Effect of relative age on the classification of football teams in the São Paulo junior football cup

  • Igor de Azevedo Nogueira Bacharelado em Educação Física da Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís-MA, Brasil.
  • Antonio Coppi Navarro Bacharelado em Educação Física da Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís-MA, Brasil.
Keywords: Football, Relative age, Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, Sports Classification

Abstract

Introduction: The study on the effect of relative age is important for professionals in Physical Education, aiming to develop strategies that minimize inequalities in the formative process of players. Objectives: To analyze the presence and influence of relative age in the selection of players and the classification of teams in the São Paulo Junior Football Cup in the years 2019 and 2020. Materials and Methods: A total of 128 teams in 2019 and 127 teams in 2020 were analyzed, comprising 6,984 players (with an average of 25 per team in 2019 and 29 in 2020). The athletes’ birth data, available from specialized websites (www.zerozero.pt) and (www.ogol.com.br), were organized into spreadsheets by birth quartiles (Q1 to Q4) and compared between classified and eliminated teams.  Results: A predominance of players born in the first half of the year was observed among the teams participating in both editions of the tournament. In 2019, 87,50% of the teams exhibited this characteristic, while 9,38% had a higher proportion of players born in the second half of the year. In 2020, these figures were 90,55% and 7,87%, respectively. Discussion: In line with other studies, the presence of the relative age effect was confirmed during the analyzed seasons. However, this factor did not prove to be decisive for the success of teams in the competition. Conclusion: Relative age was significant in the selection of players for the São Paulo Junior Football Cup, with a higher selection of athletes born in the first half of the year. However, this effect did not directly influence the teams’ performance in the later stages of the tournament.

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Published
2025-11-07
How to Cite
Nogueira, I. de A., & Navarro, A. C. (2025). Effect of relative age on the classification of football teams in the São Paulo junior football cup. RBFF - Brazilian Journal of Futsal and Football, 17(69), 672-693. Retrieved from https://www.rbff.com.br/index.php/rbff/article/view/1588
Issue
Vol. 17 No. 69 (2025)
Section
Scientific Articles - Original

Copyright (c) 2025 Igor de Azevedo Nogueira, Antonio Coppi Navarro

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