RESUMO É objectivo do presente artigo apresentar os procedimentos utilizados no desenvolvimento e estabelecimento da validade de um sistema de avaliação táctica no Futebol, assim como destacar as vantagens deste sistema em relação a outros instrumentos de avaliação do comportamento táctico disponíveis na literatura. Estes procedimentos tomaram em consideração as cinco perspectivas de noção de validade que valorizam os métodos heurísticos e os comportamentos desempenhados em jogo. Desta forma, o processo de validação focou-se em quatro pontos: i) grau de aceitabilidade e razoabilidade do teste de campo entre os jogadores; ii) análise e avaliação de peritos em relação aos conteúdos do instrumento de observação; iii) análise e avaliação dos treinadores em relação ao desempenho dos jogadores no teste de campo; e iv) fiabilidade das observações dos avaliadores. Os resultados mostraram valores superiores a .63 para a correlação entre as avaliações dos treinadores e do sistema. Os jogadores que realizaram o teste de campo concordaram com as suas demandas físicas e configurações espaciais e normativas. Todos os peritos aprovaram as categorias e as variáveis contidas no sistema. As fiabilidades intra e inter-avaliadores apresentaram valores superiores a .79. Como tal, é plausível concluir que as medidas utilizadas no sistema são válidas para o contexto do Futebol e as suas observações são fiáveis para a avaliação do comportamento táctico dos jogadores de Futebol.

This study compared the relative physical demands of official matches and sided games (medium and large) in professional soccer players by means of a global positioning system. Twenty-three professional male soccer players (24.63[Formula: see text]2.84 years old; 180.94[Formula: see text]6.49 cm; 77.19[Formula: see text]6.46 kg; 52.99[Formula: see text]5.01 VO) participated in the study. Total distance, running distance, sprinting distance, number of sprints, and acceleration sum were quantified per minute to compare the different games. Running distance in full match was greater than in 5vs5+GK (d = 2.303, moderate effect), 6vs6+GK (d = 1.719, moderate effect) and 9vs9+GK (d = 1.084, minimum effect) sided games. Greater values for sprinting distance were found in the full match compared to 5vs5+GK (d = 3.673, strong effect), 6vs6+GK (d = 2.606, moderate effect) and 9vs9+GK (d = 1.903, moderate effect) sided games. However, the load was greater in the 5vs5+GK game compared to the 6vs6+GK (d = 1.323, moderate effect) and 9vs9+GK (d = 1.030, minimum effect) games and the full match (d = 1.478, moderate effect). This study revealed that medium-sided games are not appropriate for simulating the sprinting conditions of official full matches. However, medium-sided games are more intense than full matches in that accelerations are made more often in medium-sided games.

For sports assessment to be comprehensive, it must address all variables of sports development, such as psychological, social-emotional, physical and physiological, technical and tactical. Tactical assessment has been a neglected variable until the 1980s or 1990s. In the last two decades (1995–2015), the evolution of tactical assessment has grown considerably, given its importance in game performance. The aim of this paper is to compile and analyze different tactical measuring tools in team sports, particularly in soccer, through a bibliographical review. Six tools have been selected on five different criteria: (1) Instruments which assess tactics, (2) The studies have an evolution approach related to the tactical principles, (3) With a valid and reliable method, (4) The existence of publications mentioning the tool in the method, v. Applicable in different sports contexts. All six tools are structured around seven headings: introduction, objective(s), tactical principles, materials, procedures, instructions/rules of the game and published studies. In conclusion, the teaching–learning processes more tactical oriented have useful tactical assessment instrument in the literature. The selection of one or another depends some context information, like age and level of expertise of the players.

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This study assessed the relative age effect (RAE) in judo athletes who participated in the Olympic Games from 1964 to 2012. The names and birthdates of the Olympic judo athletes were collected from open-access websites. Data from male (n=1,762) and female (n=665) competitors were analyzed separately. Chi-squared tests were performed to investigate REA in medalists, and by weight categories and sexes. When the analyses used semesters to divide the period when the athletes were born, a RAE was found in male heavyweight athletes and male medallists. Thus, in a selected group of judo athletes who had participated at the highest competitive level, RAEs were present in both athletes who won Olympic medals and heavyweight athletes in the male group.

Affective decision-making is a type of Executive Function related to cost benefit analysis in situations where gains and losses imply direct consequences for the subject. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the affective decision-making on tactical behavior in soccer players under the age of 15 years old. The System of Tactical Assessment in Soccer (FUT-SAT) was used to assess tactical behavior. To evaluate affective decision-making, we used the neuropsychological test called The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The values of the offensive, defensive and game tactical behavior of participants were used to create performance groups. The low (≤25%) and high (≥75%) groups, according to offensive, defensive and game tactical behavior, were compared and shown to be different. The values of the IGT net score of the participants with low and high tactical behavior were compared using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. Statistically significant differences between the groups were observed for Defensive Tactical Behavior (Z = −3.133; p = 0.002; r = −0.355) and Game Tactical Behavior (Z = −2.267; p = 0.023; r = −0.260). According to these results, it is possible to state that affective decision-making can influence the tactical behavior of under-15 soccer players.

The relative age of athletes has raised the attention of many researchers. The focus of these investigations understands the interference of this parameter in the identification of talents and the training of future elite athletes. Thus, the aim of this paper was to to evaluate and compare the existence of differences between semesters and birth date quartiles in professional soccer participating in the Brazilian Soccer Championship Series A (1 st division) and B (2 nd division) in 2008. Fourty clubs that participated in the Brazilian Soccer Championship Series A and B were evaluated, totalizing 1022 players (483 players in the 1 st division and 539 players in the 2 nd division). The players were grouped per birth date into year quartiles and semesters. The data showed that there was a preference of clubs from the two championship series for hiring athletes born in the 1 st semester. Further, differences were absent only between quartiles 2 and 3 and a clubs` preference for 1 st quartile athletes was also observed. We can conclude that the relative age stands out as a variable in the elite soccer athlete selection and training, as the comparisons show the clubs` preference for athletes born early in the year.

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