Unpacking the Biological Maturation Process for Football NSW

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Image credit: Josh Nisbet Instagram

Football NSW’s new Biological Maturation Process for the 2025 season outlines a framework that allows players who “Are potentially disadvantaged from a physical perspective, due to later biological maturity” to play in lower age groups.

Players assessed as biologically “late developers” for their chronological age will be approved to play down an age grade provided there are positions available at their club, whereas players assigned as “on-time” or “early developers” are NOT.

It will be applied only for NSW’s girls’ and boys’ Youth Leagues one, two and three from ages 13 to 15.

Only one “late developer” is allowed per age group team and must be registered on their ID as a ‘late developer.’

The test conducted is based on the estimated age at peak height velocity (APHV) measuring differing factors of height and weight. This is then cross-referenced with normative data for boys and girls.

Biological maturity testing will be conducted at Valentine Park on the following dates:

  • Monday, 9 September 2024
  • Monday, 30 September 2024
  • Monday, 25 November 2024 – FINAL DATE

The player must be registered before conducting these tests.

One cannot argue against speed, strength and agility being hallmarks of modern football athletes who are regarded as some of the fittest in the world.

However, football and modern development programs have always advocated that these factors do not only make one a great footballer.

Highly regarded academies such as Barcelona’s La Masia have mainly championed technical ability, hard work and teamwork as routes to success.

Some of the more famous and arguably the best players the world has known have been small or under-developed for their age. Lionel Messi and fellow countryman Diego Maradona, are adored due to their technique and ability, not for their physical prowess.

Even the most physical of positions has had players breaking the stereotypes, Italian centre-back Fabio Cannavaro a World Cup and Ballon-d’Or-winning stands at 6’9.

For a modern example, Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez 6’9 has proven many critics wrong about his ability to adapt to the physicality of the English Premier League.

Spain’s Aitana Bonmati at 6’3 won the golden ball on these shores in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Not to mention is one of the most decorated individual players for a singular season in 2022-23 with Barcelona Feminine, who she captained to a famous treble.

One does not even have to travel overseas to observe this dichotomy, Josh Nisbet who stands at 5’2 was one of the best midfielders in the A-Leagues along with a plethora of players who have broken this stereotype to be successful.

Would these player’s growth as footballers have been stumped by these rules? Would they not have to challenge and adapt their game to play tougher opponents due to their disadvantage? This same physical disadvantage many explained to have been a barrier for them have turned out to be a strength of theirs.

Another topic that’s been championed by many footballers now is the psychological side of sport.

How would it feel for these players in their formative years to be seen as physically underdeveloped and must drop age groups to perform well? How will it be received by other kids or different academy prospects?

There is no shame in finding it difficult or not up to the task. Nor for parents, coaches and technical directors, important figures in these children’s lives, wanting to protect their children and players and give them the best environment to strive.

Now we must accept that the aforementioned players are grown adults who have gone through their bodies’ development.

Maybe a player who has serious development issues or doesn’t show massive quality could do leaps and bounds with this opportunity.

The age group changes are not huge and physical disadvantages have been identified as problems within youth throughout footballing history.

Football NSW also have data and studies to support their decision.

A study from 2020 of Spanish youth football reported that applying biological maturity can diminish the loss of quality in players. On top of this it highlights the need to focus not on competitive results.

Which to Football NSW’s credit they have made a core of their strategies for development but at these age groups specified this focus becomes harder to maintain.

Though the same study around is based centrally around RAE (Relative Age Effect) with people born in the beginning of the year compared to later. Playing down a age group wasn’t an option mentioned, and the psychological effects were still a variable missing a more prevalent analysis.

Is this the forward-thinking that Australian football needs to answer the crucial questions of physical development? This move seems like one that is very possibly going in the right direction.

Maybe it’s old-fashioned to reject this idea, though one cannot help but fear the possibility of holding back young players due to their physical ability or the effect it can have on them psychologically.

Football is a sport for all people no matter what their differences, that’s why it has coined the title ‘The Beautiful Game” and that’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

If you wish to learn more click here.

Football Queensland presents 2024-2026 Infrastructure Strategy

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Matildas vs France Women's World Cup
Image credit: CommBank Matildas

Football Queensland has released its new 2024-2026 infrastructure strategy outlining centrally that collaboration with the government will be necessary for infrastructure investment over the next three years.

