Critical Thinking Tactical Training in University Futsal Players

Federal University of Vicosa13 enrolled

Overview

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 Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Athletic Performance Decision Making

Interventions

Tactical Program Critical ThinkingOTHER

The intervention is a futsal-specific tactical training program structured around critical thinking (TPCT). Across multiple weeks, players complete representative small-sided and conditioned games framed by brief tactical problems (for example, creating numerical superiority or protecting central lanes). During tasks, the coach uses guided discovery and structured questioning to promote reading of key cues, generation and comparison of options, justification of decisions using principles of play, and anticipation of opponents' and teammates' actions. Task constraints and intensity are progressively adjusted, and each session ends with a brief collective reflection.

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in execution time during futsal-specific tactical test

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.

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

Secondary Outcomes

Change in number of goals scored during futsal-specific tactical test

Number of goals scored by each player during a standardized futsal-specific tactical test, performed under the same conditions at baseline and post-intervention. The test requires completing a predefined sequence of actions (ball control, passing and finishing) with a fixed number of shooting opportunities. The secondary endpoint is the change in goals scored from pre- to post-intervention; higher values indicate better offensive effectiveness during the 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

Change in the quality of collective tactical discourse during TPCT sessions

Change in the quality of collective tactical discourse during TPCT sessions, analysed from two audio-recorded group discussions (early and late intervention). Transcripts are segmented into turns of talk or thematic fragments and coded with a 10-indicator analytic rubric (0-3 scale) derived from the TPCT (e.g., clarity of objective, contextual specificity, anticipation, counter-argumentation, integration of perspectives, metacognition). Session-level scores and deltas (late-early) are computed, and emergent themes (for example time management, responsibility, commitment) are described to complement quantitative performance outcomes.

Time frame: Time Frame: Week 2 and Week 7 of the TPCT programme (early and late intervention sessions; approximately 6-7 weeks)

Critical Thinking Tactical Training in University Futsal Players

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes