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Youth-to-senior transition in women’s and girls’ football: Towards a better understanding of relative age effects and gender-specific considerations

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  • Paolo Riccardo Brustio
  • Roberto Modena
  • Gennaro Boccia
  • Matteo Vogliazzo
  • Adam Leigh Kelly

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate youth-to-senior transition and the relative age effect in Italian female football national teams. Birthdate data of 774 female players selected for Under 17 (N = 416), 19 (N = 265) and National Senior team (N = 93) were analysed. The youth-to-senior transition rate was determined by the number of youth players competing in the Senior National team (and vice versa), whilst birth quarter (Q) distributions with a chi-square goodness-of-fit test. Only 17.4% of youth players were able to be selected for the Senior National team, whereas 31.2% of the players reached the high-senior level without being selected for youth age groups. Data revealed a skewed birth date distribution in Under 17 and 19 teams (on average, Q1 = 35.6% vs Q4 = 18.5%) but not in the Senior National team. Youth players born in Q1 were two times more likely to be selected than in Q4. In Under 17, goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders of Q1 players were overrepresented. However, Q4 players recorded higher conversion rates than Q1 (Q1 = 16.4% vs. Q4 = 25.0%). National youth experience may not be a prerequisite for being selected at the senior level. Moreover, this confers a higher probability of playing in the National Senior team than players not selected in youth rosters.

Suggested Citation

  • Paolo Riccardo Brustio & Roberto Modena & Gennaro Boccia & Matteo Vogliazzo & Adam Leigh Kelly, 2023. "Youth-to-senior transition in women’s and girls’ football: Towards a better understanding of relative age effects and gender-specific considerations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(5), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0283781
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283781
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arve Vorland Pedersen & Tore Kristian Aune & Terje Dalen & Håvard Lorås, 2022. "Variations in the relative age effect with age and sex, and over time—Elite-level data from international soccer world cups," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(4), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Alexis Padrón-Cabo & Ezequiel Rey & José Luis García-Soidán & Erik Penedo-Jamardo, 2016. "Large Scale Analysis of Relative Age Effect on Professional Soccer Players in FIFA Designated Zones," International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 332-346, April.
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    1. Gennaro Boccia & Paolo Riccardo Brustio & Rocco Rinaldi & Ruggero Romagnoli & Marco Cardinale & Maria Francesca Piacentini, 2023. "Junior to senior transition pathway in Italian Football: The rocky road to the top is not determined by youth national team’s selections," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(7), pages 1-10, July.

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