Timescales for exploratory tactical behaviour in football small-sided games

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the dynamics of tactical behaviour emerging on different timescales in football small-sided games and to quantify short- and long-term exploratory behaviour according to the number of opponents. Two teams of four professional male footballers played small-sided games against two different teams with a variable number of opponents (3, 5 and 7). Data were collected using a combination of systematic observation and a non-differential global positioning system (15 Hz). The temporal diversity and structural flexibility of the players were determined by calculating the dynamic overlap order parameter q, entropy and trapping strength. Analysis of the exploratory dynamics revealed two different timescales, forming a different metastable landscape of action for each constraint. Fast dynamics lasted on average a few seconds and consisted of changes in tactical patterns. The long timescale corresponded to the shared tasks of offence and defence lasting tens of seconds. The players' tactical diversity decreased with an increasing number of opponents, especially in defence. Manipulating numerical imbalance is likely to promote changes in the diversity, unpredictability and flexibility of tactical solutions. The fact that the temporally nested structure of constraints shaped the emergence of tactical behaviour provides a new rationale for practice task design. The manipulation of numerical imbalance on the timescale of a few tens of seconds, on which the exploratory behaviour of players saturates, may help coaches to optimise the exploratory efficiency of the small-sided games.

How manipulating task constraints in small-sided and conditioned games shapes emergence of individual and collective tactical behaviours in football: A systematic review

“…Six articles used FUTSAT (26,29,30,34,36,38), 14 articles used polar coordinates (12, 21-23, 27-30, 33, 37, 42-44), and five articles used technicaltactical video analysis (7,20,35,(39)(40)(41). For this review, it should be noted that 3.1 Effect of pitch dimension manipulation Table 2 presents the results of articles that analyzed the effect of manipulation of pitch dimensions.…”

“…However, when technical tactical actions were analyzed, no significant differences were observed (29). One study showed that the team with numerical superiority performed more defensive tactical behaviours, and the team with numerical inferiority performed a greater number of penetrations of the defensive line or movements of the player with the ball towards the goal area (30).…”

“…The main objective of this manipulation is to constrain the actions of both the numerically superior and the numerically inferior team, causing them to develop a greater capacity for identifying and solving problems arising from the constraints of the SSCG. These studies demonstrated that there was an increase in interpersonal distance values between the attacking and defending players, caused by the tendency of the numerically inferior team to retreat into their own half of the field and to stay close to their goal in order to protect it (27,29). This behaviour is an attempt to reducing the playing area for the team in possession (relationship between width and depth), in addition to causing a more stable positioning game, where players tend to not change positions (28,29).…”

“…These studies demonstrated that there was an increase in interpersonal distance values between the attacking and defending players, caused by the tendency of the numerically inferior team to retreat into their own half of the field and to stay close to their goal in order to protect it (27,29). This behaviour is an attempt to reducing the playing area for the team in possession (relationship between width and depth), in addition to causing a more stable positioning game, where players tend to not change positions (28,29). Another important factor is the need of the defending team to increase their level of attention to solve more complex problems, since numerical inferiority will increase the chances of the opposing team scoring goals (12).…”

“…an imaginary circle with the ball as a center: on a regulation size pitch the center of play is 9.15m) (29,32). In addition, the difference between the number of players in each team increased the distance between the teams (27,28), generating more time for players' decision-making in the attacking phase, increasing the possibilities for attacking actions (23).…”