How do original actions performed by an attacker modify defensive dispersion in small-sided soccer games?

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4916048/v1

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How do original actions performed by an attacker modify defensive dispersion in small-sided soccer games?

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4916048/v1

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In complex systems, the system’s self-regulation processes can transition between states of equilibrium and disequilibrium, leading to changes in the distribution of players within the playing space. Actions that are surprising, rare, or out of the ordinary tend to be valued for their potential to destabilize the opposing defensive structure, altering player dispersion, and creating fragile spaces for the attack. With advancements in understanding the influence of the environment on players' affordances, the tactical consequences from individuals' solutions to various scenarios and their impact on the game context becomes a rich area for investigation. This study compared defensive dispersion in the moments preceding and following original actions in small-sided games. The original actions were obtained using the Creative Behavior Assessment in Team Sports (CBATS) observational matrix. At the same time, defensive dispersion was derived from positional data collected via GPS and processed using dedicated routines in MATLAB to obtain variables such as Stretch Index, Surface Area, Team Width, Team Length, and Individual Player Area. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed for normality, and the General Linear Model with Repeated Measures was used to compare pre-and post-action moments across different action classifications (pass and shot) and game configurations (SSG4v4-Small, SSG4v4-Large, SSG5v5-Small, and SSG5v5-Large). Differences were found in the Stretch Index, Surface Area, and Team Width variables in SSG4v4-Small and Surface Area in SSG5v5-Small (p < 0.05). It was concluded that the original action could attract opponents in small formats of SSG, increasing the contraction of the opposing team and reducing space around the action, with the potential to create new spaces in other areas of the field.

Biological sciences/Psychology

Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour

Metastability

Tactical

Creativity

Self-regulation

Dynamic systems

During a soccer game, players are required to interact with teammates to coordinate their actions to overcome the opponents’ defensive structure¹. From the perspective of ecological dynamics, functional behaviors emerge through bi-directional self-organization tendencies², with players perceiving surrounding information in the performance landscape (affordances) that specify coherent movement solutions to achieve intended performance goals³.

Based on this premise, coaches, and sports scientists, have tried to comprehend how manipulating task constraints during training sessions could be helpful to promote degenerate performance behaviors⁴, i.e., achieving the same goals through exploration of different performance solutions and synergetic relations inherent to team sports^5,6. In this context, Small-Sided games (SSG) have been used to promote game-like conditions^7,8, leading players to deal with different game contingencies, variability, and adaptability to changing performance constraints⁹. Importantly, the manipulation of key task constraints during SSG, enable the emergence of individual and collective attractors (i.e., stable, and functional patterns of organization presented by an open system) that drive team organization and functionality toward desired performance outcomes¹⁰, at different levels of organization.

Most literature regarding SSGs investigated the physical dimension of the game, focusing on the acute^11,12,13, and chronic effects of its utilization¹⁴. The increase in the interest in the technical^15,16 and tactical dimensions of the game^17,18 has been a trend in the Sports Science, focusing mainly on notational analysis^19,20,21, paper and pencil tests²², description of tactical principles²³, and implementation of global positioning system (GPS)²⁴. Metrics from GPS devices enable an in-depth understanding of players and teams’ exploratory behavior²⁵, which allows drawing conclusions concerning the development of many movement configurations under specific constraints of the game. Most studies have focused on the observation of how discrete actions emerge during competition^26,27; however, there is a clear scarcity of studies trying to ascertain how creative and original actions emerge and how they impact on the game.

The manipulation of constraints in SSGs may prompt the emergence of innovative, creative behaviors, due to restrictions of space-time that largely condition decision-making of players in exploring solutions for solving tactical problems of the game. Hence, this will increase the repertoire of players’ actions and possibly, which may lead to the emergence of creative behaviors^28,29. Supporting that idea, Memmert¹ suggests the use of SSGs with the aim of fostering creativity in team sports, while Santos et al³⁰. and Coutinho et al³¹. observed that a differencial-learning program, embedded in SSGs, facilitated the development of creative components.

Regardless, it remains unclear for coaches how original behavior emerging during practice of SSGs help the attacking team unsettle opponent defense. In this regard, it would be interesting to explore how creativity expressed in offensive player actions originate unbalances in the opposing team defensive structure. If so, creativity and originality should be seen as an essential feature to be stimulated in practice sessions. Therefore, this study aimed to verify how offensive creative movements emerging during practice in SSGs modify the opposing team defensive dispersion, in the context of young soccer players. We anticipate that, after a successful offensive creative movement, the opposing team would decrease coordination by increasing the area covered by the defenders.

