The Relative Age Effect in Soccer: Cross-Cultural Evidence for a Systematic Discrimination against Children Born Late in the Competition Year

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jochen Musch ◽  
Roy Hay
Keyword(s):  
Age Effect ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Birth Date ◽  
Cultural Comparison ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Cross Cultural Comparison ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Professional Soccer

Previous findings of skewed birth date distributions among sports professionals have been interpreted as evidence for a systematic discrimination against children born shortly before the cut-off date for each age grouping. Alternative explanations for these findings exist, however. This research therefore attempted to replicate the effect in a cross-cultural comparison. A strong relative age effect in professional soccer was found in Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Australia, showing that the effect is independent of different cut-off dates and a variety of climatic and sociocultural factors. A shifted peak in the birth date distribution of Australian soccer professionals paralleling a corresponding change in the cut-off date in Australian soccer in 1989 was also established. This pattern of results provides strong evidence for the cut-off date in youth soccer as the main cause for the relative age effect in professional soccer.

The Relative Age Effect in Elite German Youth Soccer: Implications for a Successful Career

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Skorski ◽  
Stefan Skorski ◽  
Oliver Faude ◽  
Daniel Hammes ◽  
Tim Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Age Effect ◽  
Birth Date ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Professional Soccer ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Soccer Teams

Purpose:To investigate whether anthropometric profiles and fitness measures vary according to birth-date distribution in the German national youth soccer teams and to analyze whether there is a difference in the chance of becoming a professional soccer player depending on birth quarter (BQ).Methods:First, 554 players were divided into 6 age groups (U16–U21), each subdivided into 4 BQs. Every player performed at least one 30-m sprint, a countermovement jump, and an incremental test to determine individual anaerobic threshold. For players performing more than 1 test within a team, the best 1 was included. Since some players were part of several different teams, a total of 832 data sets from 495 individual soccer players, all born from 1987 to 1995, divided into 6 age categories (U16–U21) were included.Results:Overall, more players were born in BQ1 than in all other BQs (P < .05). No significant difference between BQs could be observed in any anthropometric or performance characteristics (P > .18). Players born in BQ4 were more likely to become professional than those born in BQ1 (odds ratio 3.04, confidence limits 1.53–6.06).Conclusion:A relative age effect exists in elite German youth soccer, but it is not explained by an advantage in anthropometric or performance-related parameters. Younger players selected into national teams have a greater chance to become professionals later in their career.

scholarly journals The New Generation of Professional Soccer Talent Is Born under the Bias of the RAE: Relative Age Effect in International Male Youth Soccer Championships

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1117
Author(s):  
Benito Pérez-González ◽  
Jairo León-Quismondo ◽  
José Bonal ◽  
Pablo Burillo ◽  
Álvaro Fernández-Luna
Keyword(s):  
Age Effect ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
South American ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Professional Soccer ◽  
Unequal Opportunities ◽  
New Generation

In 2019, numerous championships of youth categories soccer national teams were held. In the present study, we analyzed the existence of the Relative Age Effect (RAE) in four major male championships that, due to their importance and participating teams, most likely brought together the great bulk of the players who will dominate professional soccer in the next decade. Participants were professional and amateur youth male soccer players who participated in the last international championships: UEFA European Under-21 Championship (2017–2019); UEFA European Under-19 Championship (2019); South American Youth Football Championship (also known as Conmebol U-20) (2019); and FIFA U-20 World Cup (2019), with 823 players (20.25 ± 0.84 years). In the four championships analyzed, the existence of RAE was found for all players (p < 0.001). Analyzing the players when considering their position on the pitch and their championship, RAE was found, statistically significant, in 10 of the 16 classifications. New generations of elite soccer players arrive with a clear bias in the selection of talent; an unfair bias, based on unequal opportunities in early categories, which should be reviewed by sports authorities.

scholarly journals Efecto relativo de la edad en futbol: estudio en un club Vasco profesional (Relative age effect in soccer: a study in a professional Basque club)

