ArticlePDF Available

Family Planning: Football Style. The Relative Age Effect in Football

DOI:10.1177/101269029202700105
Authors:
Roger Barnsley at Thompson Rivers University
Roger Barnsley
Angus Thompson at Institute of Health Economics
Angus Thompson
Philipe Legault
Philipe Legault
Philipe Legault
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Download full-text PDFDownload full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that month of birth is related to achievement in a number of sports. Birth dates were collected for all players on teams competing in the 1990 World Cup and the 1989 Under-17s and Under-20s World Tournaments in Football. Results indicated that those born early in the "activity year" (August 1 through July 31 for football) were over- represented, while those born later were under-represented. The effect was particularly strong in the Under-17s and Under-20s tournaments. Results are interpreted in the context of the "relative age effect".
Football19
92.PDF
Content uploaded by Roger Barnsley
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Roger Barnsley on Oct 19, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
Football19
92.PDF
Content uploaded by Roger Barnsley
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Roger Barnsley on Oct 19, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
... There is also a growing interest in systematic reviews and meta-analyses on RAE (Johnston et al., 2018;Sarmento et al., 2018), and there have been studies focused purely on differences between chronological age and expected age among annual age-grouped cohorts across various sports or exclusively in female sports (Smith et al., 2018). Although the first publication about RAE in soccer (Barnsley et al., 1992) was published seven years after the first RAE publication in sport (i.e., ice hockey) (Barnsley et al., 1985) and 37 years after the original publication on the RAE in the education system generally (Green & Simmons, 1962), RAE in soccer has become the most frequently published topic in sports science. From among 260 RAE publications in our personal database, 112 were devoted to (or partially contained) RAE themes applicable to soccer players (i.e., 43.08%). ...
The Relative Age Effect at Different Age Periods in Soccer: A Meta-Analysis
Article
  • Oct 2023
In the selection of young athletes, earlier-born adolescents often leverage their temporary biological advantage over their later-born peers from the same cohort, giving rise to the phenomenon known as the Relative Age Effect (RAE). In this study, we delved into the complexities of the RAE in soccer by reviewing 563 independent research samples across 90 articles. Our analysis showed that age period and performance level are pivotal factors influencing the magnitude of the RAE. The adolescent age period emerged as a significant RAE determinant, showcasing the highest effect size magnitudes in our findings. Among athletes of different performance levels, adult European soccer players have been extensively studied, and they have exhibited the most pronounced RAE magnitudes. Intriguingly, our findings reveal another compelling trend: the frequency of players born early versus late in the eligible birth year escalated as player performance levels increased, particularly during adolescence. Coaches and players appear to capitalize unconsciously on this maturational advantage, though this strategy wanes post-adolescence. While there are currently no penalties for this team selection practice, our findings stress the need for coaches to comprehend the ramifications of selecting athletes with an age bias We offer insights into RAE complexities, highlight the synergy of age and performance in these transitory advantages, and advance arguments for more fairly selecting and developing youth athletes.
View
... Diferentes estudios (Helsen et al., 2012;Jiménez & Pain, 2008;Lovell et al., 2015) han podido establecer que el fútbol es uno de los deportes con más RAE a nivel mundial y, puede aumentar según el nivel de la competición (Mujika et al., 2009). Un estudio realizado por Barnsley et al. (1992), identificó en el Mundial de fútbol Italia 1990, que un 55% de los sujetos participantes nacieron en el primer semestre. Asimismo, el análisis de los Mundiales sub-17 y sub-20 del mismo año, determinaron resultados más significativos para los RAE, encontrando un 79% de nacidos en el primer semestre del año. ...
Artículo original Efectos de la edad relativa en jugadoras de Fútbol Effects of relative age on female soccer players Efeitos da idade relativa em jogadores de futebol
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2023
RESUMEN El fútbol es uno de los deportes con más efectos de la edad relativa a nivel mundial y en donde se evidencia menor producción en muestras femeninas. El objetivo de esta investigación es identificar los efectos de la edad relativa en las selecciones sub-17 femeninas participantes de la Copa Mundial FIFA (India, 2022).El presente estudio es de tipo descriptivo observacional. Asimismo, los datos fueron analizados por continente y posición de juego utilizando la prueba estadística de chi-cuadrada. Los resultados permitieron identificar la presencia de estos en las selecciones femeninas participantes en la copa mundial Sub-17. No se encontró efecto de la edad relativa para el análisis por posiciones de juego, pero se observó una tendencia por la selección de jugadoras en el primer semestre del año, especialmente para las posiciones de porteras y defensas. Palabras clave: Fútbol, edad relativa, identificación de talentos, deporte femenino.