FQ and Football Australia did quantitative research on community club infrastructure and found the need for millions of dollars worth of infrastructure to support this growth and maintain numbers.

The first point of call is “Unlocking the Legacy of the FWWC23.”

FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci expressed his delight on releasing the Infrastructure Strategy.

“We are delighted to release the 2024-2026 Infrastructure Strategy which builds on our previous 2020 – 2024 Infrastructure Strategy and details our roadmap to securing the vital investment required in our greenspace to build capacity as we work towards achieving our goal of 50/50 gender parity by 2027,” he said via press release.

“Football, as Queensland’s leading team participation sport, continues to grow annually at a double-digit rate, with a staggering 44% surge in female participation (and 29% overall growth) in outdoor players alone in the first quarter of 2024 following the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.”

FQ has recorded 300,000 participants with an impressive 65% growth in the last 4 years.

In conjunction with this data, there was a +470% increase in talent pathway athletes and a +330% increase in female participation since 2016.

Also on the national teams, the FQ has a massive role with 50% of the 23FWWC Matildas and Olympic football teams coming through FQ pathways.

Despite these remarkable statistics, looking at it from an infrastructure perspective Robert Cavallucci continues on by saying that football has reached a crisis situation.

“From an infrastructure perspective, based on its continued growth, the game has reached a critical crossroads due to historical underinvestment.”

This struggling infrastructure leads to Challenges such as:

  • Physical and Mental Health Challenges including youth crime.
  • Economic Challenges
  • Reduced Physical Activity
  • Environmental Impact
  • Lack of Opportunities

The study behind this strategy is based on the National Football Facilities Audit Tool.

Provided by the partnership of FQ with Football Australia and another 8 member federations.

It has over 13.5 million data points, providing crucial business intelligence and pinpointing infrastructure gaps for clubs to work on FQ with Football Australia and another 8 member federations introduced the sport’s inaugural.

This data will help FQ in increasing its workforce capabilities with a precise mobilisation of its participation base.

This will be upheld by key campaigns on targeted events and participation, including advocacy within the community to engage with the government and support further education of participants to upgrade the development and quality of personnel.

The Strategy has been broken up into 3 priorities:

Priority 1: State Home of Community Football Pathways

FQ aims to establish a consolidated State Home of Community Football at Meakin Park.

It will significantly contribute to local economic growth and enhance physical and mental well-being through improved facility access, events at various levels (local, state, and national), and community activations.

The benefits:

  • Local economic activity.
  • Supports local sports clubs.
  • Multi-purpose indoor facility access.
  • Community Access.
  • International level training facility.
  • Economic activity through events.

As of December 2023, the estimated cost of this project is $70 million.

Priority 2: Community Football Infrastructure Fund

FQ with the Queensland state government will have a funding model in partnership that would see $20 million per annum invested over an initial three-year period in capacity and capability improvement projects.

Will also advocate for state funding grants for community football, planning for 20 facility improvements annually.

There is a need for large-scale facilities for the lower leagues and training of youth as well as high-performance training facilities in the state.

The benefits:

  • Improved club capacity and capability.
  • Targeted investment (need as opposed to want).
  • Promotes football & Government, co-contribution model.

 Priority 3: Tier 2 Stadium Fit-For-Purpose Stadia

The proposed new 15,000-20,000 seat stadium would be an international state-of-the-art venue tailored for football and a range of events from conferences to concerts.

This would support the commercial viability of the sport, especially the female game and the hosting of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The Benefits:

  • Fit-for-purpose football stadia.
  • Supports professional sports’ economic viability.
  • Promotes Brisbane as a global sports capital.

The estimated cost from December 2023 is 200 million.

The strategy is based on hard evidence, community data and a thorough plan to develop the lacking areas of the game. It does highlight the need for the support of the government, otherwise, the strategy has the potential to struggle.

Overall, however, the outlined process looks promising and with the future AFC2026 and Olympics 2032 competitions, it is an area the government needs to support, and this strategy proves Football Queensland have the dedication and preparation to see it through.

To read through the full 2024-26 Infrastructure Strategy, click here.

