Purpose: This study aimed to investigate if player tactical skill level and age category influence team performance and player exploratory behavior in tasks with different difficulty levels. Method: In total, 48 youth male soccer players participated in the study (U15, n = 24, mean age = 13.06 ± 1.53 years; U17, n = 24, mean age = 16.89 ± 0.11 years). Player tactical skills were evaluated through the System of Tactical Assessment in Soccer (FUT-SAT), allowing them to be organized into three groups according to tactical efficiency: Higher tactical skill level (Group 01), Intermediate tactical skill level (Group 02), and Lower tactical skill level (Group 03). Next, Group 01 and Group 03 of both categories performed six Small-Sided and Conditioned Games (SSCG) each, namely three High difficulty SSCGs and three Low difficulty SSCGs. Team performance and players' exploratory behavior were analyzed through the Offensive Sequences Characterization System and Lag Sequential Analysis, respectively. Results: We found that team performance and players' exploratory behavior were influenced both by the age and tactical skill level of the players, as well as by task difficulty level. Conclusion: Therefore, in an attempt to improve player performance, practitioners must carefully manipulate key task constraints to adapt training task difficulty levels to player age and tactical skill level.

Resumo. O estudo tem como objetivo investigar as possibilidades e diferentes potencialidades dos jogos que compõem a cultura tradicional brasileira de brincadeiras de bola com os pés. Participaram do estudo 28 futebolistas, sendo 14 crianças (Grupo 01: 9,7±1,2 anos) e 14 universitários (Grupo 02: 21,1±1,7 anos). Os jogadores participaram de três jogos/brincadeiras de bola com os pés (Rebatida, Bobinho e Artilheiro). O desempenho dos jogadores foi analisado através do software Dvideow®, que registrou as ações técnico-táticas realizadas por ambos grupos. Foi possível constatar que cada um dos jogos/brincadeiras de bola com os pés investigados, em meio ao seu processo de organização, apresentam as mesmas possibilidades técnico-táticas, independentemente do grupo a jogar, ao mesmo tempo em que estes díspares jogos proporcionaram diferentes potencialidades técnico-táticas. Portanto, o entendimento do processo de organizacional sistêmico dos jogos/brincadeiras de bola com os pés demonstra ser conhecimento fundamental para o treinador planejar e conduzir sessões de treino representativas e desafiadoras. O conhecimento sobre as possibilidades e potencialidades dos diversos jogos/brincadeiras de bola com os pés, pertencentes à cultura do nosso futebol de rua, permitem aos treinadores implementar e acompanhar um processo de ensino centrado no aluno, pautado no jogo e inspirado na pedagogia da rua. Abstract. This study aimed to investigate the possibilities and potentialities of different games which compose the traditional Brazilian culture of playing ball games with feet, highlighting its systemic organizational process. Twenty-eight male soccer players participated in the study, being 14 children (Group 01: 9,7±1,2 years) and 14 university students (Group 02: 21,1±1,7 years). The players performed three games played with their feet (Rebatida, Bobinho and Artilheiro). The players' performance was analyzed using the Dvideow® software, which recorded the technical-tactical actions performed by both groups. It was possible to highlight that each of the game investigated, respecting their own organization process, presented the same technical-tactical possibilities, regardless of the group of players, at the same time that these disparate games provided different technical-tactical potentialities. Therefore, understanding the systemic organizational process of ball games played with the feet proves to be extremely important for coaches' better plan and conduct representative and challenging training sessions. The knowledge about the possibilities and potentialities of several small games, belonging to the culture of our street football, allow coaches to implement and monitor a player-centered and game-based teaching and training process, inspired by street pedagogy. Resumen. El estudio tiene como objetivo investigar las posibilidades y el potencial de los diferentes juegos que conforman la cultura tradicional brasileña de jugar a la pelota con los pies, destacando su proceso organizativo sistémico. Participaron en el estudio 28 jugadores de fútbol, siendo 14 niños (Grupo 01: 9,7±1,2 años) y 14 estudiantes universitarios (Grupo 02: 21,1±1,7 years). Los jugadores participaron en tres juegos de pelota con los pies (Rebatida, Rondo and Artilheiro). El rendimiento de los jugadores se analizó utilizando el software Dvideow®, que registró las acciones técnico-tácticas realizadas por ambos grupos. Fue posible verificar que cada uno de los juegos investigados, en el medio de su proceso de organización, presenta las mismas posibilidades técnico-tácticas, independientemente del grupo de jugadores, al mismo tiempo que estos juegos dispares proporcionaban diferentes potencialidades técnico-tácticas. Por lo tanto, la comprensión del proceso organizativo sistémico de los juegos de pelota con los pies demuestra ser un conocimiento fundamental para que el entrenador planifique y realice sesiones de entrenamiento representativas y desafiantes. El conocimiento sobre las posibilidades y el potencial de los diversos juegos de pelota con los pies, pertenecientes a la cultura de nuestro fútbol callejero, permiten a los entrenadores implementar y monitorear un proceso de enseñanza centrado en el alumno, basado en el juego e inspirado en la pedagogía callejera.

We aimed to investigate if social networks measures can be used as indicators of training tasks' adjustment level to soccer players’ tactical skills. Twenty-four U17 male soccer players (16.89 ± 0.11 years) participated in this study. The System of Tactical Assessment in Football (FUT-SAT) was used to identify players’ tactical level and to organize them into three groups: Higher tactical level (Group 01), Intermediate tactical level (Group 02) and Lower tactical level (Group 03). Then, the players performed three High difficulty Small-Sided and Conditioned Games (HD-SSCG) and three Low difficulty Small-Sided and Conditioned Games (LD-SSCG). Teams’ interaction patterns and players’ prominence were analysed based on macro (Density – D and Clustering coefficient – CC) and micro networks (Indegree, Outdegree, Total links and Eigenvector) measures. We found that Group 01 presented higher D (p = .004 and ES = 1.189) and CC (p =.004 and ES = .785) at HD-SSCG than Group 03, whereas Group 03 presented higher values of D (p = .003 and ES = 1.200) and CC (p = .037 and ES = 1.180) at LD-SSCG than Group 01. When training tasks difficulty were adjusted to players’ tactical level, teams played more collectively and players were more actively engaged in ball circulation. We concluded that macro and micro networks measures can be applied in training context as indicators of training tasks adjustment to players' tactical level.

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