The Impact of Composite Exercises Using the Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA) Method on the Effectiveness of Offensive Tactical Performance for Youth Football Players

Abstract

The significance of the research lies in using composite (technical-tactical) exercises via the Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA) method to develop the effectiveness of offensive tactical performance for attacking players in the final third of the pitch. Additionally, it aims to elevate all player capacities during competition and foster correct decision-making during tactical execution, which enhances cooperation and harmony within the attacking team during collective play. Undoubtedly, players need to repeat fast performances interspersed with very short recovery periods due to the intense match conditions. The research aimed to design composite (technical-tactical) exercises using the RSA method for youth football and to identify the impact of these exercises on the effectiveness of offensive tactical performance for youth football players.For the research methodology, the researcher adopted an experimental approach using a two-group design (experimental and control), as it was deemed suitable for resolving the research problem and achieving its objectives. The research population consisted of (167) youth football club players in the Wasit Governorate Center participating in the governorate league for the (2023-2024) football season, distributed across (8) clubs, as shown in Table (3). The research sample was purposively selected, consisting exclusively of players from the attacking third. It included Wasit Club as the experimental group (8 players) and Al-Shuhada Club as the control group (8 players). Following the pre-test, the implementation of the composite exercises, and the post-test, the data were statistically processed using the SPSS package. After presenting and discussing the results, the researcher concluded that the composite (technical-tactical) exercises designed using the RSA method yielded positive results in the effectiveness of offensive tactical performance due to their high similarity to competitive football matches. Utilizing all football skills—such as passing, shooting, dribbling, receiving, and ball carrying—along with the interconnectedness of these skills, successfully raised the level of offensive tactical performance effectiveness in football for the experimental group.