Relative Age Effect and Development Pathways in French Basketball: From Youth Training Structures to Senior National Teams

The relative age effect refers to the advantage experienced by athletes born earlier in the selection year and has been widely documented in youth basketball. However, its influence on long-term development pathways leading to senior elite performance remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the distribution of birth quarters across elite basketball development structures in France and analyze how relative age relates to progression toward senior national team selection in male and female players. The study included 2,399 female and 2,572 male athletes involved in regional training centers, 157 female and 216 male national training centers, 1,981 female and 3,103 male professional club academies, and 896 female and 803 male French national teams from youth to senior level. Birth quarter distributions were compared with national birth statistics using chi-square (χ2) tests. The results showed a strong overrepresentation of players born early in the selection year at the initial stages of elite development for both males and females (p < 0.05). Despite substantial attrition across development stages, distinct progression patterns were observed between male and female players, highlighting differences in how athletes access and move through elite pathways. These findings indicate that relative age strongly influences early selection in elite basketball but does not determine long-term access to senior international performance.