Studia Kinanthropologica 2025, 26(2):49-57 | DOI: 10.32725/sk.2025.009

The relative age effect in squash

A. Agricola, & M. Čepová
Univerzita Hradec Králové, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra tělesné výchovy a sportu

The relative age effect (RAE) is a well-documented phenomenon in both team and individual sports; however, evidence in squash remains minimal. The aim of this study was to examine the presence of RAE among elite European junior male and female squash players. The research sample consisted of 694 boys and 334 girls from the U13, U15, U17, and U19 categories, with data obtained from the official rankings of the European Squash Federation. Athletes were classified according to their date of birth into quartiles (Q1–Q4) and semesters (S1, S2). In individual categories, a descriptive analysis of birth frequencies was performed, while the main statistical tests were conducted on the entire sample by sex. To verify differences between the observed and expected distributions, a chisquare goodness-of-fit test was applied, with effect size assessed using Cramér’s V and φ, interpreted according to Cohen’s criteria. The results showed that in boys, the highest proportion of athletes was born in Q1 (27.2%) and the lowest in Q2 (23.6%), whereas in girls, Q2 and Q3 dominated (26.4%), with the lowest representation in Q4 (22.8%). However, differences from the expected distribution were not statistically significant (boys: χ2 = 2.61; p = 0.46; Cramér’s V = 0.035; girls: χ2 = 1.16; p = 0.76; Cramér’s V = 0.034), with effect sizes corresponding to very small effects. The analysis of European juniors did not reveal a statistically significant relative age effect, suggesting that squash is unlikely to be affected by the systematic overlooking of relatively younger athletes. This finding may indicate to coaches and officials that talent selection in this sport is not burdened with the same risks as in many others.

Keywords: youth sport; athletic talent; date of birth; birth distribution; sex differences

Received: September 3, 2025; Revised: September 8, 2025; Accepted: September 23, 2025; Published: October 15, 2025  Show citation

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Agricola A, & Čepová M. The relative age effect in squash. Studia Kinanthropologica. 2025;26(2):49-57. doi: 10.32725/sk.2025.009.
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