Abstract
Being relatively older and having an advanced biological maturation status have been
associated with increased likelihood of selection in young elite soccer players. The
aims of the study were to investigate the presence of a relative age effect (RAE)
and the influence of birth quarter on anthropometry, biological maturity and anaerobic
parameters in 374 elite Belgian youth soccer players. The sample was divided into
3 age groups, each subdivided into 4 birth quarters (BQ). Players had their APHV estimated
and height, weight, SBJ, CMJ, sprint 5 and 30 m were assessed. Overall, more players
were born in BQ1 (42.3%) compared with players born in BQ4 (13.7%). Further, MANCOVA
revealed no differences in all parameters between the 4 BQ’s, controlled for age and
APHV. These results suggest that relatively youngest players can offset the RAE if
they enter puberty earlier. Furthermore, the results demonstrated possible differences
between BQ1 and BQ4, suggesting that caution is necessary when estimating differences
between players because of large discrepancies between statistical and practical significance.
These findings also show that coaches should develop realistic expectations of the
physical abilities of younger players and these expectations should be made in the
context of biological characteristics rather than chronological age-based standards.
Key words
talent selection - explosive strength - speed - peak height velocity - birth date
