Tool
Is your child young or old for their age group?
Academies pick more children born early in the selection year, because at nine a few months is a lot of size. Enter a birthday and see where your child sits, and what the research says.
Quarter of the selection year
Age group now
Position in year
Older than
Selection year
Copied.
What the research says
The relative age effect, in numbers.
44%
Of academy players in a ten-year English study were born in the first quarter of the selection year, September to November.
University of Essex, 2024
~10%
Typical share born in the last quarter, June to August, across European academy studies. A quarter of the population, a tenth of the places.
Relative age effect literature, multiple studies
Reverses
Among players who reach the top, the late-born are over-represented relative to their academy share. The ones who survive selection against bigger kids often end up better.
The underdog effect, Gibbs et al. and later work
Bio-banding
Premier League academies now run some fixtures grouped by physical maturity rather than birth date, specifically to correct this. Ask any academy whether it does.
Premier League bio-banding programme
Sources are linked on the data page. This tool gives the calendar facts and the published research. It does not predict your child.