How Do Cognitive and Motor Dual-Tasks during Small-Sided Games Impact the Tactical Performance of Youth Soccer Players?

Abstract

Numerous studies have investigated physical and motor performance during dual-task protocols in different sports. However, only few studies have investigated tactical performance in dual-task situations in real-world game situations, such as small-sided games (SSGs). Moreover, sport-specific literature is unclear about the effects of motor or cognitive secondary tasks and the type of the stimulus (memorization, math operations) on players' tactical performance. This study considered the impact of dual tasks on soccer players' tactical performance within SSGs and compared the effects of motor and cognitive secondary tasks on soccer players' tactical performance. A total of 24 U-13 soccer players (12.34 ± 0.55 years) took part in the study, playing SSGs under four different conditions: a single task (ST) condition: players performed only SSGs; a motor dual-task (MDT) condition: players performed SSGs while balancing a basketball ball on a cone; a cognitive dual-task 1 (CDT1) condition: players performed SSGs while doing math operations; a cognitive dual-task 2 (CDT2) condition: players performed SSGs while doing a memorization task. Tactical performance was assessed using the FUT-SAT under all experimental conditions. Players showed higher tactical performance in SSGs with a ST than SSGs with secondary tasks (p < 0.001). When comparing secondary tasks in SSGs, players presented a better tactical performance in SSGs with cognitive secondary tasks than in SSGs with a motor secondary task (p = 0.02). In conclusion, dual tasks impair the tactical performance of soccer players, with the motor secondary task inducing greater impairment than secondary cognitive tasks.