Experimental protocol. Actions within SSGs were captured using two cameras: a primary camera on a DJI® Mini 2 SE drone positioned diagonally above the playing area to capture the entire field, and a secondary Canon® EOS REBEL T6I camera placed on the ground opposite the drone for supplementary analysis. SSGs were incorporated into regular training sessions, forming an integral part of the training regimen and preceding other activities scheduled for the day. Upon players' arrival, they were equipped with GPS devices and assigned numbered vests for team identification and player recognition. Subsequently, a standardized 10-minute warm-up led by one of the evaluators was conducted to prepare players for the upcoming activities.

Two game formats, GK + 4v4 + GK and GK + 5v5 + GK, were played twice by each player, once on small fields and once on large fields, resulting in four games per individual (SSG4v4-Small, SSG4v4-Large, SSG5v5-Small, and SSG5v5-Large). The dimensions of the fields were determined based on the relative area per player, with only outfield players considered in the calculation of the playing area. In previous studies, small fields were designed to provide approximately 64.80m2/player, a dimension associated with the emergence of creative actions in previous studies⁸. Large formats adhered to the area/player ratio suggested in previous research on SSGs, adopting a value of 272.80m2/player¹². The length-to-width ratio for all setups was maintained at approximately 1.36:1. The dimensions of the penalty area were calculated proportionally, based on the standard dimensions of the field (105.00m x 68.00m) and the standard dimensions of the FIFA World Cup penalty area (16.50m x 40.00m).

Furthermore, tests were conducted on natural grass fields under rain-free weather conditions to mitigate environmental discrepancies across the proposed configurations. Throughout the data collection period, minimum and maximum temperatures ranged between 11–18 and 19–26 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity varying between 72–90% and average wind speeds between 3–5 m/s.

Participants. The study comprised 36 young male soccer players selected from the youth divisions of a well-established professional soccer club in Florianópolis, Brazil. These players were divided into two distinct age categories: U-10 and U-11. The U-10 category (n = 19; mean age 10.28 ± 0.58 years) consisted of players occupying various positions on the field, including defenders (n = 6), midfielders (n = 7), and forwards (n = 6), with a higher representation of right-footed players compared to left-footed (n = 15 vs. n = 4, respectively). Conversely, the U-11 category (n = 17; mean age 11.40 ± 0.27 years) comprised defenders (n = 4), midfielders (n = 9), and forwards (n = 4), with a similar prevalence of right-footed players over left-footed (n = 15 vs. n = 2, respectively). Goalkeepers were initially considered for inclusion but were ultimately excluded from the analyses due to their positional constraints, limited involvement in offensive play, and distinct spatial movement patterns to prevent potential misinterpretations. All participants maintained regular attendance at training sessions and conducted three times a week and actively participated in state and national competitions organized by the Club.

Inclusion criteria were as follows: (i) absence of injuries throughout the data collection period; (ii) attendance of at least one training session per week throughout the data collection period; (iii) participation in at least one session of all structured SSGs; (iv) provision of signed Informed Consent Form and Informed Assent Form by the young participants and their legal guardians, respectively. Participants were also informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time. The human research investigation adhered to all national regulations and institutional policies, followed the principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration, and received approval from the ethics committee of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil (approval number: Proc. 11.501).

Original actions in SSGs. Players’ originality was assessed using notational analysis via the Creative Behavior Assessment in Team Sports (CBATS), which was processed using computerized notation software, Lince Plus (version 2.1.0), and organized into a pre-prepared spreadsheet (Excel for Windows®). The tool was designed to assess players' creativity during the offensive phase of the game based on four components: (i) attempts, (ii) fluency, (iii) versatility, and (iv) originality³².

