Impact of the Relative Age Effect on Competition Performance in Basketball: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

Performance in basketball is multifactorial. One of the modifying factors is the “Relative Age Effect—RAE”. However, its impact depends on the sample characteristics and sport context. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the RAE on basketball competition performance by analysing peer-reviewed articles published until July 2020. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses systematic search guidelines, nine studies were identified in four databases: Sport Discus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Moreover, a study quality analysis using “Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology” guidelines was carried out. The results confirmed an impact of the RAE on competition performance in basketball (56% measurements) and a higher influence of the RAE on short-term collective performance (54% measurements). Statistical parameters were affected, especially in men and U14-U18 categories. No impact of the RAE reversal and no influence of the RAE on long-term collective performance were found. There was a higher impact of the RAE in men (71%), the U14-U18 categories (44%), and at the national level (40%) was identified. The RAE has a variable influence on basketball performance according to developmental constraints. Nevertheless, the findings should be considered based on the sport context due to the heterogeneity and variability of the identified results.

The Influence of Contextual Aspects in Talent Development: Interaction Between Relative Age and Birthplace Effects in NBA-Drafted Players

“…The franchises have to choose the best players based on their abilities and potential, but must be able to predict the level of future performance. Thus, the selection process (i.e., the NBA Draft) is highly conditioned by the players' performance and favors the selection of those athletes who were born in the first months of the year and that will have a greater impact on the team's performance (De la Rubia et al, 2020a ). In the case of basketball, the presence of the RAE still manifests itself around 20–22 years of age, at the same age category where NBA Draft take place (De la Rubia et al, 2020a ).…”

“…Thus, the selection process (i.e., the NBA Draft) is highly conditioned by the players' performance and favors the selection of those athletes who were born in the first months of the year and that will have a greater impact on the team's performance (De la Rubia et al, 2020a ). In the case of basketball, the presence of the RAE still manifests itself around 20–22 years of age, at the same age category where NBA Draft take place (De la Rubia et al, 2020a ). Therefore, there may be a ripple effect that benefits the selection of relatively older athletes, despite it still unknown how it affects the long-term performance of the athlete, that is, in his sports career.…”

“…The biased distribution of the dates of birth, known as the relative age effect (RAE), has been confirmed in several studies in the field of sports sciences and other domains, such as in academic performance (for references see Nakata et al, 2017 ). In that way, evidence confirm this phenomenon, in which individuals born earlier in the selection year relative to a predetermined cut-off date (e.g., January 1–December 31) are often overrepresented compared to those born later in the same selection year (Fumarco et al, 2017 ; please see De la Rubia et al, 2020a ). In this sense, relatively older athletes are systematically associated with higher stature and better aerobic capacity, endurance and speed, what provides them with a competitive advantage in physical performance (Rada et al, 2018 ).…”

“…A growing core of scientific research has shown that contextual factors play a key role in talent development (Baker et al, 2009 ; Rees et al, 2016 ; Williams et al, 2020 ). In particular, the role of contextual variables such as the date of birth (Castillo et al, 2019 ; De la Rubia et al, 2020a ), and the place of birth (Rossing et al, 2015 ; Pennell et al, 2017 ; Wattie et al, 2018 ) have been consistently associated with improved chances of attaining elite sport.…”

Relative Age Effects in Basketball: Exploring the Selection into and Successful Transition Out of a National Talent Pathway

“…In basketball, for instance, height, body mass, running speed, and explosive power are important factors for greater performance [ 15 ], and these can be greatly affected by relative age [ 16 ]. In a systematic review of nine studies, de la Rubia et al [ 17 ] demonstrated that RAEs had a significant impact on basketball performance, particularly within males and at formative ages (14–18 years). Since there appears to be a reliance on advanced physiological and anthropometrical characteristics for greater selection opportunities and performance levels in basketball, these factors may fortuitously exacerbate RAEs in youth settings [ 18 ].…”