Exploring cooperative behaviour in Australian high performance youth footballers: Associations with age and sex

Cooperation plays a crucial role in individual and team performance in invasion sports, yet little is known about how individual factors like age and sex affect cooperation in football. This study examines the relationship between cooperative behaviour, and age and sex in youth football. Passing actions from 181 male and female U16 and U17 players across six talent selection matches were analysed to understand relationships between age, sex and cooperative passing network measures (betweenness centrality, closeness centrality and transitivity) using linear mixed effects models. Matches were held on FIFA regulation pitches with standard rules (i.e., 11v11) regulated by referees. A large association between age group and closeness centrality was observed in an initial model (partial η 2 = 0.24, adjusted p < 0.001). However, when the model was adjusted for network size, this association was no longer evident, while network size demonstrated a large negative association with closeness centrality (partial η 2 = 0.32, adjusted p < 0.001). In the updated model, no clear associations with age group or sex were observed for betweenness or closeness centrality. Small associations involving network size and the interaction of age group and sex were observed for transitivity, although this study lacked statistical power to detect associations of this magnitude. These contrasting findings highlight the importance of structural characteristics in the analysis of cooperative passing networks. Future studies that utilise convenience samples in which network size varies should account for network size statistically, while more controlled studies should aim to maintain consistent network size when comparing passing networks.