Relative age effect and soccer refereeing: a 'strategic adaptation' of relatively younger children?

Previous research suggested that the relative age effect (RAE) has a psychological influence on children and their decision to engage in a particular sport. Relatively younger children seem to have lower self-esteem. Indeed, because of the disadvantages of being younger, it is assumed that these players experience more situations of failure and inferiority.

Relative age and dropout in French male soccer.

The aim of this study was to examine the birthdates distribution of French male soccer players (n = 363,590) who dropped out during or after the 2006-2007 season, to determine whether the relative age effect is linked to dropout behaviour. An over-representation of players born late in the competitive year was observed among dropouts, from the U-9 to the U-18 age categories, whereas their counterparts born earlier in the year were under-represented. The distortion of the distribution was most marked for the extreme quarters of the competitive year, and in the U-13 and U-15 categories.

Is there an influence of relative age on participation in non-physical sports activities? The example of shooting sports.

The aims of this study were to test for the presence of a relative age effect among male (n = 119,715) and female (n = 12,823) members of the shooting sports federation, and to determine whether any such effect has an impact on dropout from the sport. For the boys and girls, the results show a uniform distribution of dropout. A relative age effect was not found for the girls, showing that in female shooting sports there is no such effect.

The relative age effect in elite sport: the French case.

The relative age effect (RAE) is considered a common phenomenon in elite sport. Howeven it has not been examined systematically in previous research, and the mechanisms likely to generate or to limit such an effect are little understood. This paper investigates the prevalence of the RAE in French professional championship-level players, taking into account the potential influence of gender.