The distinctions among these components are based on their success (i.e., successful actions, fluency, versatility, and originality were considered, while unsuccessful actions were regarded as attempts) and whether they were standardized actions. Standardized actions include common passing, dribbling, or shooting, which occur when: (a) a pass is executed with the inside of the foot; (b) dribble to the right or left, touching the ball only to one side with the inside or outside of the foot; and (c) shooting with the inside of the foot. Thus, non-standardized actions encompass different executions from those mentioned above. Therefore, successful passing, dribbling, and shooting actions are classified as fluency (if standardized) or versatile (if non-standardized). Conversely, unsuccessful actions are tallied as attempts (if non-standardized) or simply considered execution failures when errors occur during a standard execution. Originality is a variable that encompasses the rarity of observations, counted only in actions performed by a maximum of 5% of players or representing up to 5% of the total actions³². Of the four indicators in the observational matrix (attempts, fluency, versatility, and originality), only original actions were considered for analysis. Table 1 presents the description of the original actions that occurred in the game with their descriptions and frequencies (absolute and relative).

Table 1

Description and analysis of original actions.
Pass Actions	Definitions	Absolute Frequency (n)	Relative Frequency (%)
Back Pass	Touching the ball to teammate in opposite side to which the body adjustment is oriented.	3	1.44
Dropped Pass	Type of pass taken while a player is falling or off-balance.	3	1.44
Chest Pass	The player in possession sends the ball to the teammate using the chest.	1	0.48
Heel Pass	The player in possession sends the ball to the teammate using the heel of the foot.	5	2.39
Outside of the foot (“trivela”)	The player uses the outside part of the foot, exerting an effect on the ball so that it takes a curved trajectory toward the teammate.	6	2.87
Pass using knee	The player in possession sends the ball to the teammate using the knee.	2	0.96
Rabona pass	Pass with the heel where there is a crossing between the leg of the motor action and the supporting leg.	1	0.48
Touch and pass	The player takes an inside touch on the ball, inducing the opponent to one side before passing to the other.	5	2.39
Dribble Actions	Definitions	Absolute Frequency (n)	Relative Frequency (%)
“L” dribble	Quick change of direction with a dribbling movement resembling the letter "L".	2	1.54
Dummy	One side of the opponent touches the ball, and the attacker goes around the other, catching the ball at the next point.	5	3.85
Pinball dribble	Quick dribbling using touch with the inside of one foot and another touch with the inside of the other foot with agility.	2	1.54
Chip	Lifts the ball into the air with a short, controlled motion, aiming to cover the legs of the approaching defender	6	4.62
Roulette (Zidane turn)	Stop the ball with the sole, and go around an opponent player using the other sole.	4	3.08
Scissor	The player quickly and alternately swings each leg over the ball to deceive an opponent and change direction.	3	2.31
U-turn	A quick U-shaped turn to change direction and evade a defender.	3	2.31
Inside-outside	The inside of one foot is used to make a short touch on the ball in one direction, and then quickly, the outside of the same foot is used to push the ball in the opposite direction.	2	1.54
Lift above	Lift the ball above the opponent.	6	4.62
Lift above outside of the foot	Lift the ball above the opponent using the outside of the foot.	2	1.54
Outside cut	The player uses the outside of their foot to make a sharp and quick cut or change direction while controlling the ball.	2	1.54
Nutmeg (“Caneta”)	The player passes the ball through an opponent's legs and retrieves it on the other side.	3	2.31
Shot Actions	Definitions	Absolute Frequency (n)	Relative Frequency (%)
Chip	Lifts the ball into the air with a short, controlled motion, aiming to clear an oncoming goalkeeper.	1	0.32
Bicycle kick	The player quickly flipped their body backward in mid-air and made contact with the ball with both feet while upside down.	1	0.32
Falling shot	Type of shot taken while a player is falling or off-balance.	1	0.32
Heel kick	The player strikes the ball with the heel of their foot	1	0.32
Volley	The technique of kicking the ball while it is in the air, usually when the ball is coming from above without touching the ground	1	0.32
Note: Values considered for originality: < 5% of the total versatility shares for each share class.

Reference versatility values: Pass (n = 209; limit considered: up to 10 actions); Dribble (n = 130; limit considered: up to 6 actions); Shot (n = 32; limit considered: 1 action.

