Percepción del fair play en deportistas infantiles y cadetes

This paper analyses the subjective perception of the importance of five dimensions related to fair play in a large sample of young sportspeople (children and youth players) (N = 762). Dimensions were identified through a content analysis based on the European Union Code of Sports Ethics. Five dimensions were defined: having fun, following the rules, being committed, winning and fair play. Following a Thurstonian pair comparison design, a questionnaire was constructed and ipsative data were analysed. The least valued dimension was related to winning the game. The most important dimension differed for boys and girls: girls considered it more important to play fair, whereas for boys the priority was to have fun. No differences were found between commitment and respect for the rules in the male group, although the difference between these dimensions was more pronounced among girls. The ranking of the subjective dimensions and distances between them were not equivalent for boys and girls