Bio-banding influences talent experts’ ratings of psycho-social behaviours during 11 v 11 soccer match-play

Selection into talent programmes is determined by perceptions of talent experts (i.e. professional academy scouts or coaches). Biological maturity status and/or timing can influence psycho-social behaviours in match-play. This study examined whether bio-banding (i.e. grouping players by biological maturity) influences talent experts' ratings of psycho-social behaviours. Using the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool (HSBST), 14 talent experts rated 118 trained/developmental, male, adolescent (age: 13.7 ± 0.8 years) soccer players during six 20-minute, chronological age and bio-banded 11v11 matches. Players were bio-banded using percentage of predicted adult height (%PAH) using modified band thresholds relevant to peak height velocity (PHV; < 90%PAH, pre; 90-96%PAH, circa; and > 96%PAH, post-PHV). Dependent sample t-tests between the whole group ratings identified significant differences (p < 0.05) between formats. Decision-making and composure ratings increased in pre-PHV, with X-factor improving for circa-PHV players. Perceptions of resilience, competitiveness and confidence had small to moderate (d = 0.26-0.65) reductions for early maturers. Bio-banding significantly enhanced perceptions of competitiveness, confidence, composure and X-factor in on-time maturers (p = 0.011-0.049). Data indicates bio-banding positively influences perceptions of composure, competitiveness, decision-making and X-factor by talent experts, particularly for less biologically advanced players. Bio-banding may alter talent experts' observations of psycho-social behaviours, potentially improving (de)selection accuracy by assessing talent more holistically.