Team Defensive dispersion. Players were tracked during SSGs using WIMU PROTM RealTrack systems from Almeria, Spain, operating at a frequency of 10Hz. Defensive dispersion was verified based on the original actions (n = 70 actions), these being passes (n = 26) and dribbling (n = 44) actions, extracted from the notational analysis, capturing two moments: those that precede (pre) and succeed (post) the exact moment of the original action. The pre-moment is characterized by the time interval that includes the pass preceding the original action or the moment of ball possession recovery (if the action was not preceded by a pass but by regaining possession) up to the moment when the original action occurs. The post-moment begins immediately after the original action and ends with one of three possible outcomes: (i) a shot on goal – when the sequence following the original action results in an attempt on target; (ii) a change in ball possession – when possession is lost following the original action; or (iii) circulation/maintenance of possession – when neither of the previous outcomes is observed within a 10-second interval, indicating that the attacking team merely retained and circulated the ball.

Based on the duration of the pre- and post-original actions recorded in the videos, synchronization with the official local time was performed to extract positional data. Positional coordinate data (latitude and longitude) were exported for further analysis using dedicated routines in MATLAB R2015b (The MathWorks, Inc., Natick, MA, USA). The following variables were analyzed, following literature recommendations^33,34: (i) Stretch Index, calculated as the average distance of a team’s players and the Geometrical Center, giving a notion of the compactness of the team (Fig. 1); (ii) Surface Area, calculated as the area of the polygon defined as the convex hull with the least number of vertices that can encompass all of the team players, and where the potential vertices are defined as the positions of the players (Fig. 2); (iii) Team Length, which represents the maximum length of a team considering the minimum and maximum position of a player in the longitudinal (goal-to-goal) direction (Fig. 2); (iv) Team Width, determined by the distance between the rightmost and leftmost players in width direction (side-to-side) (Fig. 2); (v) Individual Player Area (Rectangular), calculated considering the rectangular area formed by the players of the defending team and determined by dividing the playing area by the number of players (Fig. 3).

Statistical analysis. Of the total 1454 actions recorded in the games (considering attempts, fluency, versatility, and originality), 367 records (~ 25%) were analyzed by a second evaluator with experience in observational methodology (ICC = 0.829 [IC 95% = 0.755–0.882]; F(98,98) = 10.845; p < 0.001) and reanalyzed by the primary evaluator after 4 weeks from the end of the initial measurement (ICC = 0.857 [IC 95% = 0.794–0.901]; F(98,98) = 12.831; p < 0.001) to ensure the reliability of the 70 original actions obtained. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) indicated good inter- and intra-rater reliability, according to the following classifications: unacceptable (< 0.70); fair (0.70–0.79); good (0.80–0.89); excellent (≥ 0.90)³⁵.

The normality of data was obtained through Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. To verify the effects of the original actions performed by the team with ball possession on the player’s defensive dispersion, a General Linear Model with Repeated Measures was applied after validating the data sphericity through the Mauchly test. This analysis considered pre- and post-comparison of the defensive player’s behavior dispersion within the different original actions (passing and dribbling) in different game formats (SSG4v4-Small, SSG4v4-Large, SSG5v5-Small, and SSG5v5-Large). All analyses were conducted using SPSS v.29 software, with a significance level set at 5% (p < 0.05).

Regarding the interaction between the type of original action and the dispersion measures among different game formats, no effects were observed for Stretch Index (Fmean = 1.11; pmean = 0.45), Surface area (Fmean = 1.17; pmean = 0.40), Team Length (Fmean = 1.04; pmean = 0.39), Team Width (Fmean = 1.11; pmean = 0.58), and IPA (Fmean = 0.21; pmean = 0.73), indicating that being an original dribble or pass, similar effects on dispersion measures were observed.

In the SSG4v4-Small format, an original action significantly decreased the Stretch Index (∆ = -9.76%, p = 0.01), Surface Area (∆ = -21.99%, p = 0.01), and Team Length (∆ = -10.52%, p = 0.01), indicating a contraction in the defensive system's behavior. Similarly, in the SSG5v5-Small format, an original action significantly decreased the Surface Area (∆ = -24.92%, p = 0.02). However, no significant changes were observed for the Stretch Index, Team Length, and Team Width in the SSG5v5-Small format. No significant effects were observed in the larger game formats (Table 2). These results indicate that in small game formats, the defensive team contracts significantly after experiencing an original action, while in larger game formats, the defensive team's dispersion measures remain unaffected.

