Sweeney, Liam and Cummin, Sean and MacNamara, Áine and Horan, Dan (2023) The selection advantages associated with advanced biological maturation vary according to playing position in national-level youth soccer. Biology of Sport, 40 (3). pp. 715-722. ISSN 0860-021X

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Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which biological maturation selection biases existed according to playing position in national-level youth soccer. A total of 159 players from the U13 to U16 age groups in the Football Association of Ireland's national talent pathway and international representative squads had their relative biological maturity status assessed using the Khamis-Roche method for the percentage of predicted adult height at the time of observation. Players were categorised as goalkeeper (GK), central defender (CD), full-back (FB), centre defensive midfielder (CDM), centre midfielder (CM), centre attacking midfielder (CAM), wide midfielder (WM) or centre forward (CF). A series of one-sampled means t-tests were used to examine the degree to which biological maturation selection biases existed across playing positions. A non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to evaluate inter-positional differences. A small to very large selection bias in favour of early maturing players existed for GK (D = 0.7), CD (D = 1.65), FB (D = 0.49), CM (D = 0.62), WM (D = 0.78), and CF (D = 0.76) (p < 0.05). Maturational selection biases did not exist for CDM or CAM. Moreover, CD were significantly more advanced in maturation compared to FB, CDM and CAM (p < 0.05). This study supports the contention that maturation selection biases exist in youth soccer, but the magnitude of this bias is highly dependent upon playing position. The very strong maturity selection biases at the national level evidenced in this investigation highlight the need for Football Associations to explore strategies, such as futures programmes, to help to retain talented, yet late maturing athletes.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Association football; Biological maturation; Football Association of Ireland; Soccer; Talent development;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Sports Science and Nutrition
Item ID:	17946
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.119983
Depositing User:	Liam Sweeney
Date Deposited:	13 Dec 2023 15:01
Journal or Publication Title:	Biology of Sport
Publisher:	Termedia Publishing
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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