Relative Age Effect in Anthropometrical Characteristics and Physical Fitness Among Youth Soccer Players of Amateur Clubs

Abstract

1 The presence of the relative age effect (RAE) has been widely reported. Most of the studies 2 have been performed on elite youth soccer players. The purpose of the present study was to 3 examine if anthropometric and performance characteristics were different amongst older and 4 younger soccer players of amateur clubs born in the same year. One hundred seventy six 5 players in three different age group (U10, U14, U15) participated in the study. 6 Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, body mass index, body fat) and the 7 performance in physical fitness tests [long jump (LJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), T-test, 8 Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test level 1 (YYIET1)] were the dependent variables. In U14 9 the older players jump higher to CMJ ( p = 0.05) and in U15 the older players performed better 10 to CMJ and YYIET1 ( p = 0.01 and p = 0.05, respectively). We observed differences in some 11 fitness test performances between older and younger soccer players. These differences are 12 indicative of RAE presence, but more studies are required on youth soccer players of amateur 13 clubs and of different ages. 14