Investigation of Relative Age Effect in Female Soccer: Born to Play?

Abstract

Early identification and development of “talented” athletes in youth sport is of primary interest to national governing bodies of sport and sport clubs across all sports. Selection bias during recruitment and planning the developmental pathways of athletes is a critical issue to address, and relative age effect (RAE) is one of the concepts to be investigated in this regard. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of RAE in U17 and U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and to investigate the role of age category, playing position and continents with regard to RAE. A total of 2016 female soccer players (U17=1008, U20=1008) participating in the last three consecutive U17 and U20 FIFA Women's World Cups were evaluated based on the birth month distributions. Inter-quartile differences were assessed using the Chi-square (χ²) goodness-of-fit test, and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare quartiles. RAE was more prevalent in U17 compared to U20 (χ2=43.865, p<.001, V=0.12; χ2=24.071, p<.001, V=0.09, respectively). For all positions, the number of female soccer players born in the first quarter of the year was higher than those born in the last quarter. In U17, RAE was statistically significant in all positions, while in U20 only defenders and midfielders’ distributions were significantly skewed. In conclusion, RAE is a critical issue to investigate in female soccer context, and age categories, playing position and continents seem such moderators of RAE that coaches and policy makers need to consider.

Keywords

• Talent identification and development
• Talent selection
• Selection bias
• Chronological age
• Birth date

Kadın Futbolunda Rölatif Yaş Etkisinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Altyapılarda “yetenekli” sporcuların erken tespiti ve gelişimi, tüm spor dallarındaki kulüplerin ve ulusal spor yönetim organlarının öncelikli ilgi alanlarındandır. Sporcuların seçiminde ve gelişimsel süreçlerinin planlanması sırasındaki seçim yanlılığı, ele alınması gereken kritik bir noktadır ve rölatif yaş etkisi (RYE) bu bağlamda araştırılması gereken olgulardandır. Bu araştırmanın amacı U17 ve U20 FIFA Kadınlar Dünya Kupası’nda RYE prevalansını incelemek ve yaş kategorisi, oyun pozisyonu ve kıtaların rolünü bu bağlamda değerlendirmektir. Düzenlenen son üç U17 ve U20 FIFA Kadınlar Dünya Kupası’na katılmış 2016 kadın futbolcu (U17=1008, U20=1008) doğum ayı dağılımlarına göre değerlendirilmiştir. Çeyrekler arası farklılıklar Ki-Kare (χ²) uyum iyiliği testi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir ve çeyrekleri karşılaştırmak için olasılık oranı (OR) ve % 95 güven aralıkları hesaplanmıştır. RYE’nin U17’de U20’ye göre daha yaygın olduğu tespit edilmiştir (sırasıyla, χ2=43.865, p<.001, V=0.12; χ2=24.071, p<.001, V=0.09). Tüm pozisyonlar için yılın ilk çeyreğinde doğan kadın futbolcu sayısı son çeyreğinde doğan kadın futbolcu sayısından daha fazladır. U17’de RYE tüm pozisyonlarda anlamlıyken, U20’de sadece defans ve orta saha oyuncularının dağılımlarında önemli ölçüde farklılık tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, RYE, kadın futbolu bağlamında araştırılması gereken kritik bir konudur ve yaş kategorileri, oyun pozisyonları ve kıtalar RYE bağlamında antrenörlerin ve politika yapıcıların göz önünde bulundurması gereken unsurlardandır.

Keywords

• Yetenek belirleme ve geliştirme
• Yetenek seçimi
• Seçim yanlılığı
• Kronolojik yaş
• Doğum tarihi

References

1. Arrieta, H., Torres-Unda, J., Gil, S. M., and Irazusta, J. (2016). Relative age effect and performance in the U16, U18 and U20 European Basketball Championships. Journal of Sports Sciences, 34(16), 1530-1534. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414 .2015.1122204
2. Baker, J., Schorer, J., and Wattie, N. (2018). Compromising talent: issues in identifying and selecting talent in sport. Quest, 70, 48–63. https://doi.org/10. 1080/00336297.2017.1333438.
3. Barnsley, R. H., Thompson, A. H., and Barnsley, P. E. (1985). Hockey success and birthdate: the relative age effect. CAHPER J., 51, 23–28
4. Bilgiç, M., and Işın, A. (2022). Embarking on a journey: a bibliometric analysis of the relative age effect in sport science. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-021-00792-w
5. Bruner, M. W., Macdonald, D. J., Pickett, W., and Côté, J. (2011). Examination of birthplace and birthdate in world junior ice hockey players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(12), 1337–1344. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.597419
6. Cobley, S., Baker, J., Wattie, N., and Mckenna, J. (2009). Annual age-grouping and athlete development: ameta-analytical review of relative age effects in sport. Sports Medicine, 39(3), 235–256.
7. Collins, D., and MacNamara, A. (2018). Talent development: A practitioner guide. Routledge. New York. US
8. Côté, J., Bruner, M., Erickson, K., Strachan, L., and Fraser-Thomas, J. (2010). Athlete development and coaching. In J. Lyle and C. Cushion (Ed.) Sports Coaching: Professionalisation and Practice. Elsevier. (pp:63- 84).