View
... Diferentes estudios (Helsen et al., 2012;Jiménez & Pain, 2008;Lovell et al., 2015) han podido establecer que el fútbol es uno de los deportes con más RAE a nivel mundial y, puede aumentar según el nivel de la competición (Mujika et al., 2009). Un estudio realizado por Barnsley et al. (1992), identificó en el Mundial de fútbol Italia 1990, que un 55% de los sujetos participantes nacieron en el primer semestre. Asimismo, el análisis de los Mundiales sub-17 y sub-20 del mismo año, determinaron resultados más significativos para los RAE, encontrando un 79% de nacidos en el primer semestre del año. ...
Efectos de la edad relativa en jugadoras de Fútbol
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2023
El fútbol es uno de los deportes con más efectos de la edad relativa a nivel mundial y en donde se evidencia menor producción en muestras femeninas. El objetivo de esta investigación es identificar los efectos de la edad relativa en las selecciones sub-17 femeninas participantes de la Copa Mundial FIFA (India, 2022).El presente estudio es de tipo descriptivo observacional. Asimismo, los datos fueron analizados por continente y posición de juego utilizando la prueba estadística de chi-cuadrada. Los resultados permitieron identificar la presencia de estos en las selecciones femeninas participantes en la copa mundial Sub-17. No se encontró efecto de la edad relativa para el análisis por posiciones de juego, pero se observó una tendencia por la selección de jugadoras en el primer semestre del año, especialmente para las posiciones de porteras y defensas. Palabras clave: Fútbol, edad relativa, identificación de talentos, deporte femenino.
View
... As a result, it has been observed that the relative age effect in senior football decreases with increasing age. The first study evaluating RAE in national teams was written by Barnsley et al. (1992), who found in the 1990 World Cup that 55% of players were born in the first half of the year. In the U-17 and U-20 World Cup, a greater bias was shown, as in the average of both, 79% of players were found to have been born in the first half of the year. ...
A comparative examination of World Cup Champions of European and American origin of national football players in terms of "relative age effect"
Article
  • Jun 2023
This study aimed to analysis the birth date distributions of the champion players between the years 1930-2022 to determine whether the FIFA World Cup champion national team football players between the years 1930-2022 were affected by the "Relative Age Effect" phenomenon. The universe of the research consisted of the national teams that were champions in the 1930-2022 FIFA World Cup Finals. The samples consisted of the football player group of the national teams that won the championship. The model of the research was determined as "Basic Qualitative Research". The data collection technique in the research was determined as "Document Analysis". The data analysis was made according to the Miles & Huberman model, which is a descriptive analysis form. In the study, the information of the athletes was detailed by looking at the squad structure for the FIFA World Cup champion national team football players between the years 1930-2022. In the highest level of professional football, it has been seen that the champion national team football players are numerically close to each other in terms of "relative age effect". As a result, it has been observed that the relative age effect in senior football decreases with increasing age. It was shown that the relative age effect in professional elite national teams changed negatively due to the high number of football players born in the second half of the year. In this case, it was not a negative situation for football players who transition to professionalism and reach the elite level, being born in the last months of the year. Looking at the intercontinental comparison, even considering the different football culture and structure, it has been revealed that late-born athletes have caught up with their peers at a professional level and even left them behind.
View
... Specifically, an overrepresentation of 'talented' juniors born earlier in the calendar year has been consistently demonstrated in a range of team sports, such as basketball (Delorme & Raspaud, 2009), soccer (Helson Van Winckel & Williams, 2005;van de Honert, 2012), and more recently, AF (Coutts, Kempton, & Vaeyens, 2014). This phenomenon is referred to the relative age effect (RAE) (Barnsley, Thompson, & Legault, 1992), and is primarily reported within adolescent team sports that have some reliance upon physical performance qualities. It is commonly thought to be caused by an advanced maturational opportunity within individuals born earlier in the calendar year; manifesting into superior physical qualities when compared against their age-categorised peers born later in the year (Wattie, Cobley, & Baker, 2008). ...
Advances in AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL (AFL)
Book
  • Mar 2023
This book is a contemporary analysis of one of the most popular sports in Australia. An assembled expert group of researchers and practitioners provide an exceptional book on Australian football (AFL). The book is unique in that it covers a broad range of important topics in the scientific, coaching and social domains.
View
... Com isso, a busca por novos talentos no território nacional é incessante. Atualmente, a tomada de decisão de treinadores e equipes no processo de seleção e desenvolvimento de talentos privilegia os atletas mais velhos que apresentam precocidade nos aspectos biológicos 4 . ...
