2023 FNSW Biological Maturation Process (Youth)
As part of Football NSW youth competitions policy, players that are potentially disadvantaged from a physical perspective, due to later biological maturity, may be eligible to play in a lower age category.
Although players may be similar in terms of chronological age, their biological age can vary substantially, by as much as 5 years, due to the timing of their adolescent growth spurt.
Late developers can be significantly disadvantaged from a physical standpoint (height, weight, speed, strength).
To identify those players who may be late-developer players, Football NSW has developed a two-step process.
For ease of reference, Football NSW has created a Biological Maturation Education/Information page, all players/parents/coaches/clubs etc will be directed to the web page in the first instance to help streamline the communication process. For more information, please click the following link:
Eligibility –2023 Season
The following information seeks to clarify the eligibility of players for the 2023 Season in relation to Biological Maturation approved Players:
Players assessed as Late Developers:
- Any Player that is assessed as a “late developer” will be given approval status to play down an age grade at his/her club on the condition that the club has a position available in the team that the player is seeking to register for
Players assessed as On Time Developers and Early Developers:
- Any Player that is assessed as a “on time developer” or “early developer” will NOT be permitted to play down an age grade at their club.
Please Note: All players will be required to attend one of the advertised Football NSW assessment dates. No Player will retain their 2022 status.
Team Eligibility – 2023 Season
Please note the following age groups for which the Biological Maturation principle will apply for the 2023 season:
- Boys: Football NSW Boys’ Youth League One, Two & Three and Association Youth League – U13s to U15s; and
- Girls: Football NSW Girls’ Youth League One & Football NSW Girls’ Youth League Two – U14, U15
Further to the above, the following is the process for clubs to manage the number of Biological Maturation Players per team throughout the registration window for the 2023 Football season:
- No club/team will be able to register a player to play in an age grade below the player’s birth year if that player has been assessed as a “on time developer” or “early developers”;
- Each club will be permitted to register a maximum of one (1) approved “late developer” per team;
- No club/team will be able to register a player to play in an age grade below the player’s birth year if that player has been assessed as a “late developer” and that team already has one (1) approved Biological Maturation Players.
Biological Maturation Testing – 2023 Season:
Testing for the 2023 Season will be conducted at Valentine Sports Park, Glenwood, across three (3) separate dates.
The dates are as follows:
- Wednesday 21 September (evening)
- Wednesday 5 October (evening)
- Wednesday 7 December – Final Date (evening)
The Biological Maturity Application must be submitted prior to attendance.
Please Note: To assist with the integrity of the assessment process, a $50 administration fee will be required to be paid prior to a player assessment being conducted. Post the assessment, if a player is classified as a “late developer” the admin fee will be refunded.
The above information sets out Football NSW’s position in respect of Biological Maturation players in the lead up to the 2023 season.
Football NSW will continue to work with clubs to ensure the development principles of the Biological Maturation process are appropriately managed and that its aim of improving the overall football experience for all participants is achieved.
Please ensure this correspondence is sent to all relevant parties within your club and is clearly
communicated to Players.
For any questions or enquires related to the above process, please contact Football NSW via email: competitions@footballnsw.com.au
