Introduction Relative age selection biases are associated with an underrepresentation of players born at the end of the year and vice versa. The probability of selection of relative younger players might be increased by having an advanced biological maturation status (Radnor et al., 2021). Hence, it can be hypothesized that in later birth quartiles early maturing players are overrepresented to overcome potential relative age biases in talent selection processes. The aim of the study was to investigate the birth quartile distributions and its association with maturation status of male U16 players in the talent selection of German handball. Methods Birthdates and maturation status estimates of 2,336 male U16 players from the talent selection measures of the years 2010-2020 were provided by the German Handball Federation. Birth quartiles were extracted, and a chi-square goodness-of-fit test was performed to determine whether the distributions of the birth quartiles of early, average, and late maturing players differ. Effect size Fei (Ben-Shachar et al., 2023) and odds ratios were calculated. Results Birth quartile distributions slightly differ between average and early maturers, x²(3) = 65.08, p < .001, Pe = .10, 95% CI [.07, .12]. Players born in the fourth quartile are twice as likely to be early maturing than players born in the first quartile, OR = 2.00, 95% CI [1.54, 2.56]. Discussion The overrepresentation of early maturing players born in later birth quartiles suggest that the relative age bias is counteracted by early maturation. However, this in turn amplifies the biological maturation bias. It may be important for players born in later birth quartiles to be early maturing to increase their likelihood of overcoming relative age selection bias and being perceived as a "talent". Average - and most likely also late - maturers born in later quartiles are doubly disadvantaged as they compete with relatively older and more mature players, which should be considered in talent selection.
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