The effects of individual and collective variability on youth players’ movement behaviours during football small-sided games

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the effects of playing with additional individual (IND), collective (COL) or individual-collective (MIX) variability on youth football players' performance during small-sided games. Twelve youth football players (U17, age = 16.1 ± 0.9 years) played a goalkeeper (Gk) + 6 outfield players a-side (Gk+6vs6+Gk) under four conditions: (i) playing in the 1:2:3:1 formation without any other rule (control condition, CTR); (ii) 1:2:3:1 formation with additional body restrictions changing each minute (individual condition, IND); (iii) using different tactical formations modified each minute (collective condition, COL; (iv) using different tactical formations and body restrictions varied each minute (individual-collective condition, MIX). Generally, there were similar behaviours across conditions, especially for the CTR and the MIX. Nevertheless, the CTR condition presented moderate higher values in the lateral direction (p ≤ .05), while also higher longitudinal synchronization compared to the IND (p ≤ .05). The COL condition presented higher spatial exploration (p ≤ .05), which may justify the higher values for distance covered while running and sprinting (p ≤ .05). Overall, coaches may use the IND condition to refine players' technical actions, while the COL condition to develop players' ability to perform in different playing positions and team structures.

Integrating physical and tactical factors in football using positional data: a systematic review

“…Further tactical variables were selected in the retained studies using other methodological approaches ( i.e ., observational and notational analysis) such as metrics based on ball possession, team networks and tactical actions classifications. Technical outcomes were mainly based on individual actions and skills characterized in quantity and success ( i.e ., successful passes, dribbles and shots) ( Coutinho et al, 2020 , 2022a , 2022b , 2022c ; Folgado et al, 2019 ; Olthof, Frencken & Lemmink, 2018 ; Ric et al, 2017 ). Data collection was based on GPS, LPM and optical-based tracking systems ranging from 5–18 Hz.…”

Investigating the Effects of Differential Learning on Golfers’ Pitching Performance as a Function of Handicap

“…The benefits of practicing with variability combined with the stronger emphasis on the individuals' techniques have become a focus of attention in recent research [24,25]. In this respect, the differential learning (DL) approach has been used to add variability in the form of additional movement noise during players' training routines.…”

“…In this respect, the differential learning (DL) approach has been used to add variability in the form of additional movement noise during players' training routines. The DL approach focuses on increasing the observed fluctuations in the players' movement patterns by neither repeating a movement nor providing augmented feedback during or following the task [26][27][28][29], to foster adaptive mechanisms in the action and apperception system of the players [24,30]. This approach suggests that the addition of stochastic perturbations will enhance individual and self-organized learning where no explicit information about a possible solution is provided [28,29].…”

“…For that purpose, players are challenged to perform unusual and also non-representative movements that not only inspire them to refine the existent motor patterns [26,30] but also lead to brain states that are more advantageous for learning processes once applied in a random sequence [31,32]. Athletes could be instructed to perform or even create their own movements, such as playing football with both hands on the hips or even finding by themselves several variants of the arms in front of the body to also stimulate the whole spectrum of trunk muscles by producing the corresponding levers [24]. By being exposed to a wider range of movements, DL allows the players not only to develop momentary individual solutions but even more to prepare athletes to stay individually adaptive to constantly changing internal and external boundary conditions in the future [28,33].…”

“…Every shot was performed in a different way accordingly to internal manipulations (i.e., visual restriction), external (i.e., type of surface, such as playing on sand or in a pitch with high size grass, type of iron in size and loft, different types of balls), or both (i.e., distances, starting distance to the ball, or varying the ball position relative to the golfer's feet). Thereby, the athletes performed every shot in a different way, meaning that the first shot was performed to the 20 m, the second to the 35 m, and the last to the 50 m. In the DL group, and considering that each shot was unique, players were only instructed regarding how to perform the momentary shot (e.g., referring that the body position should be adjusted to have the ball aligned with the right foot) [24,30,35]. The conditions or instructions for the repetitive (control) practice and the DL practice group, are outlined in Table 2.…”