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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.

Sec. Sport Psychology

This article is part of the Research TopicAdvances in Sports Science: Latest Findings and New Scientific Proposals- Volume IVView all 3 articles

Relative Age Selection Bias Does Not Translate into a Playing-Time Advantage: Evidence from Italian Serie A Football

Provisionally accepted
Paolo Riccardo BrustioPaolo Riccardo Brustio1,2Alexandru Nicolae UngureanuAlexandru Nicolae Ungureanu2,3Luca BerattoLuca Beratto2,4Damiano Li VolsiDamiano Li Volsi2,4Corrado LupoCorrado Lupo2,4*
  • 1Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Italy, Turin, Italy
  • 2Neuromuscular Function Research Group, School of Exercise & Sport Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy, Turin, Italy
  • 3Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy, Turin, Italy
  • 4Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy, Turin, Italy

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The Relative Age Effects (RAEs) represent a bias in talent identification and selection processes, favouring athletes born earlier in the selection year. This study aimed to (i) quantify the prevalence and magnitude of the RAEs in Italian elite football (Serie A), considering age categories, playing positions, and team ranking, and (ii) examine whether RAEs are associated with selection- and participation-related outcomes (i.e., match appearances, total playing time, and consistency of match participation). Data from 789 Serie A players were analysed. Q1 players were overrepresented compared with Q4 players (OR=1.9 [1.5–2.6]). RAEs were more pronounced in younger players (OR=2.1 [1.4–3.2]) and more evident among goalkeepers (OR=4.4 [1.8–10.6]) followed by forwards (OR=2.0 [1.0–3.8]), midfielders (OR=1.9 [1.1–3.1]) and defenders (OR=1.6 [1.0–2.4]). Moreover, RAEs were stronger in lower-tier teams (OR=2.5 [1.4–4.5]) than in top-tier teams (OR=1.5 [0.8–2.7]). No differences were observed between quartiles in selection- and participation-related outcomes. RAEs persist in Serie A rosters but appear to operate primarily as a selection-level bias within talent development and squad selection, affecting which players reach and remain at the elite level, rather than influencing coaches’ decisions regarding match participation once players are part of the professional environment.

Keywords: RAE, Soccer, selection bias, match-related performance, talent identification

Received: 27 Oct 2025; Accepted: 27 Nov 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Brustio, Ungureanu, Beratto, Li Volsi and Lupo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Corrado Lupo

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