Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31161402›Full record

ArticleSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2019

Methodological Issues in Soccer Talent Identification Research.

Tom L G Bergkamp, A Susan M Niessen, Ruud J R den Hartigh, Wouter G P Frencken, Rob R Meijer

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

53 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  16. Why "decoding the elite soccer player's psychological profile" fails to score.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Tom L G BergkampDepartment of Psychometrics and Statistics, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712TS, Groningen, The Netherlands. T.L.G.Bergkamp@rug.nl.ORCID 0000-0001-5522-1247
A Susan M NiessenDepartment of Psychometrics and Statistics, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Ruud J R den HartighDepartment of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Wouter G P FrenckenCenter for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Rob R MeijerDepartment of Psychometrics and Statistics, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Talent identification research in soccer comprises the prediction of elite soccer performance. While many studies in this field have aimed to empirically relate performance characteristics to subsequent soccer success, a critical evaluation of the methodology of these studies has mostly been absent in the literature. In this position paper, we discuss advantages and limitations of the design, validity, and utility of current soccer talent identification research. Specifically, we draw on principles from selection psychology that can contribute to best practices in the context of making selection decisions across domains. Based on an extensive search of the soccer literature, we identify four methodological issues from this framework that are relevant for talent identification research, i.e. (1) the operationalization of criterion variables (the performance to be predicted) as performance levels; (2) the focus on isolated performance indicators as predictors of soccer performance; (3) the effects of range restriction on the predictive validity of predictors used in talent identification; and (4) the effect of the base rate on the utility of talent identification procedures. Based on these four issues, we highlight opportunities and challenges for future soccer talent identification studies that may contribute to developing evidence-based selection procedures. We suggest for future research to consider the use of individual soccer criterion measures, to adopt representative, high-fidelity predictors of soccer performance, and to take restriction of range and the base rate into account.

Indexed as

AptitudeAthletic PerformanceDecision MakingSoccerHumans

Identifiers

PMID31161402
PMCPMC6684562

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.