Journal article
Collective behaviour in high and low-level youth soccer teams
Science and medicine in football, Vol.6(2), pp.164-171
21/04/2021
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Abstract
Background: An expert/non-expert paradigm often helps understand the underpinnings of sports expertise; however, this method is scarcely extended to the complexities of collective behaviour in youth soccer.Aim: Therefore, the objectives of the current study are to investigate differences in the collective behaviour of youth soccer teams by expertise level.Methodology: Soccer players aged 15 to 20 years from high (n = 35) and low (n = 40) playing levels competed in two age-matched 5v5 small-sided games. For each game, teams' skill involvement (shot, pass, dribble, touch), passing networks (closeness, density, betweenness), and spatiotemporal characteristics (stretch index, effective area, length (L) & width (W), LpW ratio, synchrony) were measured using video footage and GPS coordinates.Results: High level teams had more attempted (p = .009), and completed skills (p = .003), particularly for the number of passes (p = .001) and shots (p = .012-.045). However, there were no significant between-group differences for either the passing networks or spatiotemporal characteristics.Conclusion: The findings from the current research suggest that the high-level teams can quickly and effectively move the ball within existing team structures and may better optimise their afforded space to execute desired skills when compared to the low-level teams.
Details
- Title
- Collective behaviour in high and low-level youth soccer teams
- Creators
- Jade O'Brien-Smith - Ghent UniversityJob Fransen - University of Technology SydneyWilliam B Sheehan - University of Technology SydneyMatthieu Lenoir - Ghent UniversityKyle Bennett - School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross UniversityMitchell R Smith - University of Newcastle
- Publication Details
- Science and medicine in football, Vol.6(2), pp.164-171
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Identifiers
- 991012968363602368
- Academic Unit
- School of Health and Human Sciences; Human Sciences; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article