth

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The role of a relative age effect in the first winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2012-091535 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 46 (15) ◽

pp. 1038-1043 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Christian Raschner ◽

Lisa Müller ◽

Carolin Hildebrandt

Keyword(s):

Olympic Games ◽

Age Effect ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect

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Relative Age effect of Dance : Focused on college Dance major

Korean Journal of Sports Science ◽

10.35159/kjss.2019.02.28.1.995 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 995-1004

Author(s):

Hye-Ryeon Kim ◽

Ji-Yong Lee

Keyword(s):

Age Effect ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect

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Born Leaders: The Relative-Age Effect and Managerial Success

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.1154728 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Qianqian Du ◽

Huasheng Gao ◽

Maurice D. Levi

Keyword(s):

Age Effect ◽

Relative Age ◽

Managerial Success ◽

Relative Age Effect

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Differences on Motor Competence in 4-Year-Old Boys and Girls Regarding the Quarter of Birth: Is There a Relative Age Effect?

Children ◽

10.3390/children8020141 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 141

Author(s):

Rubén Navarro-Patón ◽

Víctor Arufe-Giráldez ◽

Alberto Sanmiguel-Rodríguez ◽

Marcos Mecías-Calvo

Keyword(s):

Age Effect ◽

Manual Dexterity ◽

Motor Competence ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect ◽

Two Factors ◽

Movement Assessment ◽

Gender Factor ◽

Main Effects ◽

Total Test

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences on motor competence between boys and girls aged 4 years old and investigate the existence of Relative Age Effect on their motor competence. In total, 132 preschool children were evaluated, of whom 60 (45.50%) were girls and 72 (54.5%) were boys. The distribution of the participants was from quarter 1 [n = 28 (21.2%)], quarter 2 [n = 52 (39.4%)], quarter 3 [n = 24 (18.2%)], and quarter 4 [(n = 28 (21.2%)], respectively. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) was used to collect the data. The data show the main effects on quarter of birth factor in manual dexterity (MD; p < 0.001), in aiming and catching (A&C; p < 0.001), in balance (Bal; p < 0.001) and in total test score (TTS; p < 0.001). There are also statistical differences on gender factor in MD (p < 0.001) and in TTS (p = 0.031). A significant effect was also found in the interaction between two factors (gender and quarter of birth) in MD (p < 0.001), A&C (p < 0.001), and Bal (p < 0.001). There are differences in all the variables studied according to the quarter of birth and only in manual dexterity and in the total score if compared according to gender (the scores are higher in girls).

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Relative Age Effect on Motor Competence in Children Aged 4–5 Years

Children ◽

10.3390/children8020115 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 115

Author(s):

Rubén Navarro-Patón ◽

Marcos Mecías-Calvo ◽

José Eugenio Rodríguez Fernández ◽

Víctor Arufe-Giráldez

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Test Score ◽

Age Effect ◽

Manual Dexterity ◽

Motor Competence ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect ◽

Movement Assessment ◽

Total Test ◽

Total Test Score

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a Relative Age Effect (RAE) exists in motor competence of preschool children. The hypothesis was that motor competence, assessed by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), would be higher in preschool children born in the first quarter of the year compared to those who were born in the last quarter of the same year. A total of 360 preschool children were evaluated of whom 208 (57.8%) were boys and 152 (42.8%) were girls, with a mean age of 4.52 years old (± 0.50). The distribution of the participants was 172 children aged 4 years old and 188 aged 5 years old. The data showed a main effect on the age factor in the total score of aiming and catching (p < 0.001) and in the total test score (p < 0.001), in the quarter of birth factor in all the dimensions studied (i.e., total score of manual dexterity (p < 0.001); total score of aiming and catching (p = 0.001); total score of balance (p < 0.001); total test score (p < 0.001)) and in the interaction between both factors (i.e., total score of manual dexterity (p = 0.005); total score of aiming and catching (p = 0.002); total score of balance (p < 0.001); total test score (p < 0.001)). Age and quarter of birth produce a RAE in 4 and 5-year-old preschool children’s motor competence.

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