Effects of a Critical Thinking-Based Tactical Training Program on Tactical Skills and Futsal-Specific Performance in University Players: A Single-Group Pre-Post Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 13
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in execution time during futsal-specific tactical test
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This study examined the effects of a tactical training program based on critical thinking (TPCT) on the tactical efficiency and decision-making performance of university futsal players. The intervention was designed to strengthen players' ability to interpret the dynamics of play, anticipate opponents' actions, and generate adaptive tactical responses under competitive conditions.
The program followed a socio-constructivist framework, promoting learning through problem solving and interaction among teammates. Training sessions combined representative game situations, reflective questioning, and guided tactical discussions.
A single-group pre-post design was implemented. Thirteen university players participated voluntarily after providing informed consent and receiving approval from the institutional ethics committee. Data were collected before and after the intervention to assess individual and collective tactical performance, goal effectiveness, and time of ball possession.
The study aimed to provide evidence on the educational and performance impact of a critical thinking-based tactical approach in futsal, contributing to contemporary models of athlete development and pedagogical innovation in team sports.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Na
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 17 Years to — (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- Male
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age 18 years or older at the time of enrollment.
- •Registered player of the university futsal team participating in the study.
- •Minimum of 1 year of regular, organized futsal practice.
- •Regular attendance at team training (at least 2 sessions per week) in the 3 months prior to baseline testing.
- •Medical clearance or self-report indicating ability to perform high-intensity futsal training and testing.
- •Provision of written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Current musculoskeletal injury or pain that limits normal futsal training or match participation at baseline.
- •History or diagnosis of cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, or metabolic disease that contraindicates high-intensity exercise.
- •Use of medications that substantially affect physical performance, heart rate response, or perception of effort, as judged by the study physician or medical screener.
- •Participation in another structured experimental training program targeting futsal performance during the intervention period.
- •Absence from more than 20% of the scheduled TPCT training sessions.
- •Withdrawal of informed consent at any time during the study.
Arms & Interventions
TPCT
This arm includes a single cohort of university futsal players who receive a critical thinking-based tactical training program (TPCT). The intervention is delivered during regular team training over multiple weeks through structured sessions that combine dynamic warm-up, representative small-sided games, and futsal-specific tactical scenarios. Each session uses guided discovery and reflective questioning to promote tactical awareness, anticipation, and collective decision-making. Task constraints, game formats, and intensity are progressively adjusted to increase tactical complexity and physiological load during the main training blocks. All enrolled participants receive the same intervention, and each player serves as his own control through pre- and post-intervention assessments.
Intervention: Tactical Program Critical Thinking (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in execution time during futsal-specific tactical test
Time Frame: Time Frame: Baseline (up to 7 days before the first TPCT session) and post-intervention (up to 7 days after the final TPCT session), up to 7 weeks in total
Time (seconds) required for each player to complete a standardized futsal-specific tactical test involving ball control, passing, movement, and finishing actions in a predefined sequence. The test is administered individually under stable conditions. The primary endpoint is the change in execution time from pre- to post-intervention; lower times indicate better tactical-motor efficiency and faster resolution of the game situation.
Secondary Outcomes
- Change in number of goals scored during futsal-specific tactical test(Time Frame: Baseline (up to 7 days before the first TPCT session) and post-intervention (up to 7 days after the final TPCT session), up to 7 weeks in total)
- Change in the quality of collective tactical discourse during TPCT sessions(Time Frame: Week 2 and Week 7 of the TPCT programme (early and late intervention sessions; approximately 6-7 weeks))
Investigators
Édison Andrés Pérez Bedoya
Principal Investigator, Lecturer in Physical Education
Federal University of Vicosa