9. Cramér, H. (1999). Mathematical methods of statistics (Vol. 43). Princeton university press.
10. Faber, I. R., Sloot, L., Hoogeveen, L., Elferink-Gemser, M. T., and Schorer, J. (2022). Western approaches for the identification and development of talent in schools and sports contexts from 2009 to 2019—a literature review. High Ability Studies, 33(2), 135–168 https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2021.1900792.
11. Figueiredo, L. S., Silva, D. G. D., Oliveira, B. H. G., Ferreira, A. G., Gantois, P., and Fonseca, F. D. S. (2021). Relative age effects in elite Brazilian track and field athletes are modulated by sex, age category, and event type. Motriz: Revista de Educação Física, 27.
12. Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
13. Grondin, S., Deshaies, P., and Nault, L. P. (1984). Trimestre de naissance et participation au hockey et au volleyball [Birth term and participation in hockey and volleyball]. Le revue Québécoise de l’activité physique, 2, 97–103.
14. Hancock, D. J., Adler, A. L., and Côté, J. (2013). A proposed theoretical model to explain relative age effects in sport. European Journal of Sport Science, 13(6), 630–637. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2013.775352
15. Hancock, D. J., Starkes, J. L., and Ste-Marie, D. M. (2015). The relative age effect in female gymnastics: A flip-flop phenomenon. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 46(6), 714-725. https://doi.org/10.7352/IJSP 2015.46.7
16. Helsen, W. F., van Winckel, J., and Williams, A. M. (2005). The relative age effect in youth soccer across Europe. Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(6), 629–636. https:// doi.org/10.1080/02640410400021310
17. Işın A, and Melekoğlu T. (2020). The relative age effect in FIFA U-17 World Cup: The role of the playing position and the continent. Baltic Journal of Health Physical Activity., 12(2):12-18. doi: 10.29359/BJHPA.12.2.02
18. Işın, A. (2021). The relative age effect in successful national football teams. Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27(2), 40-51.
19. Kalinski, S. D., Jelaska, P. M., and Atiković, A. (2018). Relative age effect among Olympian gymnasts. Science of Gymnastics Journal, 10(3), 493-507.
20. Kelly, A. L., Till, K., Jackson, D., Barrell, D., Burke, K., and Turnnidge, J. (2021). Talent identification and relative age effects in English male rugby union pathways: from entry to expertise. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3, 640607. https://doi. org/10.3389/fspor.2021.640607
21. Li, Z., Mao, L., Steingröver, C., Wattie, N., Baker, J., Schorer, J., and Helsen, W. F. (2020). Relative age effects in Elite Chinese soccer players: Implications of the 'one-child' policy. PloS one, 15(2), e0228611. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228611
22. Malina, R. M., Cumming, S. P., Kontos, A. P., Eisenmann, J. C., Ribeiro, B., and Aroso, J. (2005). Maturity-associated variation in sport-specific skills of youth soccer players aged 13-15 years. Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(5), 515–522.
23. Musch, J., and Grondin, S. (2001). Unequal competition as an impediment to personal development: a review of the relative age effect in sport. Developmental Review, 21(2),147–167.
24. Müller, L., Hildebrandt, C., Schnitzer, M., and Raschner, C. (2016). The role of a relative age effect in the 12th Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in 2015. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 122(2), 701-718. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031512516640390
25. Nakata, H., and Sakamoto, K. (2012). Sex differences in relative age effects among Japanese athletes. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 115(1), 179–186.
26. Ndong, I., Gloyd, S., and Gale, J. (1994). An evaluation of vital registers as sources of data for infant mortality rates in Cameroon. International Journal of Epidemiology, 23(3), 536–539. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/23.3.536
27. Newell, KM. (1986). Constraints on the development of coordination. In: M. G. Wade and Whiting HTA, (Ed). Motor development in children: aspects of coordination and control (pp. 341–361). Martin Nijhoff Publishers
28. Romann, M., and Fuchslocher, J. (2011). Influence of the selection level, age and playing position on relative age effects in Swiss Women’s soccer. Talent Development and Excellence, 3(2), 239-247.
29. Romann, M., and Fuchslocher, J. (2013). Relative age effects in Swiss junior soccer and their relationship with playing position. European Journal of Sport Science, 13(4), 356-363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2011.635699
30. Sedano, S., Vaeyens, R., and Redondo, J. C. (2015). The relative age effect in Spanish female soccer players. Influence of the competitive level and a playing position. Journal of Human Kinetics, 46, 129–137. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0041
31. Smith, K. L., Weir, P. L., Till, K., Romann, M., and Cobley, S. (2018). Relative age effects across and within female sport contexts: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 48(6), 1451–1478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0890-8
32. Ste-Marie, D. M., Starkes, J., Cronin, A., and Fletcher, H. (2000). The relative age effect: a ‘flip-flop’phenomenon in gymnasts. In Proceedings of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology Conference.
33. Till, K., and Baker, J. (2020). Challenges and [possible] solutions to optimizing talent identification and development in sport. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 664.
34. Uğurlu, A., and Bilgiç, M. (2022). Relative age effect revisited with participation trends in figure skating: Did a decade make difference?. Acta Kinesiologica, 16(1), 99-106.
35. Vincent, J., and Glamser, F. D. (2006). Gender differences in the relative age affect among US olympic development program youth soccer players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(4), 405–413. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410500244655
36. Wattie, N., Schorer, J., and Baker, J. (2015). The relative age effect in sport: A developmental systems model. Sports Medicine, 45(1), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0248-9
37. Williams J. H. (2010). Relative age effect in youth soccer: analysis of the FIFA U17 World Cup competition. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 20(3), 502–508. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.00961.x