THE RELATIVE AGE EFFECT ON THE BRAZILIAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM IN DIFFERENT COMPETITIONS: 103 YEARS OF OFFICIAL COMPETITIONS
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2023
Introdução: Há pouca atenção da comunidade científica para estudos que avaliem o perfil e que relacionem o Efeito da Idade Relativa (EIR) ao desempenho coletivo das seleções brasileiras de futebol de base e profissional ao longo de toda a sua história. Objetivo: Avaliar o perfil do EIR nas seleções de base e profissional durante 103 anos de competições oficiais e observar a associação desse fenômeno com a classificação final das equipes. Metodologia: Para análise dos dados, os atletas foram divididos por quartis de nascimento e também por semestres. As informações dos atletas foram retiradas dos sites da FIFA, CBF e O GOL. Para investigar o EIR nas categorias avaliadas, utilizou-se o teste Qui-Quadrado (X²) para os quartis, sendo calculada a OddsRatio (OR) com intervalo de confiança (IC) a 95%. Resultados: Um total de 2.765 atletas que representaram as seleções brasileiras foi avaliado, e os que disputaram os mundiais (p=0,61) não apresentaram EIR. Já os que disputaram Copa das Confederações (p=0,02), Olimpíadas (p=0,02), Copa América (p=0,00), juntamente com os Mundiais e Sul-americanos Sub-20 e Sub-17 (p=0,00), apresentaram EIR.Verificou-se que apenas nos Jogos Olímpicos houve associação entre ser campeão e ter nascido no primeiro semestre. Conclusão: O EIR está presente ao longo do tempo nos atletas selecionados para representar as seleções brasileiras em diferentes competições e categorias, com exceção dos participantes das Copas do Mundo. Não há associação entre nascer nos primeiros meses do ano e ter sido campeão para os atletas que representaram as seleções brasileiras em diferentes competições e categorias ao longo do tempo.
View
Influencia de la Edad Relativa en la Categoría 2009 Premier, en el Torneo Apertura 2022-1 de la Liga de Futbol de Bogotá
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2023
La edad relativa se define como la diferencia de edad entre individuos de un mismo grupo, a las posibles consecuencias atribuidas a esta diferencia de edad entre individuos nacidos en un mismo año cronológico. Analizar la influencia que tiene la edad relativa sobre el éxito deportivo en jugadores participantes en la categoría 2009 nivel elite, de la liga de fútbol de Bogotá 2022-1. Se desarrollo un estudio sistemático de la literatura junto a un análisis descriptivo. Para ello se identificó el cuartil de nacimiento de 207 jugadores que nacieron en el año 2009. Para el análisis de los datos se utilizó el programa estadístico Microsoft Excel Versión 2019. Los Resultados mostraron que predominan los jugadores nacidos durante el primer semestre del año, adicionalmente se evidencio que los equipos que tienen mayor porcentaje de jugadores nacidos durante los primeros meses del año tuvieron mejores resultados de acuerdo a tabla de posiciones. La influencia de la edad relativa sobre el éxito deportivo es significativa y es posible que seleccionar jugadores con mayor edad relativa, favorezca el potencial de éxito deportivo de un equipo.
View
View
Relative Age Effect in Turkish Women FootballTürk Kadın Futbolunda Göreceli Yaş Etkisi
Article
  • Sep 2023
In this study, it was aimed to examine the relative age effect of female football players playing in the Turkish Women's Super League and 1st League teams in the 2022-2023 Season. Working group; while the female football players playing licensed in the women's football leagues affiliated to the Turkish Football Federation constitute the sample, the players in the Women's Football Super League and the 1st League teams constitute the sample. While determining the sample, the density sampling method was preferred. Density sampling is generally used by studies involving the heuristic approach. The heuristic approach is accepted as the only research approach that enables individuals to establish subjective and creative relationships between the person researching their experiences and the facts. In the model of the research; The "Basic Qualitative Research" technique, the "Document Analysis" method in the data collection tool and the Miles-Huberman analysis method, which is a descriptive analysis method, were used in the analysis. This study was conducted by considering female football players of different skill levels and chronological ages. The aim of the study was to compare the birth date of female football players. In the findings part of the study; Birth dates of 1552 female football players were revealed. It was determined that 863 female football players were born in the first six months of the year and 689 female football players were born in the last six months of the year. In conclusion; It has been observed that the players of the teams in the 2022-2023 Women's Football Super League and the 1st League are affected by the relative age effect.
