Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the domain-specific tactical knowledge and game performance of 109 young soccer players aged from eight to 12. Participants completed the Soccer Tactical Offensive Knowledge Test. The results were analyzed according to age category (U-10 or U-12), age (eight, nine, ten, 11 and 12) and experience in competition (zero, one, two, three, four, five and six years). Subsequently, the level of knowledge was correlated with game performance. Significant differences were observed between the different category, age and competition experience groups in virtually all dimensions of the instrument (p <.05), although the size effect analysis showed that category, age and experience had an indirect bearing on the level of knowledge. The level of knowledge correlated significantly with game performance in all dimensions of the instrument, except for the “Individual Technical-Tactical Elements and Tactical Problems”, “Individual Technical-Tactical Elements” and “Procedures for Scoring a Goal” dimensions (p<.05). The findings indicate the existence of possible specific cognitive structures relevant for the development of decision-making skills in the sport. Further studies to confirm this hypothesis are needed.