PERCEPTION PART 2 - CASE STUDY

 

Last week I posted notes from an article by Mark O' Sullivan on perception and then came along a part 2 so here's the notes from that one as well!

• If you’ve never seen them play before then start with 15mins of 8v8 to develop your knowledge of the environment to inform you on how the session could develop and what we could amplify/dampen (co-design)
• 1 key observation was that no matter the defense they faced, the offense always tried to build up the same way and this sociocultural constraint is promoted through their training and dictates their behaviour but it also limits how players can develop their knowledge in the game, limiting their ability to scan their surroundings and perceive opportunities to exploit
• He wanted to help break these patterns by using a simple task design to shape players’ intentions (individually/collectively) by juggling/balancing the intentions of playing through/around/over the defending team
• He set up 2 small-sided games with 1 team told how to defend and then see if the other team attunes to what’s happening
• Observation showed players rarely identified the opportunity to play over when it emerged but player discussions revealed a negative connotation attached to long balls so he put a focus on the defense to defend high/limit being played around which in turn provides the off with a long ball affordance
• They initially struggled to play long balls with accuracy from never having really trained them
• Rather than telling players to scan more/make better decisions, the session design focused on creating conditions in which these behaviours became functionally necessary
• There are 4 hallmarks of human behaviour
• 1 x Agency which is where players experience themselves as active problem solvers exploring opportunities for action v following instructions + tasks designed without over explicit instruction/environments where perception and action is required to succeed + self-initiated exploration, independent adjustments, reduced reliance on coach input or hesitation when players expect direction + are players discovering solutions themselves or waiting for instruction
• 2 x Prospectivity which is where behaviour is guided by anticipation of future possibilities emerging from the environment + tasks create situations where future outcomes matter (pressure/transition/manipulated space)/constraints that reward acting ahead of play + players acting (individually/collectively) in advance of events via moving early, anticipating passes, exploiting space as it unfolds + are players acting of the game or reacting after it unfolds
• 3 x Seeking Order which is where players learn to pick up key information/recognise patterns in a dynamic environment + introduction of skilled intentions (through/around/over) to guide attention towards relevant information/selective tactical instructions (1 team pressing high or low) + recognise patterns (space/gaps/opportune behaviour)/more efficient decisions with less information + are players identifying/using key information to simplify the game
• 4 x Flexibility x players adapt actions to changing constraints while maintaining their intention + continuous manipulation of constraints (space/time/pressure/opposition strategies)/varied scenarios requiring adjustment + adaptation of solutions across contexts/maintaining intent (penetrating/progressive play) with different technical actions + can players adapt their actions effectively as conditions change