Influence of Biological Maturation on the Career Trajectory of Football Players: Does It Predict Elite Success?
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants
2.2. Procedures
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics
3.2. Competitive Participation
3.3. Career Trajectory and Access to Elite Football
4. Discussion
Limitations and Future Directions
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Group | Maturation | n | Chronological Age (Years) | Bone Age (Years) | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | BMI (kg/m2) | Available Time (min) | Playing Time (min) | Time Played (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Global | Early | 18 | 14.2 ± 0.9 c | 15.8 ± 1.5 c | 167 ± 8 c | 58.1 ± 7.8 c | 20.7 ± 1.2 c | 2040 ± 320 | 1051 ± 289 | 53 ± 10 |
On-Time | 16 | 13.4 ± 1.1 | 13.3 ± 1.1 | 159 ± 9 | 47.3 ± 10.5 | 18.4 ± 2.0 | 1980 ± 310 | 1109 ± 298 | 58 ± 17 | |
Late | 13 | 12.9 ± 0.9 b | 11.8 ± 1.1 ab | 149 ± 7 ab | 40.1 ± 7.1 b | 17.8 ± 1.8 b | 1800 ± 290 | 790 ± 328 ab | 45 ± 19 | |
Total | 47 | 13.5 ± 1.1 | 14.0 ± 2.1 | 159 ± 11 | 49.5 ± 11.3 | 19.1 ± 2.1 | 1940 ± 315 | 996 ± 325 | 52 ± 16 | |
U16 | Early | 14 | 14.6 ± 0.3 | 16.5 ± 0.8 c | 170 ± 6 | 61.1 ± 5.6 | 21.1 ± 1.0 | 2085 ± 309 | 1136 ± 264 | 55 ± 10 |
On-Time | 7 | 14.5 ± 0.3 | 14.5 ± 0.3 | 167 ± 6 | 56.2 ± 9.9 | 19.9 ± 2.1 | 2262 ± 164 | 1127 ± 282 | 50 ± 11 | |
Late | 3 | 14.3 ± 0.4 | 13.2 ± 0.3 ab | 155 ± 4 ab | 47.1 ± 2.8 b | 19.7 ± 0.6 | 2080 ± 366 | 817 ± 164 | 39 ± 2 | |
Total | 24 | 14.5 ± 0.3 | 15.5 ± 1.4 | 167 ± 8 | 57.9 ± 8.1 | 20.6 ± 1.5 | 2136 ± 282 | 1093 ± 272 | 51 ± 11 | |
U14 | Early | 9 | 12.6 ± 0.2 | 13.4 ± 0.3 c | 157 ± 6 | 47.7 ± 4.6 | 19.3 ± 0.5 | 1627 ± 119 | 754 ± 138 | 46 ± 7 |
On-Time | 4 | 12.5 ± 0.3 | 12.4 ± 0.4 | 152 ± 3 | 40.3 ± 3.1 | 17.3 ± 1.0 | 1671 ± 137 | 1092 ± 329 | 65 ± 18 | |
Late | 10 | 12.5 ± 0.3 | 11.1 ± 0.6 ab | 148 ± 7 b | 38.0 ± 6.7 b | 17.2 ± 1.6 b | 1687 ± 166 | 781 ± 370 | 46 ± 22 | |
Total | 23 | 12.5 ± 0.3 | 12.2 ± 1.0 | 151 ± 7 | 40.6 ± 6.1 | 17.6 ± 1.4 | 1670 ± 143 | 889 ± 349 | 53 ± 20 |
Variable | Global | U16 | U14 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F | p | η2 | F | p | η2 | F | p | η2 | |
Chronological Age (years) | 7.37 | 0.002 **,bc | 0.251 | 1.88 | 0.178 | 0.152 | 0.58 | 0.573 | 0.054 |
Bone Age (years) | 34.98 | <0.001 ***,abc | 0.630 | 47.99 | <0.001 ***,abc | 0.820 | 29.42 | <0.001 ***,abc | 0.776 |
Height (cm) | 16.73 | <0.001 ***,abc | 0.432 | 6.93 | 0.005 **,ab | 0.398 | 3.83 | 0.039 *,b | 0.277 |
Weight (kg) | 17.03 | <0.001 ***,bc | 0.436 | 5.23 | 0.014 *,b | 0.332 | 5.02 | 0.017 *,b | 0.334 |
BMI (kg/m2) | 13.74 | <0.001 ***,bc | 0.385 | 2.70 | 0.091 | 0.204 | 4.06 | 0.033 *,b | 0.289 |
Available Time (min) | 2.71 | 0.078 | 0.112 | 3.32 | 0.056 | 0.240 | 2.59 | 0.101 | 0.214 |
Playing Time (min) | 4.33 | 0.019 *,ab | 0.168 | 1.91 | 0.173 | 0.154 | 2.40 | 0.118 | 0.202 |
Time Played (%) | 2.71 | 0.078 | 0.112 | 3.32 | 0.056 | 0.240 | 2.59 | 0.101 | 0.214 |
Players who reached elite level | 11.44 | 0.003 ** | 0.493 | 15.27 | <0.001 *** | 0.798 | 2.85 | 0.241 | 0.352 |
Player | Maturation | Group | League | Chronological Age (Years) | Bone Age (Years) | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | BMI (kg/m2) | Available Time (min) | Playing Time (min) | Time Played (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | Late | U14 | Big Five | 12.1 | 11.5 | 147 | 35.0 | 16.3 | 1680 | 1398 | 83 |
B | Late | U14 | Big Five | 12.4 | 11.5 | 145 | 38.8 | 18.5 | 1680 | 1450 | 86 |
C | Late | U16 | Big Five | 13.9 | 13.0 | 152 | 46.0 | 19.9 | 1680 | 630 | 37 |
D | Late | U16 | Big Five | 14.3 | 13.0 | 154 | 45.1 | 19.0 | 2400 | 996 | 41 |
E | On-Time | U14 | Spanish 2nd | 12.3 | 12.5 | 155 | 44.1 | 18.3 | 1750 | 1196 | 68 |
F | On-Time | U16 | Spanish 2nd | 14.8 | 15.0 | 165 | 52.9 | 19.4 | 2400 | 1479 | 61 |
G | Early | U14 | Spanish 2nd | 12.5 | 13.5 | 164 | 51.4 | 19.2 | 1750 | 875 | 50 |
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Aixa-Requena, S.; Gil-Galve, A.; Legaz-Arrese, A.; Hernández-González, V.; Reverter-Masia, J. Influence of Biological Maturation on the Career Trajectory of Football Players: Does It Predict Elite Success? J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10, 153. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020153
Aixa-Requena S, Gil-Galve A, Legaz-Arrese A, Hernández-González V, Reverter-Masia J. Influence of Biological Maturation on the Career Trajectory of Football Players: Does It Predict Elite Success? Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2025; 10(2):153. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020153
Chicago/Turabian StyleAixa-Requena, Saül, Albert Gil-Galve, Alejandro Legaz-Arrese, Vicenç Hernández-González, and Joaquín Reverter-Masia. 2025. "Influence of Biological Maturation on the Career Trajectory of Football Players: Does It Predict Elite Success?" Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 10, no. 2: 153. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020153
APA StyleAixa-Requena, S., Gil-Galve, A., Legaz-Arrese, A., Hernández-González, V., & Reverter-Masia, J. (2025). Influence of Biological Maturation on the Career Trajectory of Football Players: Does It Predict Elite Success? Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 10(2), 153. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020153