Fernando del Villar Álvarez

Evolution of tactical behavior of soccer players across their development

Abstract The objective of this study was to analyse the tactical behaviour of soccer players in real-game situations across the different stages of development. The study involved 186 soccer players, aged between 8 and 19 years, from 15 teams across 3 Spanish Soccer clubs. We analysed 4409 actions over 30 league matches. The instrument used was an adaptation of the Game Performance Evaluation Tool, which measures decision-making and execution actions for passing, dribbling and shooting skills in different age groups (i.e. U10, U12, U14, U16 and U19). Our results demonstrate that in all groups the percentage of successful skill executions was lower than that of adequate decisions. Further, progression into the U10 and U14 groups interrupted the development of decision-making and skill execution actions. Based on this we propose a change to the regulatory configuration of youth and child categories that allows for a progressive adaptation to the skills and training needs of players. The training of both tactical and technical skills is also considered relevant.

Influence of experience in procedural knowledge in volleyball: Applications for training:

The aim of the study was to compare the procedural knowledge of expert and novice volleyball players, considering that the expert cognitive profile can be used as a reference in the tactical training process of players. The participants in this study included 8 experts and 11 novices. McPherson and Thomas’ verbal protocol instrument was used to access the players’ tactical knowledge. The results showed significant differences, with higher mean values in experts, in the condition and regulatory concepts, and in the hierarchies of goals related to themselves and opponents. Coaches must pay attention on increasing the amount of elements to analyse related to the environment, in order to improve players’ tactical training process in the service action. Athletes need to be taught on prioritize the most relevant elements of the environment. When training the serve, the areas of responsibility, strengths and weaknesses of each receiver must be assessed, as well as the influence of the serve on the construction of the opponent’s attack.

Metodología para la planificación del entrenamiento en el tenis de alta competición

El presente articulo ofrece al lector una vision del proceso de entrenamiento en la que los aspectos tecnicos, tacticos, fisicos y psicologicos puedan integrarse, con el objeto de aportar la mas elevada productividad a cada sesion de entrenamiento en el tenis de alta competicion. Asi,mediante este trabajo pretendemosmostrar las nuevas posibilidades que el denominado entrenamiento integrado ofrece al desarrollo de la programacion de las sesiones de entrenamiento, con el fin de abrir nuevas vias por lo que a la contemplacion de la periodizacion y planificacion del entrenamiento del tenis de alta competicion se refiere. Tras la introduccion, que recoge los puntos de vista de varios autores acerca de las basesmas recientes sobre las que ha venido sustentandose el entrenamiento deportivo, sigue la exposicion de diversos aspectos que caracterizan la planificacion actual del entrenamiento en el tenis de alta competicion, asi como una serie de referencias dedicadas a la naturaleza del trabajo en equipo multidisciplinar, amen de otro apartado, el cual tiene como nucleo tematico la metodologia para el diseno de las sesiones de entrenamiento integrado. Un ejemplo de ejercicio tecnico-tactico correspondiente a una sesion de entrenamiento integrado en el tenis cierra el articulo.