Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the birth dates of soccer players and the Brazilian population as well as assess possible differences among categories. 868 players participated in this study, distributed according to the U-15, U-17, U-20 and professional categories. The birth dates were classified by quartiles. The chi-square test was used for the analyses, considering P < 0.05. Significant difference was identified among quartiles of births with a tendency to births in the first half, similar to the distribution of the Brazilian population. No differences were significant among categories. It was concluded that there is a tendency for births in the beginning of the year, discouraging potential talent ones who were born at the end of the competitive year.
KEYWORDS
Relative age effect; Birth date; Soccer; Talent
