The Impact of Relative Age Effect on Competition Performance in Youth Women's Basketball

The Relative Age Effect (RAE) has been widely examined in various sports, yet its impact on competition performance in youth women’s basketball remains underexplored. This study investigates the presence and effects of RAE on the performance of female athletes in the Turkish Women's Basketball Championships across U14, U16, and U18 categories during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons. A retrospective survey model was employed, analysing birth quarter distributions and match statistics of 1,673 players obtained from the Turkish Basketball Federation's official database. Players were categorized into quartiles (Q1-Q4) based on their birth months, and their performance was assessed using the Player Efficiency Rating (PER). Statistical analyses included Pearson’s chi-square tests and Kruskal-Wallis H tests to examine RAE's impact on player selection and performance. Results indicated a significant overrepresentation of players born in the first quarter (Q1) across all age categories, confirming the presence of RAE. In the U14 category, players born in Q1 were nearly four times more likely to be selected than those in Q4, with similar trends observed in the U16 and U18 categories. Moreover, Q1 players demonstrated higher efficiency ratings and greater playing time compared to their later-born counterparts. The findings suggest that RAE significantly causes talent selection and performance outcomes in youth women’s basketball, potentially leading to long-term player development and progression disparities. Future research should explore interventions to mitigate these biases and promote equitable competition opportunities for all athletes.