Long-term Practice with Domain-Specific Task Constraints Influences Perceptual Skills

Abstract

The long-term impact of practice with different task constraints on perceptual skill is relatively un-explored. This study examined the influence of extensive practice, i.e., more than a 1000 h of structured practice, with domain-specific task constraints on perceptual skill associated with the passing action. Despite performing the same passing skill, it is not known whether long-term exposure to specific soccer or futsal task constraints influences the players’ attunement to environmental information. This study examined this issue by assessing the attention orientation of soccer (n = 24) and futsal players (n = 24) during modified games (6 vs. 6). Futsal players had higher scanning behavior during ball reception and control (40% more ball-player attention alternations) while soccer players mainly scanned the environment when not in ball possession (25% more attention alternations). We suggest that the behavioral differences found are elicited by the extensive domain-specific practice. That is, the higher number of players in soccer, and by a more intense game and easier to control ball in futsal. This study provides new insights into the long-term effects of practicing with specific task constraints.

Effect of Modification Rules in Competition on Technical–Tactical Action in Young Tennis Players (Under-10)

“…To develop competitions that improve the teaching-learning process at the training stages, current competitions are based on small-sided games (SSGs) from a comprehensive approach (Renshaw et al, 2010;Davids et al, 2012Davids et al, , 2013a. The goal of this comprehensive approach is to adapt the competition holistically to young players by modifying the rules of the game, rules of the league, sports equipment, and playing spaces (task constraints) (Buszard et al, 2016;McCarthy et al, 2016;Hastie et al, 2017;Oppici et al, 2017;Ortega-Toro et al, 2018).…”

Assessment of the performance of novice futsal players in the execution of futsal-specific motor skills

“…Thus, teachers and coaches should encourage players to leave their comfort zones and attain more consistent and diversified learning perspectives. Finally, this information is also pertinent to soccer because futsal is a typical developmental path for soccer players [6][7][8][9].…”

“…in futsal, players (mean age: 13 years) who only practiced this sport performed more successful passes in soccer games and they had less time in ball-focused attention than soccer players [8]. More passes, smaller individual play area and ball reception time produce the futsal game more technically intense than soccer [9]. Furthermore, deliberate practice influences the development of futsal players' technical performance.…”

Influence of scoring mode and age group on passing actions during small-sided and conditioned soccer games

“…Small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs) represent a type of playing form activity widely used in youth soccer training programs [1,2]. These activities are considered very important for the development of expertise in team sports, especially when proposed to players of younger age groups [1,3,4]. This assertion relies on the principle that younger and novice players can be more susceptible to learn and improve fundamental skills to perform successfully in competitive tasks [3][4][5].…”

“…These activities are considered very important for the development of expertise in team sports, especially when proposed to players of younger age groups [1,3,4]. This assertion relies on the principle that younger and novice players can be more susceptible to learn and improve fundamental skills to perform successfully in competitive tasks [3][4][5]. The inherent instability provided by systematic manipulation of task constraints during SSCGs is useful for learners to actively explore the balance between stable and variable movement solu-tions in achieving specific task goals [4][5][6].…”