Retos ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 95-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iraia Bidaurrazaga-Letona ◽  
Aduna Badiola ◽  
Cristina Granados ◽  
José Antonio Lekue ◽  
Markos Amado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Age Effect ◽  
Birth Date ◽  
Identification Process ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Professional Soccer ◽  
Selection Processes ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
High Level

El efecto relativo de la edad (RAE) ha sido ampliamente estudiado en futbol revelando una distribución de nacimientos sesgada que favorece a los jugadores nacidos en los primeros meses del año. También, se ha observado que el efecto es más relevante en los equipos de alto nivel. Con esto en mente, este estudio analiza el predominio del efecto relativo de la edad en diferentes equipos de un club de futbol profesional así como en los procesos de selección de este. Considerando todo el equipo, la distribución difiere significantemente de la distribución teórica esperada (p<.05). Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los nacimientos observados y los esperados en las categorías alevines (masculino, x2 = 8.14, p<.05; femenino, x2 = 11.5, p<.01). Además, en la categoría femenina no hubo ninguna jugadora nacida entre septiembre y diciembre del año de selección. Sin embargo, no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los resultados esperados y observados en categorías superiores a pesar de observarse una distribución sesgada. En conjunto, hubo una sobrerrepresentación de jugadores nacidos en los primeros meses del año en todo el equipo confirmando la presencia del RAE en el club. Por otra parte, al analizar el efecto en los procesos de selección confirmamos que este comenzaba antes de que los jugadores ingresasen en el club. Se observaron diferencias significativas en todas las fases de selección entre los jugadores seleccionados y no seleccionados (x2 = 18.10-7.80, p<.05). En consecuencia, podemos decir que el RAE comienza en la identificación temprana de los jugadores. Palabras clave: Fecha de nacimiento, RAE, fútbol, club profesional.Abstract: The presence of RAE has been widely reported and studied in soccer revealing skewed birth-date distributions favoring individuals born early in the selection year. Indeed, it has been documented that RAE is more relevant in high level teams. With this in mind, the present study examined the prevalence of the Relative Age Effect (RAE) in different age groups of a professional soccer club and in the selection processes of the same club. Considering the entire club, distribution differs significantly from the theoretical distribution expected (p<.05). Regarding different categories, there were significant differences between the observed and expected births in both alevin categories (male, x2 = 8.14, p<.05; female, x2 = 11.5, p<.01). Moreover, in womens alevin age group none of the players was born between September and December of the selection year. Nevertheless, they were not significant differences between the expected and observed results in higher categories but a comparatively biased distribution was observed. Overall, we found an over-representation of players born at the beginning of the year confirming the presence of the RAE in the club. When analyzing the effect of RAE in the talent identification process we observed that it begins before the players enter the club. Comparing the distributions of the not-selected players against the selected players significant differences were found in each of the selection phases (x2 = 18.10-7.80, p<.05). Thus, results revealed that the relative age effect acts in the early identification process of the players.Keywords: Birth date, RAE, soccer, professional club.

scholarly journals Does Relative Age Effect Exist among Norwegian Professional Soccer Players?

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Wiium ◽  
Yngrar Ommundsen ◽  
Hege R. Enksen ◽  
Stein Atle Lie
Keyword(s):  
Age Effect ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Professional Soccer

scholarly journals Relative age effect, skeletal maturation and aerobic running performance in youth soccer players

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anderson Santiago Teixeira ◽  
Juliano Fernandes da Silva ◽  
Priscila Cristina dos Santos ◽  
Paulo Cesar do Nascimento Salvador ◽  
Fernando de Souza Campos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Effect ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Skeletal Maturation ◽  
Running Performance ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect

The relative age effect in European professional soccer: Did ten years of research make any difference?

