Youth Soccer Academies Biased Against Younger Players

Strategic Insights -

Younger players in soccer academies face significant disadvantages due to biases in selection and assessment methods. Research conducted by a team from the University of Queensland has found that selection methods often favor older players, even if they are not necessarily more talented. This bias can be addressed by using age- and size-corrected assessments of individual players, which can provide a more accurate evaluation of their skills.

Key Takeaways:

  • A study published in Applied Sciences found that youth soccer academies are dominated by older players due to biases in selection and assessment methods.
  • The research, conducted by a team from the University of Queensland, used age- and size-corrected assessments of individual players to evaluate their technical skills.
  • The study found that traditional selection methods often favor older players, even if they are not necessarily more talented.
  • The use of age- and size-corrected assessments can help reduce biases in selection and provide a more accurate evaluation of individual players.
  • The research suggests that soccer academies can use these algorithms to compare athletes during selection trials and against an elite group, taking into account age and size.
  • The study included 170 players between the ages of 10 and 20 from a Tier 1 academy in Brazil.

Statistics:

  • The study found that passing tests were significantly repeatable, with a F-statistic of 432.2 (df = 5; *p* < 0.0001).
  • The study included 6 different tests for 170 players between the ages of 10 and 20.
  • The research concludes that normative algorithms from this study can be used to compare athletes during selection trials and against an elite group, after taking age and size into account.

Sources:

  • "Using Age- and Size-Corrected Measures of Technical Skill to Better Assess the Performances of Youth Soccer Players." Applied Sciences (2025): 4658.
  • Thiago V. Camata, Andrew H. Hunter, Nicholas M. A. Smith, Mathew S. Crowther, Paulo R. P. Santiago, and Robbie S. Wilson. "Youth soccer academies dominated by older players due to biases in selection and assessment methods." Science Letter (2025).