Sport, Sport Participation, Tactical Index, Teamwork
Conditions
Keywords
Tactics, Critical thinking, Team sports, Underwater rugby
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether adding a short, structured team-reflection protocol (Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking, TPCT) to regular elite women's underwater rugby training improves tactical efficiency. Both groups complete the same training content and time; the TPCT group uses brief guided discussion during recovery intervals, while the control group uses the same time for passive recovery. Tactical efficiency is assessed using video-recorded 3v3 scrimmages coded with the RUSTAC checklist at baseline and after 6 weeks.
Detailed description
A parallel, two-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted in an elite women's underwater rugby squad. Players will be allocated 1:1 to TPCT or an active control condition using a computer-generated random sequence. The intervention consists of 18 sessions over 6 weeks (3/week), 2 hours per session, delivered in an outdoor 4 m pool and a marked 10 m × 8 m underwater area. Sessions include a short coach introduction (\ 15 min), constrained small-sided games designed to elicit target tactical principles, and ≥60 min free-play (≥50% of session) to preserve representativeness and transfer. The TPCT condition embeds \ 3 min structured reflection between small-sided bouts using a fixed 5-question protocol aligned to critical thinking operations; the control condition uses equivalent between-bout time for passive recovery/hydration.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMatched Tactical Training Programme (MTT)
Standardized underwater rugby tactical training delivered over 6 weeks (3 sessions/week; 18 sessions), \~2 hours/session. Sessions include structured warm-up and an identical tactical training dose across arms using constrained small-sided game bouts targeting pre-specified offensive and defensive tactical principles through constraint manipulation (e.g., space, numerical relations, rules). Free-play exposure is matched across arms. Between-bout intervals include passive recovery/hydration; any structured reflective questioning is delivered only via the TPCT intervention (when applicable).
BEHAVIORALTactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective Questioning
A structured reflective questioning protocol embedded within regular training during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts. Delivered across the same 6-week period (3 sessions/week; 18 sessions) as MTT. During each recovery interval, the coach facilitates \~3 minutes of guided team discussion using a fixed set of prompts (e.g., intended objective, what helped/hindered, alternatives, and one collective adjustment for the next bout) to elicit interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and explanation of tactical decisions, supporting collective decision-making.
Sponsors
Édison Andrés Pérez Bedoya
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Participants and coaches cannot be blinded due to the behavioural nature of the intervention. Tactical performance is captured on video and coded by independent assessors who are blinded to group allocation and assessment time point. Videos are anonymised and labelled with neutral IDs; group-specific discussion segments are not included in the footage provided for coding to preserve assessor blinding.
Intervention model description
Parallel-group, two-arm randomized controlled trial. Eligible athletes are allocated 1:1 to TPCT (structured reflective questioning embedded during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts) or an active control condition (identical training content and time, with passive recovery/hydration instead of guided discussion). Outcomes are assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks) using blinded video-based coding.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Female elite underwater rugby players aged ≥18 years. * Officially rostered members of the participating high-performance team/squad. * Regular training participation (minimum 2 sessions per week) in the team's programme. * Able to complete study procedures at Baseline (Visit 1) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2), including standardized 3v3 scrimmage video assessment. * Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
* Current injury, illness, or medical condition that prevents full participation in regular underwater rugby training during the intervention period. * Anticipated prolonged absence (e.g., travel/competing/other commitments) that would prevent meaningful exposure to the intervention dose (e.g., missing \>20% of sessions). * Inability to complete the assessment procedures reliably (e.g., unable to participate in the standardized 3v3 assessment or comply with study instructions). * Declines participation or withdraws consent.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Overall tactical efficiency (RUSTAC overall index) | Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes) | Overall tactical efficiency derived from video-based coding of standardized 3v3 underwater rugby scrimmages using the RUSTAC checklist. The overall index is computed as successful tactical actions relative to total tactical decisions (expressed as successful actions per 100 decisions) across offensive and defensive phases. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive coverage efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index) | Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes) | Defensive coverage tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful defensive coverage actions per 100 decisions. |
| Recovery efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index) | Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes) | Recovery tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful recovery actions per 100 decisions. |
| Penetration efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index) | Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes) | Penetration tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful penetration actions per 100 decisions. |
| Offensive coverage efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index) | Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes) | Offensive coverage tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful offensive coverage actions per 100 decisions. |
| Space management efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index) | Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes) | Space management tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful space-management actions per 100 decisions. |
Countries
Colombia
Outcome results
None listed