{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T05:30:58Z","timestamp":1792042258591,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,14]],"date-time":"2019-08-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1565740800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bio-banded competition has been introduced to address the variation in physical maturity within soccer. To date, no research has investigated the effect of bio-banded competition relative to chronological competition. The current study investigated the effect of bio-banding upon physical and technical performance in elite youth soccer athletes. Twenty-five male soccer athletes (11\u201315 years) from an English Premier League soccer academy participated in bio-banded and chronological competition, with physical and technical performance data collected for each athlete. Athletes were between 85\u201390% of predicted adult stature, and sub-divided into early, on-time and late developers. For early developers, significantly more short passes, significantly less dribbles and a higher rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were evident during bio-banded competition compared to chronological competition (p &lt; 0.05). Significantly more short passes and dribbles, and significantly fewer long passes were seen for on-time developers during bio-banded competition (p &lt; 0.05). For late developers, significantly more tackles, and significantly fewer long passes were evident during bio-banded competition (p &lt; 0.05). No significant differences in physical performance were identified between competition formats. Results demonstrated that bio-banded competition changed the technical demand placed upon athletes compared to chronological competition, without reducing the physical demands. Bio-banded competition can be prescribed to athletes of differing maturation groups dependent upon their specific developmental needs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sports7080193","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,15]],"date-time":"2019-08-15T04:22:54Z","timestamp":1565842974000},"page":"193","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":66,"title":["Effects of Bio-Banding upon Physical and Technical Performance during Soccer Competition: A Preliminary Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9980-082X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Will","family":"Abbott","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, Brighton BN15 9FP, UK"},{"name":"Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine, University of Brighton, Eastbourne BN20 7UR, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stuart","family":"Williams","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, Brighton BN15 9FP, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gary","family":"Brickley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine, University of Brighton, Eastbourne BN20 7UR, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicholas","family":"Smeeton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine, University of Brighton, Eastbourne BN20 7UR, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1166","article-title":"Stakeholders\u2019 understanding and perceptions of bio-banding in junior-elite football training","volume":"19","author":"Reeves","year":"2018","journal-title":"Soccer Soc."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.2466\/10.PMS.121c15x2","article-title":"Relative age effect in combat sports: An analysis of Olympic Judo athletes, 1964\u20132012","volume":"1","author":"Albuquerque","year":"2015","journal-title":"Percept Mot. 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