Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
NeuroMuscularFunction Research Group, School of Exercise & Sport Sciences, SUISM University, Turin, Italy.
PLoS One. 2023 May 4;18(5):e0283781. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283781. eCollection 2023.
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.
本研究旨在评估意大利女足国家队的青年到高级别（senior）的过渡和相对年龄效应。分析了 774 名入选 U17（N=416）、19 岁（N=265）和国家高级别（N=93）的女足球员的出生日期数据。青年到高级别的过渡率是通过参加高级别国家队（反之亦然）的青年球员人数来确定的，而出生季度（Q）分布则通过卡方拟合优度检验来确定。只有 17.4%的青年球员能够被选入高级别国家队，而 31.2%的球员在没有被选入青年年龄组的情况下达到了高级别。数据显示，U17 和 19 岁的队伍中存在出生日期分布的偏斜（平均而言，Q1=35.6%，Q4=18.5%），但高级别国家队中不存在这种情况。Q1 出生的青年球员被选中的可能性是 Q4 出生的球员的两倍。在 U17 中，Q1 球员的守门员、后卫和中场球员人数过多。然而，Q4 球员的转换率高于 Q1（Q1=16.4%，Q4=25.0%）。国家青年队的经历可能不是被选入高级别球队的先决条件。此外，与未被青年队选中的球员相比，这赋予了球员在国家高级别球队中踢球的更高概率。