FIFPRO Asia/Oceania report on women’s Asian club experience

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Image credit: FIFPRO website

FIFPRO Asia/Oceania has published a report evaluating players’ experiences in the 2023/24 AFC Women’s Club Championship (AWCC).

The report, “Lessons from the AFC Women’s Club Championship,” compiles insights from 88 players across the eight clubs that participated in last season’s invitational tournament, representing teams are from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, India, and Iran. This competition acted as a precursor to the 2024/25 AFC Women’s Champions League, which kicked off on Sunday.

The report offers an in-depth look at players’ careers, backgrounds, and experiences in Asia’s continental club competition, while also analysing critical factors like professional status, pay, and working conditions.

The report also evaluates the AWCC format, scheduling, finances, and the 2024 AWCC final, providing crucial insights as the AFC Women’s Champions League prepares for its inaugural season.

Player Profile

FIFPRO Asia/Oceania serves as the sole international collective voice for professional footballers across Asia and Oceania, representing over 6,000 players through its 12 member unions.

Just 62% of these players identified as ‘Professional,’ while 32% classified themselves as ‘Semi-Professional,’ and 6% as ‘Amateur.’

While these labels are somewhat subjective, the survey revealed the real-life experiences of female players in Asian clubs:

  • One quarter (25%) reported that football was not their main source of income.
  • Fewer than half (42%) earned over $10,000 annually from football.
  • Less than a third (32%) committed at least 20 hours per week to football.
  • Fewer than a third (30%) reported receiving extra salary or bonuses for participating in the AWCC.

Players who aren’t full-time professionals must juggle football with other jobs, studies, or family duties. Only 9% of players reported that the AWCC didn’t interfere with their domestic football or other life commitments.

For the 16% who said the competition affected their non-football employment, it may have led to financial losses due to their participation in the tournament.

When AFC competitions, like the AWCC, interfere with domestic league schedules—as they did for 51% of players—the rescheduled domestic matches add to the difficulties female players face in managing their multiple commitments.

This doesn’t imply that Asian women players should be excluded from continental competitions; 85% of players from the 2023-24 AWCC expressed a desire to participate again. Players are eager to challenge themselves at the highest level and are willing to make sacrifices for the opportunity.

Working Conditions

All players rated the standard of accommodation as either somewhat good (46%) or very good (54%).

However, a quarter of players reported that local transport was either somewhat poor (20%) or very poor (7%), and 17% described the high-performance facilities as inadequate.

Several players from Group B in Tashkent noted that the accommodation was too distant from the playing arena.

Players who rated the facilities and transport as poor were most often from Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels (South Korea) or Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan). Conversely, those who rated them as very good were more likely to come from FC Nasaf (Uzbekistan), Bangkok WFC (Thailand), and Hualien (Taiwan).

These varying perceptions likely reflect the differences in expectations between the top women’s leagues in Asia and less advanced domestic competitions.

Reflecting on the report’s findings, FIFPRO Asia/Oceania Chair Takuya Yamazaki stated via press release:

“The AFC’s unilateral decision-making must change to ensure the success of continental competitions. We continue to recommend a genuine partnership between professional footballers, clubs, leagues, and the AFC, which is crucial to unlocking the potential of Asian football.”

Kathryn Gill, FIFPRO Global and Asia/Oceania board member, former Australia international, and 2010 AFC Women’s Player of the Year, said via press release:

“Whilst the potential of the women’s game in Asia is immense, we must ensure it is developed in a way that is responsive to the lived realities illustrated in this report. This can only occur through establishing a genuine partnership between the AFC, leagues, clubs and players, and not through unilaterally overlaying regulations that are fit for men’s competitions onto female competitions.”

Three Key Recommendations To Enhance Competitions 

A Collaborative Approach to Decision-Making

Eighty-one percent of surveyed players who took part in the AWCC believe that players should have more influence on AFC decisions, including those related to structure, scheduling, and financial aspects.

Higher Minimum Standards

AFC Women’s Champions League regulations should protect players from poor conditions and use the tournament’s influence to encourage professionalism throughout the continent.

Increased Visibility and Commercial Opportunity

As the commercial potential of women’s football continues to expand, the AFC needs to invest in boosting the visibility of women’s continental club competitions.

To read the full report in its entirety, click here.

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