Exploring the Effects of Tasks with Different Decision-Making Levels on Ball Control, Passing Performance, and External Load in Youth Football

Abstract

This study aimed to understand how the design of decision-making tasks affects youth football players’ ball control, passing performance, and external load. A total of 16 male youth football players (age: 12.94 ± 0.25 years) competed in various tasks based on the following levels of decision-making: (i) low decision-making (Low DM), which consisted of a predefined ball control and passing sequence; (ii) moderate decision-making (Mod DM), which consisted of maintaining possession in a square with four players and two balls while maintaining the same position; and (iii) high decision-making (High DM), which consisted of a 3 vs. 3 + 2 neutral players ball possession game. The study design consisted of a pre–post design (a 6 min pre-test game, a 6 min intervention, and a 6 min post-test game). The players’ ball control and passing performance were measured using the game performance evaluation tool and notational analysis, while GPS data were used to determine their physical performance. The pre–post test analysis revealed decrements in players’ ability to identify more offensive players after the Mod DM task (W = 9.50, p = 0.016), while there was an increase in their ability to receive the ball towards the space following the High DM task (t = −2.40, p = 0.016). Analysis between groups showed lower values in most ball control variables for the Low DM task compared to the Mod DM task (ball control execution, p = 0.030; appropriateness, p = 0.031; motor space, p = 0.025), while there were also lower values in the distance covered while sprinting (p = 0.042). Overall, prescriptive tasks (Low DM) that are repetitive in nature may affect players’ perceptual attunement, whereas static tasks (e.g., Mod DM) may limit their ability to locate players in more offensive positions. Moreover, game-based situations (High DM) seem to acutely enhance players’ performance, possibly due to contextual dependency. Overall, coaches should carefully consider the type of practice structure when designing tasks that aim to improve players’ technical skills in youth football.

El reinicio del juego como constreñimiento de la tarea para el desarrollo técnico y físico de los jóvenes jugadores de fútbol (Restarting the game as a task constraint for the technical and physical development of young football players)

“…Respecto al uso de contactos se utilizó mayor número de acciones a un solo contacto. Estos resultados están relacionados y tienen cierta coherencia con los mostrados por Coutinho et al (2023), quienes señalaron en su investigación que el diseño de tareas con una alta toma de decisiones por parte del jugador y una gran variabilidad puede disminuir la frecuencia de repetición de una acción técnica, pero crea una mayor transferencia, interpretación y adaptabilidad a la competición (Chow et al, 2015). Por otro lado, los datos mostraron que cuando se reiniciaba a través del saque de banda, el número de partes del cuerpo para controlar el balón aumentaba de manera significativa, hecho que permite una mayor representatividad de las tareas y que favorece la experiencia en la toma de decisiones del jugador (Travassos et al 2013).…”

Resonance Effects in Variable Practice for Handball, Basketball, and Volleyball Skills: A Study on Contextual Interference and Differential Learning

“…The BB specialists (CO) did show only slight, non-significant increases in the BB-specific skill in the short- and medium-term after free basketball play, which has the biggest representativeness with the target exercise, but these were within the range of chance ( p = 0.140). At least at the level of advanced players, this massively calls into question approaches that recommend training games exclusively by playing them [ 91 ]. The HB specialists, who experienced CI learning, did show the absolute phenomenon of interference with a slight, non-significant short-term decrease in performance from pre- to post-test and a significant increase after the retention phase in the medium-term.…”

Resonance Effects in Athletic Training: Unveiling the Impact of Exercise Similarity in Variable Practice for Handball, Basketball, and Volleyball Skills with CI and DL

“…The BB specialists (CO) did show only slight, non-significant increases in the BBspecific skill in the short-and medium-term after free basketball play, which has the biggest representativeness with the target exercise, but these were within the range of chance (p = 0.140). At least at the level of advanced players, this massively calls into question approaches that recommend training games exclusively by playing them [91]. The HB specialists, who experienced CI learning, did show the absolute phenomenon of interference with a slight, non-significant short-term decrease in performance from pre-to post-test and a significant increase after the retention phase in the medium-term.…”