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15) ◽  
pp. 1665-1671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner F. Helsen ◽  
Joseph Baker ◽  
Stijn Michiels ◽  
Joerg Schorer ◽  
Jan Van winckel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Effect ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Professional Soccer

scholarly journals Relative Age Effect and Long-Term Success in the Spanish Soccer and Basketball National Teams

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina López de Subijana ◽  
Jorge Lorenzo
Keyword(s):  
Selection Process ◽  
Age Effect ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
National Team ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Professional Soccer ◽  
Premier League ◽  
Talent Selection

AbstractThe aims of this study were: i) to analyze whether relative age effect occurs in the athletes of the junior national teams and professional athletes in Spain in general and in soccer and basketball, and ii) to compare the long-term success of the players selected for the junior national team between these sports. The samples for this study were Spanish professional soccer (n = 461) and basketball (n = 250) players in the 2013-2014 premier league and players from the junior Spanish soccer (i.e., n = 273; U-17: n = 107; U-19: n = 166) and basketball (i.e., n = 240; U-18: n = 120, U-16: n = 120) teams that classified to play in the European Championships (from 2004 to 2013). Junior players (42.3%) were more frequently born in the 1st quarter of the year than the professional players (30.7%) (χ2(3) = 30.07; p = .001; Vc = .157). This was found in both basketball (χ2(3) = 12.2.; p = .007; Vc = .158) and soccer (χ2(3) = 20.13; p < .001; Vc = .166). Long-term success is more frequent in soccer, where 59.9% of the juniors selected for the national team played later in the premier league, while in basketball that percentage was 39.6% (χ2(1) = 14.64; p < .001; Vc = .201). On the other hand, 79.4% and 39.8% of the professional soccer and basketball players had been previously selected for junior national teams (χ2(1) = 60.2; p < .001; Vc = .386), respectively. The talent selection process should be reviewed as players born in the second half of the year have fewer opportunities to stand out.

scholarly journals Relative Age Effect in the Sport Environment. Role of Physical Fitness and Cognitive Function in Youth Soccer Players

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (16) ◽  
pp. 2837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florentino Huertas ◽  
Rafael Ballester ◽  
Honorato José Gines ◽  
Abdel Karim Hamidi ◽  
Consuelo Moratal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Age Effect ◽  
Anthropometric Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Attentional Functioning ◽  
Age Related

The need to achieve short-term competitive outcomes in sports may influence the emergence of talent selection strategies, which could bias individuals’ opportunities. The present study aimed to further explore the relative age effect (RAE), a phenomenon that strongly influences youth sport development. The RAE refers to a disproportionately high percentage in sport teams of athletes born early in the selection year. Our primary focus was to explore whether the RAE is supported by behavioral evidence in favor of better fitness—and especially cognitive-attentional functioning—of early as compared to late-born players. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 105 young athletes (u10, n = 52; 9.8 ± 0.3 years old, and u12, n = 53; 11.8 ± 0.2 years old) attending two youth elite soccer academies. Attentional functioning, anthropometrics, physical fitness, and game intelligence were compared across two Age Groups (u10 vs. u12) and four Birth Quarters (BQ1–BQ4). The RAE was statistically significant (p < 0.001), showing that about 50% of participants were born in the first quarter and 75% were born in the first half of the year. More importantly, U12 players outperformed u10 players in measures that were related to sustained attention (with faster and less variable responses; p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively), and in all anthropometric measures (p < 0.001), physical-fitness capacities (p < 0.05). Crucially, neither the attentional measures, game intelligence, anthropometrics, nor physical fitness were affected by BQ (all ps > 0.1 and BF10 between 0.08 and 0.6, showing strong evidence for the null hypothesis). The present findings suggest that the early selection process that occurs during scouting in youth soccer academies offsets the age-related differences that could be anticipated in cognitive skills, anthropometrics, and physical abilities, due to growth and maturation. These birth asymmetries could lead teams to disregard later maturation athletes and athletes born later in the year inducing a larger dropout of those players with the consequent reduction in the talent pool.

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