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"Stop & Go" Small Sided Game Video Training

A 2008 Research Study of elite soccer players in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that watching video clips of high level games for 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week for 4 weeks helped players:

• "Improve their off-field pattern recognition and prediction skills",
• "That the improvement transferred to improved on-field passing, shooting, dribbling, and predictions of patterns in play in games", and
• "Demonstrated that video-based perceptual training can be used effectively to enhance the decision-making skills of elite field sport athletes." This study was with elite athletes. Our own study with less experienced youth players also confirms improvement. (Note 2)

This 2008 Research Study also "Found player":

• Passing decisions from 78% to 87% accuracy (Note 1),
• Shooting decisions from 37% to 47% accuracy (Note 1),
• Dribbling decisions from 51% to 77% accuracy (Note 1), and
• Predictions of patterns of play from 80% to 93% accuracy (Note 1).

​Note 1 - Published findings were displayed in graphs without supporting tables. Percents are based on measuring the published graphs and should be accurate within + 1 to 3%.

Note 2 - In our study of less experienced players:

• All players played in three 4 versus 4 small sided games prior to training. 
• Players were randomly divided into a control group and a study group.
• The control group received no video training between practices. The study group used a "stop and go" technique to watch Small Sided Game videos at home for 15 minutes per session, 3 days a week for 4 weeks. All players participated in scheduled weekly outdoor team practices.
• At the end of 4 weeks the control group played the study group in three 4 v 4 games during practices. The players in the study group, on average, improved in each of the four areas by approximately 10%.

Bibliography: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: 2008, Nov, 22(6): 2027-35.

German U14's .6 Seconds Faster After Video Training

A video based training study in Germany compared an untrained control group, a field trained group and a video trained group of U14 players. Study found video trained U14 players made decisions .6 seconds (6/10ths) of a second faster than both the control group and the field trained group. Video training is done away from the field and requires no valuable practice time.
Bibliography:​ University of Münster, Germany, Power Point PDF, "The Influence of Video-based Perceptual Training on Tactical Decision Making in Soccer"

Quicker Decisions and Faster Play

In a study of high level field hockey players in Europe, players in the study were randomly divided into a control group which did not receive perceptual training and a study group which received perceptual training. In a post study evaluation of all players in the study the players who received video based perceptual training reduced their decision making time by 100 ms over the control group of players in the study. 
Bibliography: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 2003: Mar: 74(1): 98-103

High Level Small Sided Game Videos

A coach from Amsterdam observed 4 v 4 small sided soccer games (5 v 5 with goalkeepers) is the minimum number of players necessary for learning the 3 and 4 player combinations most frequently found in 11 v 11 soccer games. His logic was simple. With 4 field players you can create the width and depth found in the 11 v 11 game.

Players who watch small sided high level game videos using the "Stop and Go" technique quickly learn to read patterns in play, body language and to anticipate what will happen next in full sided soccer games. This training is especially important for players who live in areas where they can't attend live high level soccer games or watch them everyday on television.

According to a 2013 research study "the small pitch imposes a greater technical demand on players with more passes, shots and tackles". 
Bibliography: Human Movement Science: 2014 Feb: 33: 25-32

Does Gender in Demos, Videos & Pictures Affect Focus 

This research study showed that the focus of dancers is directly related to there need to learn and do the dance moves they were asked to watch.

• Males dancers focused on those moves only males usually do,
• Females dancers focused on those moves only females usually do, and
• Both male and female dancers focused on those moves both male and female dancers usually do.

This study suggest that there are some gender specific movements and skills that might be best demonstrated by individuals of the same gender as the player or student being taught. A search of 7,000 research studies found no additional studies. Please advise if you find any.
​Bibliography: Current Biology: 2006, Oct 10: 16(19): 1905-10

"Stop & Go" SSG Videos

   SSG Male Video #1 
   SSG Female Video #1