The Role of Instructional Constraints Performed by Coaches on Tactical Behavior of Soccer Players: A Systematic Review

Among strategies used by coaches in the training environment, feedback appears as a common coach practice. Regarding the collective characteristics of soccer, it is important to observe the game in the same scale. In the coaching process, players' behavior can be constrained by coaches using feedback. This study aimed to investigate the role of feedback, performed by coaches, on the tactical behavior of soccer players. We searched in five databases: Scopus, Pubmed, Scielo, SportDiscus and Web of Science, following PRISMA-P guidelines. The PICOS strategy was used to establish eligibility criteria. Only quantitative studies written in English and published in peer reviewed journals were included. From the 1,149 articles found in the initial search, six were included in the review, and then were evaluated considering their methodological quality and risk of bias, through the quality index and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools, respectively. Papers presented high heterogeneity regarding methods to apply feedback interventions and to assess the players' tactical behavior. Differences were observed in the task proposed to players, varying from small-sided games to official size games (3 vs. 3 to 11 vs. 11). Despite these differences, similarities could be found regarding the use of notational analysis in half of the papers, and analysis through positional data in the other half. The use of instructional constraints before the game seems to bring more clarity on how to better coordinate collective actions, causing a positive effect on players' tactical behavior.