***PLEASE, INSERT Table NEAR HERE***

Table 2

Comparison of dispersion of defensive teams before and after suffering an original action from the opposing team
SSG_{4v4 − Small}	Pre	Post	F	p	η2
SI	5.33 ± 1.38	4.81 ± 1.13	7.78	0.01	0.24
IPA	34.30 ± 21.17	30.54 ± 15.56	1.63	0.21	0.06
Surface area	47.01 ± 22.97	36.67 ± 16.72	11.49	0.01	0.32
Team Length	9.23 ± 2.76	8.56 ± 1.95	3.04	0.09	0.11
Team Width	10.67 ± 2.98	9.55 ± 2.89	6.74	0.01	0.21
SSG_{4v4 − Large}
SI	7.86 ± 1.78	8.38 ± 2.32	0.94	0.34	0.04
IPA	67.64 ± 26.81	84.79 ± 43.51	1.63	0.21	0.06
Surface area	103.82 ± 44.87	119.08 ± 62.55	0.68	0.42	0.03
Team Length	13.96 ± 4.46	14.04 ± 3.51	0.31	0.58	0.01
Team Width	15.10 ± 4.10	17.20 ± 5.80	1.97	0.17	0.09
SSG_{5v5 − Small}
SI	6.05 ± 0.87	5.47 ± 0.60	2.52	0.17	0.33
IPA	36.56 ± 9.36	28.13 ± 12.66	1.29	0.30	0.20
Surface area	81.18 ± 19.47	60.93 ± 14.17	9.56	0.02	0.65
Team Length	11.66 ± 2.26	10.36 ± 2.85	0.36	0.57	0.06
Team Width	11.68 ± 2.73	11.93 ± 2.76	0.29	0.60	0.05
SSG_{5v5 − Large}
SI	9.30 ± 1.13	9.24 ± 2.03	0.21	0.65	0.01
IPA	85.01 ± 19.60	84.40 ± 38.13	0.01	0.97	0.01
Surface area	187.10 ± 49.06	175.90 ± 64.63	0.01	0.98	0.01
Team Length	16.54 ± 3.50	16.06 ± 2.26	0.02	0.89	0.01
Team Width	21.17 ± 3.72	20.58 ± 6.70	0.19	0.67	0.01
Note: SI = Stretch Index; IPA = Individual Player Area; p values in bold indicate significant differences between moments (p < 0,05).

This study aimed to examine how original offensive movements in SSGs change the defensive behavior of the opposing team in the context of youth soccer players. By applying the games under four different conditions, considering the game format and field dimensions, it was possible to identify the original movements performed by the players and the team’s behavior in the defensive phase of the game both before and after these actions. Our initial hypothesis that, after a successful original action, the defending team would decrease defensive coordination by increasing the area and dispersion of the team was not confirmed. The analysis revealed a trend towards a decrease in dispersion variables when the original action was performed on smaller fields (SSG4v4Small and SSG5v5Small), with no similar pattern observed in SSG4v4Large and SSG5v5Large, where no differences between the moments were identified. This study’s results demonstrate the original action’s potential attract the attention of opposing players, causing modifications in defensive behavior, especially in contexts where players are more inclined to group together to participate defensively in the continuation of the play.

Overall, field dimensions are a constraint that influences tactics, impacting intra-team synchronization^12,36,37. SSGs conducted on smaller spaces seem more likely to trigger urgency in modifying space occupation patterns, as reducing field dimensions tends to increase opponent pressure by reducing the space-time relation, which can be corroborated by the decrease in Surface Area and area per player, already evidenced in previous studies³⁸. Another important point to highlight is that, although studies demonstrate greater exploration of larger fields, this is intrinsically related to the increased distance covered³⁹. Additionally, Olthof et al.⁴⁰ found that larger fields also tend to favor more extended ball possession periods, reduce transition phases, and spacing players in length and width, leading to less positional rotation among players. These assumptions, combined with fewer ball possession changes, reflect a lower demand for constant self-organization modifications due to the alternation between attack and defense phases, resulting in more stable behavior with lower variability⁴¹.

Another path to explain why defensive dispersion was not affected after suffering an original offensive action in large SSGs spaces might be related to the level of experience and practice of the U-10 and U-11 young players. During defensive phase of the game, it is expected that defensive players promote concentration around the ball, with the aim of blocking the advance of the opposing team⁴². In large spaces, players usually are scattered on the soccer field. Therefore, coordinate defensive movements with more available spaces require experience and specialized defensive information to approach to the opposing team. Based on that assumption, it is reasonable to infer that players advanced in the practice of the sports processes received more information and tend to present better knowledge about tactics when compared with U-10/U-11 players, what possibly allow them to deal with task constraints after suffering an unexpected action. To illustrate that scenario, Borges et al.¹⁸ identified that the absolute frequency of the “concentration” principle was executed more frequently by the older groups (U-13 vs. U-17).

