Developmental activities and the acquisition of superior anticipation and decision making in soccer players

Abstract

We examined whether soccer players with varying levels of perceptual-cognitive expertise can be differentiated based on their engagement in various types and amounts of activity during their development. A total of 64 participants interacted with lifesize video clips of 11 versus 11 dynamic situations in soccer, viewed from the first-person perspective of a central defender. They were required to anticipate the actions of their opponents and to make appropriate decisions as to how best to respond. Response accuracy scores were used to categorise elite players (n ¼ 48) as high-(n ¼ 16) and low-performing (n ¼ 16) participants. A group of recreational players (n ¼ 16) who had lower response accuracy scores compared to the elite groups acted as controls. The participation history profiles of players were recorded using retrospective recall questionnaires. The average hours accumulated per year during childhood in soccer-specific play activity was the strongest predictor of perceptual-cognitive expertise. Soccer-specific practice activity during adolescence was also a predictor, albeit its impact was relatively modest. No differences were reported across groups for number of other sports engaged in during development, or for some of the key milestones achieved. A number of implications for talent development are discussed.

Anticipation in soccer: a systematic review

“…The results revealed that skilled players are more accurate in anticipating opponents' actions and, consequently, in deciding on the more appropriate course of action than less-skilled players. The findings of this study corroborated those from a previous study of the same first author [1,11] as well as from Ward and Williams [8].…”

“…Assessment procedures within this model were the same as those of the previous model. One study investigated the influence of activities performed during their development on anticipation skills [1]. In this study, the duration of soccer practice and soccer-related activities was analysed and its aim was to identify the contribution of each of these variables in the development of perceptual-cognitive processes such as anticipation and decision-making.…”

“…In a similar vein with using video sequences, Roca et al [1] analysed the influence of activities by soccer players at different competitive levels during their development process on perceptual-cognitive skills. Their results indicate that players who were engaged in a higher amount of soccer-specific activities are more likely to develop perceptual-cognitive skills at high performance levels.…”

“…We found that these analyses were performed with the aim of comparing players regarding their competitive level [1,2,[8][9][10][11][13][14][15]. In the study of Ward and Williams [8], videotaped scenes were used to assess (besides anticipation), memory and situational probabilities (i.e.…”

“…The ability to anticipate actions from teammates, opponents and the movement/direction of the ball has been considered essential to expert performance in soccer [1,2]. Consequently, better players are not always those who are able to see a move but rather those who are able to foresee it [3].…”