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May 18, 2026International Journal of Sports Science & CoachingOpen Access

Assessing the influence of chronological and skeletal age on selection and physical performance in South African youth football

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Authors

SDSindiso Rangirirai DubeStellenbosch UniversityHGHeinrich GrobbelaarStellenbosch UniversitySCSean P. CummingUniversity of Bath

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Implication

Cross-sectional study examines how age affects performance in South African youth footballers, suggesting the need for equity in talent development.

Key Points

  • The study aims to assess how chronological age and skeletal age influence selection bias and physical performance in youth football players.
  • Cross-sectional design involving 105 male players aged 10–18 years from two academies in South Africa.
  • Anthropometric data collected and skeletal age estimated using the BAUSport™ system.
  • Performance assessed through various strength tests and jumping metrics, analyzed with one-way ANOVA and linear regression.
  • Relative Age Effect observed, with more players born in the first half of the year.
  • Skeletal age was a stronger performance predictor than chronological age, especially in younger players.
  • Performance differences plateaued at higher maturity levels.

Cite This Study

Dube et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0aace55ba8ef6d83b7056bhttps://doi.org/10.1177/17479541261446437
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