Considering that there is no linear relationship in collective scale in terms of dispersion and inter-team area occupation⁴³, merely generating space by enlarging the attacking team’s area and basing analyses on static references (such as field dimensions) seems not to be decisive in the offensive phase. This leads to associating such collective tactical concepts with individual tactics and actions that surprise and surpass the opposing defensive lines. Studies have advanced in considering, beyond structural changes, factors that might explain tactical and spatial occupation changes by players on the field based on contextual variables, such as the level of the opposing team, current score, and final result of the match, as well as observing collective and individual changes after the first goal in a match^44,45. From the perspective of team level, Santos et al.⁴⁶ found that adding creatively potential players to a team causes the opposing team to modify its way of exploring and occupying game spaces. However, this is viewed from the game as a whole rather than specifically from defensive behaviors and those preceding and succeeding specific creative actions.

In the defensive domain, Forcher et al.⁴⁷ aimed to understand defensive behavior when ball recovery was either successful or unsuccessful, considering a critical dynamic spatial reference, the center of play. The study above demonstrates that for successful defensive actions in an 11v11 game, a subgroup of 5 players close to the ball change defensive behavior towards compactness. In contrast, the team’s organization, considering all players, remains unchanged. These premises reinforce the idea that players in areas of the field more distant from where the action occurs tend not to significantly alter their positioning to compact the team, and that this duality of behaviors between what is observed in sectorial and collective scales can generate defensive instabilities. Finally, considering the validity of the original action in concentrating players closer to the play in smaller spaces, it is worth noting the potential of this attraction to create spaces and attack zones with less pressure to be explored in the continuation of the play, suggesting that this action may not lead to an immediate outcome but could serve as a turning point in the coordination of defensive movements and produce opportunities for subsequent outcomes.

Assuming that the degree of representativeness of SSGs relative to formal games depends on the constraints acting within this system, SSGs tend to be viewed by coaches as a sub-phase of regular games⁴³. Thus, the present study advances in elucidating the importance of designing tasks that favor the emergence of creative and original actions. This study indicates that establishing subtasks in smaller spaces fosters creative solutions that attract part of the defense to a specific zone and create spaces in subsequent zones (fragile spaces that can be further explored) with fewer space-temporal constraints due to the lack of defensive behavior alternation by more distant players. Moreover, it is important to highlight that this study explored SSGs indicated to the teaching of the soccer game (4v4 and 5v5), given its optimal balance between complexity and difficulty for young soccer players.

While this study presents advancements that, together with prior literature, strengthen knowledge in the field, there is a limitation in not expanding to scenarios that more closely resemble formal games (11v11). As indicated by Olthof et al.⁴⁰, the number of players also increases distance and reduces variability and tactical changes. Therefore, future studies are recommended to verify how original actions performed by an attacker afford the defending team to lose their coordination using different game formats (SSGs and formal match) and age groups with different background experiences.

The findings of this study show that original actions, when performed in small-sided games with smaller field dimensions (64.80 m²/player), tend to modify the dispersion of the opposing team, causing the defense to coordinate its behaviors in a way that compacts the defensive unit. Conversely, on larger fields, the same pattern could not be recognized. Thus, on larger fields, players further away from the epicenter of the action do not adopt an urgent behavior to approach the original action, with the original action acting as an attractor for when the opposing players are closer, but not for those further away from the action.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Funding

There was no source of funding for the study.

Author Contribution

Conceptualization, P.H.B., L.S.C.U. J.R., J.G.; data curation, P.H.B., L.S.C.U.; formal analysis, P.H.B., L.S.C.U.; methodology, P.H.B., L.S.C.U., P.V.S., J.F.S., J.R., J.G.; supervision, P.H.B., L.S.C.U.; writing – original draft, P.H.B., L.S.C.U., P.V.S., J.F.S.; writing – review & editing, P.H.B., L.S.C.U., M.E.V.B.

Data Availability

The study results are presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation. All data are fully available uppon email request to the corresponding author.

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How do original actions performed by an attacker modify defensive dispersion in small-sided soccer games?

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