When Exploration Does Not Mean Creation: Rethinking the Link Between Movement Variability and Motor Creativity in Soccer

Purpose: This study investigated whether exploratory behavior affords the emergence of creative actions in small-sided games (SSGs) among youth soccer players. Study Sample: Forty-eight male outfield players Under 14, Under-15, and Under-16 from Brazilian club participated in GK4 vs. 4 GK protocol. Data Collection: Exploratory behavior was quantified using Global Positioning System (GPS)-derived metrics, including stretch index, spatial exploration index, and players’ major range area. Creativity was evaluated through notational analysis, categorizing players’ actions as fluency, versatility, originality, and attempts according to the Creative Behavior Assessment in Team Sports (CBATS) protocol. Data Analysis: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was adopted to select the variables that represented the variance of exploratory behavior dimensions. Additionally, players were clustered into high and low exploratory behavior groups using Cluster Analysis. Afterwards, the effects of exploratory behavior and game position on creative measures were obtained through Generalized Linear Models ( p < .05). Results: The results indicated that exploratory behavior did not significantly increase creative actions across game positions ( p > .05). However, a significant interaction ( p = .04; η 2 = 0.13) showed that defenders with higher exploratory behavior performed more unsuccessful non-standardized attempts (mean = 5.2 ± 1.1 vs. 3.4 ± 0.9). No significant effects were found for fluency (mean = 8.1 ± 2.3 actions), versatility (mean = 4.7 ± 1.6 actions), or originality (mean = 2.2 ± 0.9 actions), with all comparisons yielding non-significant results ( p > .05). Conclusion: Findings suggest that while exploratory behavior does not universally enhance creative performance in SSGs, encouraging higher exploratory behavior in defenders may increase their engagement in offensive actions.