# Relative Age Effect - UEFA perspective



## carlitos10 (Jan 30, 2017)

Pretty enlightening study with a european perspective backed by statistics and solutions many of the federations, including Belgium and France have deployed over the last several years. 

http://uefa.to/2exNCr5 -- From Page 17 - 23

The most encouraging part is what the French Federation has done to expand their talent detection program until the age of 17. In many cases, late bloomers were previously excluded from academy/1st tier selection if they didn't stand out before that age. 

“We estimate that, between 13 and 17, youngsters are in a development stage in which the physiological differences can be as wide as four years for boys of the same age,” he explains. The French federation requires its talent spotters to select a number of players in the July–December category; it is a form of positive discrimination and the final search for talents among a pool of 17-year-olds is focused exclusively on those born in the second half of the year. “We exclude those born between January and July because we feel they’ve already had the opportunity to show what they can do, so we have a repeat test for boys from the end of the year,” says Blaquart, who notes that the France team who won the European Under-17 Championship in 2015 featured “four players from this final test. They’d been overlooked by the system, which makes it satisfying.”


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## Buddhabman (Feb 1, 2017)

More coaches need to consider kids in second half of year, especially if they have good ball handling skills, quickness vision and work rate, just not size. Speed is a different matter.  A half year younger kid that is slightly slower, ok. But if a kid just lacks that step or that final burst, 1/2 year probably not going to help.


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## galaxydad (Feb 3, 2017)

This is brilliant and another reason why they are ahead of us


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## Eusebio (Feb 15, 2017)

I wish we could pioneer things like this.

I imagine it'll take us 15-20 years before we realize that maybe we should implement a version of this.


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## *GOBEARGO* (Feb 16, 2017)

Interesting read...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/02/09/exclusive-premier-league-concern-grows-gcse-results-academy/


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## espola (Feb 16, 2017)

*GOBEARGO* said:


> Interesting read...
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/02/09/exclusive-premier-league-concern-grows-gcse-results-academy/


Interesting transfer fee structure for youth players.


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## mahrez (Feb 16, 2017)

*GOBEARGO* said:


> Interesting read...
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/02/09/exclusive-premier-league-concern-grows-gcse-results-academy/


Hunt claimed only “about one in 200” of the 4,000-plus youngsters monitored under the EPPP – launched five years ago to increase the quality and quantity of home-grown players playing first-teams football in England – would make it as a professional.

If you take the existing 11,000 ussda player and full the 4 YNT's  with 75% from da ( 60 players ) 99.9+% of the current population won't meet the national team standards or make those teams RAF or not.


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## galaxydad (Feb 16, 2017)

The age effect impacts more than the YNT. It impacts colleges and many other issues within the sport


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## timbuck (Feb 16, 2017)

mahrez said:


> Hunt claimed only “about one in 200” of the 4,000-plus youngsters monitored under the EPPP – launched five years ago to increase the quality and quantity of home-grown players playing first-teams football in England – would make it as a professional.
> 
> If you take the existing 11,000 ussda player and full the 4 YNT's  with 75% from da ( 60 players ) 99.9+% of the current population won't meet the national team standards or make those teams RAF or not.


Those kids that don't make it pro can come to the US and coach 9 year olds for a decent living.


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## *GOBEARGO* (Feb 16, 2017)

timbuck said:


> Those kids that don't make it pro can come to the US and coach 9 year olds for a decent living.


That's hilarious, but true! The accent is worth $50 an hour in privates!


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