Skill assessments are essential to elite soccer coaches and clubs, to provide an evidence-based approach to player evaluation. Valid methods thereby support talent identification and development procedures (e.g. scouting and training strategies). However, it remains a complex challenge. Small-sided games have emerged as a promising tool, due to high ecological validity. Until now, no review has focused on their discriminative power. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether technical–tactical skill assessments of small-sided games can discriminate between individual players and between teams of different skill levels (i.e. higher vs. lower playing levels and older vs. younger players) in soccer. A scoping review of PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A total of 23 studies were included, all but one of which showed at least good methodological quality (i.e. > 50% score in quality assessment). For technical skills, small-sided games indicate discriminative power for passing skills, but only when comparing players of different playing levels, as supported by two of the included studies. Tactical categories, such as movement variability and decision-making, were more pronounced in higher level and more experienced players. However, the most conclusive finding among individual skill assessments was that the technical–tactical overall performance (a total score comprised of different subcategories) of individual players showed a positive relation to skill level in three studies. Team performance assessments in small-sided games showed that older and higher level teams mainly distinguish themselves from less-skilled peers by using the available space more efficiently. With the influence of different assessment instruments and several small-sided games modifications in mind, it may be concluded that technical–tactical skills in small-sided games can discriminate between players and teams of different skill levels. An interesting future avenue is to examine a more consistent approach to skill assessments in small-sided games, which can warrant their use for scouting and talent identification purposes.

Identifying high-performing and promising athletes is an important task of national surf associations. However, the scientific foundation of performance indicators in surfing has only developed in recent years. This review aimed to (1) find out which performance characteristics discriminate between surfers of different skill levels, and (2) point out gaps in the existing literature and direct future studies by applying the Groningen Sport Talent Model (GSTM) to categorize findings. A systematic review of PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE and PsycInfo databases was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. A total of thirty-one studies were included. Studies were found on anthropometric, physiological, technical, and tactical, but not on psychological characteristics of surfing performance. In total only six studies included female surfers. Findings suggest that a few performance indicators exist in relation to associations between physical capacities and surfing skill. For one, relative arm span seems to be beneficial to surfing performance and discriminates between differently skilled surfers. Additionally, 15 m and 400 m in-water paddle performance, as well as relative upper and lower-body strength also tend to be better in superior surfers. Technical skills, such as the ability to perform aerials and tube rides with a high completion rate, translate directly into an enhanced scoring potential and therefore success in surfing competitions. While a variety of characteristics for high-performance surfing are already indicated, future research needs to focus on developing reliable methods with higher ecological validity to assess these skills. Apart from the in-water paddle tests, most indicators lack a broadly accepted testing method. Especially, the field of psychological skills in surfing should be addressed more in the future.