A new approach to study the relative age effect with the use of additive logistic regression models: A case of study of FIFA football tournaments (1908-2012)

García, Miguel Saavedra; Matabuena, Marcos; Montero-Seoane, Antonio; Romero, Juan J. Fernández

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219757

Cited by 8 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…This explains a reverse RAE in futsal players, and could also explain this contrary effect described in forwards in Australian rugby union players [21]. Further, a new line of research has detected RAE at the end of the professional stage in Italian senior soccer [15]. It also seems that RAE mainly manifests in sports of a large critical mass of athletes who aspire to be selected and promoted to a higher level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…In the Italian league, the effect continues to exist [14]. The authors Saavedra-García, Matabuena, Montero-Seoane, and Fernández-Romero also noted a RAE over more than a century in a study of FIFA male competitions [15]. In Spanish soccer, over the period 2000 to 2011, the presence of RAE was confirmed both in top and lower categories and also for defender and midfield positions [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Are European Soccer Players Worth More If They Are Born Early in the Year? Relative Age Effect on Player Market Value

González

Fernández-Luna

Castillo

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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The relative age effect (RAE) consists of the lower presence of members of an age group born in the months furthest from the age cut-off date established. In youth soccer, it is known that because of this effect the birth dates of more players in a team are closer to the cutoff of 1 January. These older players, due to their physical and psychological advantages, are more likely to be identified as talent. This study aimed to examine whether RAE can be identified in professional players of the top five European soccer leagues (Spain, Italy, England, Germany, and France) and to assess its influence on the perceived market value of the players. Market value data for 2577 players were obtained from the Transfermarkt database. A significant RAE was produced in all leagues (p < 0.05). However, this bias did not affect the market value of the professional elite soccer players examined here. Our observations indicate that, while the identification and promotion of talent at young ages are often biased by RAE, once players have reached the professional stage, the market value assigned to them is based more on factors other than their date of birth.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Are European Soccer Players Worth More If They Are Born Early in the Year? Relative Age Effect on Player Market Value

González

Fernández-Luna

Castillo

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…For example, a work by González-Víllora et al [ 34 ] studied Under-17, Under-19, and Under-21 elite soccer players in the UEFA Champions League, confirming that RAE was present in those categories. Another example is the case of FIFA competitions, in which Saavedra-García et al [ 35 ] established that RAE exists in male FIFA competitions and its effect is dynamic and complex.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2021

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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.

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“…The RAE has been studied from a variety of approaches and with different purposes: to examine its presence in collective and individual sports contexts (Papadopoulou et al, 2019 ; Steidl-Müller et al, 2019 ; Mon-López et al, 2020 ), evaluate their influence on a fixed competition (Saavedra-García et al, 2019 ), check the degree of impact of gender and/or of age/competition categories in clubs or federal organizations (Bjørndal et al, 2018b ; Romann et al, 2018 ), or even through intervention proposals the intention of which was to reduce the possible consequences (Mann and van Ginneken, 2017 ; Hill et al, 2019 ). Currently, it seems that the objective of the research is focused on studies whose aim is to analyze the relationship between the RAE and competition performance in order to know in-depth how the latter can be influenced by this phenomenon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the Relative Age Effect Influence Short-Term Performance and Sport Career in Team Sports? A Qualitative Systematic Review

2020

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Background: The impact on athletes based on grouping methods according to the date of birth within the constituent year, known as the relative effect of age (RAE), is a factor that can influence the achievement of sports success. Many studies have examined the magnitude of this phenomenon in sport; however, the relationship between the RAE and performance in team sports competition has not been accurately evaluated so far. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the influence of the RAE on competition performance in team sports through analysis of published peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2019. Methods: According to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis systematic search guidelines, 19 studies were identified of the 2,093 that were found in the systematic searching process carried out in four databases: Sport Discus, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus. The sample of the study was composed by 77,329 players, of which 92.08% were male and 7.92% were female, whereas the recorded performance measurements were 87,556. The relation between relative age effects and competition performance was registered according to constraints-based theoretical model: individual constraints (sample characteristics) and task constraints (sport context). Moreover, study quality analysis, Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology, was carried out. Results: The short-term individual (10.20%) and collective (18.09%) performance was influenced by the RAE, whereas the long-term individual performance (49.71%) was affected by the RAE reverse. However, in 16.99% of the measurements, no relationship was found between the RAE and competition performance. In the analysis by subcategory, the influence of the RAE was higher in men, in adulthood (senior category), in invasion games, and in national contexts. Discussion: The findings clearly demonstrated that the RAE has a great influence on the performance in team sport. Possible implications for policy and practice should be discussed in order to prevent unequal practice based on biased models that prioritize the athlete's current performance and therefore obviate their maturational development. The heterogeneity and variability of the identified results require a relativization of the findings of this study.

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A new approach to study the relative age effect with the use of additive logistic regression models: A case of study of FIFA football tournaments (1908-2012)

Cited by 8 publications

References 51 publications

Are European Soccer Players Worth More If They Are Born Early in the Year? Relative Age Effect on Player Market Value

Are European Soccer Players Worth More If They Are Born Early in the Year? Relative Age Effect on Player Market Value

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

Does the Relative Age Effect Influence Short-Term Performance and Sport Career in Team Sports? A Qualitative Systematic Review

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