Dribbling and passing performances predict individual success in small-sided soccer games

Our aim was to identify the underlying physical and technical skill traits associated with success in 3v3 small-sided soccer games. We quantified the sprinting, dribbling, and passing performances of 41 individual youth footballers from an elite club that plays in their local, state and national competitions. In addition, we quantified their performances across a series of 3 v 3 games (n = 12–26 matches per player), and by calculating each player's average net goals scored per game we provided a single metric of game success. We predicted that those individuals with better performances in the isolated technical tests would have higher success in the 3v3 matches. An individual's average team net goals was significantly predicted by the best fitting model (F 4,31 = 4.94; adjusted R 2 = 0.31; P = 0.003); and overall passing (t = 2.35; P = 0.025) and dribbling (t = 2.35; P = 0.03) were the only significant predictors of average individual net goals per game. Players with higher net goals per game were significantly more likely to have higher attacking (R 2 = 0.39; P < 0.0001) and defensive scores (R 2 = 0.21; P < 0.0001). Players with higher dribbling performances were also more likely to have higher attacking (R 2 = 0.46; P < 0.0001) and defensive scores (R 2 = 0.21; P = 0.003). Closed-skills that are statistical predictors of success under the complex conditions of match play should be a key element of talent identification protocols, especially when taken in conjunction with metrics of performances derived from small-sided games.