THE RELATIVE AGE EFFECT IN THE VOLLEYBALL OLYMPIC GAMES

<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> The objective of the present study was to analyze the Relative Age Effect (RAE) in volleyball athletes in the four editions of the Summer Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020), as well as its magnitudes referenced to the period of the athlete's career, the final ranking, and the continent. <strong>Material and Methods:</strong> A total of 1,152 birth dates were subjected to analysis according to four quartiles, and the resulting data were compared to different phases of the athletes' sporting careers, the teams' final rankings, and the continent of origin. A chi-square goodness-of-fit test (p < 0.05) was performed. <strong>Results:</strong> The results showed that there was partially the presence and magnitude of the RAE in men's volleyball and during the athletes' consolidation period, but this effect was not observed when analyzing the final classification of the teams and the continents, excepting on the European male teams. RAE was not observed in the female context, in any of the comparisons. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> This finding may evoke a reflection on the different sports developmental processes in different countries and categories worldwide.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0998/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>