Numerical Superiority and Inferiority Compared With Conventional Training on PTK and Executive Functions in Soccer
Condition: Decision Making in Soccer Players and Executive Functions
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      There is a great need to establish reliable evaluation and intervention protocols to improve
      the tactical component, decision making (DM) and procedural tactical knowledge (PTK) in
      soccer. Objectives: to determine the effects of a 12-week follow up numerical superiority and
      numerical inferiority tactical training program on PTK, which will be evaluated by
      calculating offensive, defensive and global effectiveness indexes (EI) of 24 amateur male
      soccer players, as well as the effect on their executive functions. Method: randomized
      controlled trial, with two groups in parallel, experimental group (EG) and control group
      (CG), with different measurements over time (pretest, intermediate test 1, intermediate test
      2 and posttest).
    

Detailed description: 
      Program characteristics: training frequency 5 times/week, 1 competition, frequency of
      stimulation of small side games (SSGs) and technical-tactical actions (ATT) of numerical
      superiority and inferiority 2 times/week, specific training time 30 to 42 minutes/session.
      The PTK will be evaluated through the Football Competence Observation System (FOCOS). Data
      analysis: Shapiro-Wilk will be applied and according to the results, the data will be
      summarized with means and standard deviation or with medians and interquartile ranges. A
      repeated measures design will be performed using ANOVA and MANOVA will also be performed. In
      addition, the assumption of homogeneity of the variances will be evaluated based on the
      Levene statistics. For executive functions, intragroup analysis will be performed using
      dependent Student's t-test or Wilcoxon. For intergroup analysis, t student for independent
      samples or U Mann Withney will be applied. Confidence intervals (CI95) and effect sizes for
      two tails will be reported, with an alpha (α) set at 0.05 and statistical power of 0.8 (1-β).
      Statistical significance (p≤0.05). SPSS version 27 and R version 4.0 will be used. Ethical
      aspects: the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki (2013) and the Ministry of Health and
      Social Protection (resolution 8430/1993) will be followed, this research is of minimal risk.
    

Intervention name(s): Tactical training in numerical superiority and numerical inferiority; Conventional training in numerical equality
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): In the present study, the SSGs training sessions will be carried out in the following areas:
2c1: length 11.5m and width 9m (total: 103.5m2), equivalent to 34.5m2 for each player.
3c2: length 14m and width 12m (total: 168m2), equivalent to 33.6m2 for each player.
4c3: length 17m and width 14m (total: 238m2), equivalent to 34m2 per each player.; Coach who will run the CG training program will be different from the coach who will run the GE training program. As with the GE, a coach will also be assigned to the CG to record, quantify and monitor the training stimuli of this comparison group, who will record it on forms designed for this purpose.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Competence in Soccer Players; Decision Making; Executive Functions