Modelling ball circulation in invasion team sports: a way to promote learning games through understanding

Background: Sport Education and ‘Tactical decision learning model’ (TDLM) are two curriculum models used by physical education teachers in France to help students in the development of a tactical intelligence of game play in the didactics of team sports. Purpose: Identify prototypic configurations of play in the sense that they represent an original model, archetype of a model that reproduces itself. Participants and setting: We conducted this research with three age groups of secondary school students (grade 6, 11/12 years old; grade 9, 14/15 years old; and grade 12, 17/18 years old). The team sport selected was soccer with a 4 vs. 4 player format. Research design: Based on the video observation of a final sample of 188 sequences of play having led to a shot at goal or a goal, we considered three categories of criteria combined and came up with eight prototypic configurations of play often displayed by novice players. Data collection: The following observational categories were retained: (1) location of ball recovery with reference to the position on the field: high ball recovery (in the opponents’ side of the pitch); recovery in the middle area of the pitch; low recovery (in one's own side of the pitch); (2) location of recovery with reference to the position within the effective (occupied) play-space (EP-S): recovery at the front of the EP-S; recovery at the rear or in the middle area of the EP-S; and (3) selection of play after recovery of the ball: (a) ball exchange with a teammate (long pass, short pass, number of passes); and (b) dribble. Findings: Eight prototypic offensive configurations of play are presented and a related didactical model is discussed. Conclusions: In team sports with a constructivist approach, such modelling, models and efficient-action rules imply a construction by students. It requires an evolution of the various concepts involved, a progressive integration, step-wise or level-wise, to a thinking process. For this purpose, in the teaching/learning system in team sports, we propose to switch from Teaching Games for Understanding to Learning Games through Understanding.