View
Creativity
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Jul 2023
The demand for creativity in team sports, and specifically in a highly unpredictable activity such as soccer, has generated great interest from academics and practitioners. Creative players can bring the unforeseeable into the game that can allow teams to keep an edge over their opponents and is considered a key element of performance. Current theoretical approaches highlight that nur- turing creativity in soccer should be encouraged throughout youth developmental stages; thus, practitioners must create an enriching and supportive environment for creativity to thrive. The development of creativity comprises long-term work on the part of the young player, coupled with the corresponding planning, implementation, and patience from practitioners. As such, the first part of this chapter frames the concept and presents comprehensive frameworks (e.g., the Tactical Creativity Approach, Memmert, 2013; Creativity Developmental Framework, Santos et al., 2016) to aid creative play to flourish. The second part of this chapter provides a detailed description of small-sided games and movement variability features to encourage exploratory be- haviour and complement soccer training tasks. Moreover, in this section, an overview of current evidence-based interventions is centrally discussed. The third part of this chapter offers a review across creativity training programmes, such as Skills4Genius (Santos et al., 2017) and The Crea- tive Soccer Platform (Rasmussen & Østergaard, 2016), to provide further guidance and strategies for soccer practitioners to design for creativity developmental outcomes. Lastly, in order to ad- vance this field of practice, considerations for researchers and practitioners are outlined.
View
“Born to Play Ball” The Relative Age Effect and Major League Baseball
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 1991
The records of 837 major league baseball players were examined in order to determine whether the Little League age eligibility criterion, based on the month of birth, affected participation rate at the professional level. The results indicated that major league players were more likely to have been born in the first months of the year, if that year corresponded to the one used for eligibility for Little League baseball (i.e., beginning in August and ending in July). A reanalysis of data presented in the literature (which suggested no effect) produced a similar result. These data are interpreted in terms of the relative age effect. That is, because of age cutoffs used in Little League baseball, some players gain a developmental advantage when competing against other youngsters who are considerably younger, although they are placed in the same age category for league play.
View
View
Birthdate and success in minor hockey: The key to the NHL
Article
Full-text available
Analyzed the birthdates of 7,313 young Canadian hockey players in the 1983–1984 season. It was found that players possessing a relative age advantage (born in the months of January–June) were more likely to participate in minor hockey and more likely to play for top teams than players born in July–December and thereby disadvantaged by their relative age. Proposals for reducing these relative age effects are considered. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
View
First-Grade Entry Age in a Sample of Children Labeled Learning Disabled
Article
  • May 1980
First-grade entry ages were determined for all LD children in grades one through twelve in a large special education cooperative. The children were classified as early, medium, or late entering. U.S. Census data were consulted to determine the expected frequencies in each of these categories. It was found that there were more early-entering and fewer late-entering children in this sample than would be expected if entry age were a chance variable. Though more research is needed, the results of this study suggest the possibility that children who enter first grade early may be more likely to be labeled LD than children who enter when they are older.
View
View
School Entry Age in a Group of Gifted Children
Article
  • Oct 1981
Examined the effect of school entry age on 104 male and 84 female 5th–8th graders identified as gifted. Results indicate that, as hypothesized, Ss tended to have entered 1st grade when they were relatively older. Findings suggest that early school entry can be disadvantageous. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
View
Month of birth and academic achievement
Article
The degree results of nearly 300,000 British graduates were tabulated by the month of their birth. The number of graduates varied as a function of month of birth. So too, but in a different way, did the quality of their degree results. A number of possible predictors of the results are examined. These analyses suggest that, among those who stay at school until the age of 18, the oldest in their year group are at an advantage but, by the time they graduate from university, the youngest perform best. It is concluded that some intellectually relevant quality peaks between 18 and 21 yr of age and then declines.
View
The Birthdate Effect: A Maturational Effect?
Article
  • Apr 1983
There are high positive correlations between the percentages of learning disabled children and their months of birth in Hawaii. The relationships are similar for the sexes and do not decrease with age. The LD children born early or late in the year show differences in variability of IQ subtests and age of referral. This, together with a trend towards IQ differences, suggests that simple immaturity at school entrance is an insufficient explanation for the relationships observed. An investigation of the neuropsychological characteristics of early-born and late-born LD children is in progress.
View
Gifted or learning disabled? The age of entering school may make the difference
  • Jan 1985
  • 11-14
  • R H Barnsley
  • A H Thompson
BARNSLEY, R.H., & THOMPSON, A.H., 1985: "Gifted or learning disabled? The age of entering school may make the difference" In: Early Childhood Education Journal, 18 (1),11-14.
Entrance age to kindergarten and first grade: Its effect on cognitive and affective development on students". [Machine-readable data fileMore on the relative age effectDoes age of entrance affect school achievement
  • Jan 1970
  • 21-24
  • C Beattie
  • Eric Ed
  • T E Daniel
  • C T L Janssen
  • B G Davis
  • C S Trimble
  • D R Vincent
BEATTIE, C., 1970: "Entrance age to kindergarten and first grade: Its effect on cognitive and affective development on students". [Machine-readable data file] ERIC ED 133050. DANIEL, T.E., JANSSEN, C.T.L., 1987: "More on the relative age effect". In: Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Journal, 53, 21-24 DAVIS, B.G., TRIMBLE, C.S., & VINCENT, D.R., 1980: "Does age of entrance affect school achievement?" In: The Elementary School Journal, 80, 133-143.