A Comparison of Training Programs of Differential and Structural Learning Regarding Passing Ability in Football

Background: Since variable practice has been acknowledged to support and enhance motor skill learning, it is of great interest to analyze different variable practice approaches.

Aims: This study’s main objective is to compare the effectiveness of a structural (SL) and a differential learning (DL) based training schedule regarding passing ability in football.

Methods: Forty leisure football players from five different local clubs participated in this study. The subjects played for their club’s U13 or U15 team (age: M = 12.48, SD = 0.95; years of experience: M = 7.61, SD = 1.64). All subjects were divided into three different groups: DL training group (N=12), SL training group (N=14) and CG (N=14). A pre-post-retention test design was used. After the pretest (T1), the two intervention groups were trained and assessed on their passing accuracy under `game-representative` time constraints. The intervention was conducted over a period of twelve days. After the intervention the post-test took place, and after another week the retention test (T3) followed. The test battery includes a field test (Loughborough Soccer Passing Test, LSPT) and a test within the Footbonaut, a football specific training and testing device explicitly developed to analyze and train the players’ agility and passing ability. Multiple repeated measure analyses of variance (ANOVA Repeated Measures) were executed for each performance variable with a significance level of α = .05. In order to examine transferable effects from the Footbonaut performance to the field based LSPT representing game performance. The effects for correlation between both tests’ measurements were calculated.

Results: The results show a significant overall performance improvement after the training phase for both considered skill tests. No significant changes between the intervention groups were found for performance development after a one-week retention phase. Considering the correlation effects between the two test measurements, a medium to strong correlation was found between the Footbonaut and on-field performance.

Discussions: Both training programs, DL and SL, improved the performance after a twelve-day training period. The correlation effects indicating that the training in the Footbonaut is valid for an improvement of one’s on-field passing ability. Furthermore, the results support the use of the Footbonaut performance to determine a player’s actual on-field performance.

Conclusions: Further research comparing these two particular training schedules is needed. Thus, optimal recommendations could be given for a superior and specific training schedule for improving passing accuracy within the Footbonaut.