Critical Thinking Volleyball Tactics

Summary

This quasi-experimental study will examine whether a Tactical Critical Thinking Program (TPCT) can improve technical-tactical decision-making in university volleyball players compared with usual training. In many university teams, practice is dominated by repetitive technical drills and coach-centred instruction, with limited opportunities for players to analyse the game, discuss options with teammates, or reflect critically on their decisions.

The study compares two groups of adult male volleyball players from a university-level programme in Colombia. The intervention group completed a 4-week Tactical Critical Thinking Program integrated into regular volleyball practice, while the comparison group continued with their usual training routines, without structured reflection or guided questioning. The TPCT uses representative game-based tasks, short planned pauses for group discussion, and questions that prompt players to identify tactical problems, generate alternative solutions, justify their choices, and adjust strategies collectively.

All participants assessed before and after the 4-week period. Assessments included validated technical skill tests for serve, reception and spike, and standardised small-sided games (4 vs 4) recorded on video. Trained observers coded each action to calculate decision-making indices for the three key skills, expressing the proportion of tactically appropriate decisions during play.

The primary aim was to determine whether adding structured tactical reflection and critical thinking activities to volleyball practice produces greater improvements in decision-making than usual training alone. A secondary aim was to explore whether the TPCT also enhances technical execution. Findings are expected to inform coaches and physical education professionals about how to design cognitively enriched, game-representative training for university team sports.

Conditions

• Decision Making
• Athletic Performance
• Volleyball

Interventions

OTHER

Tactical Critical Thinking Program plus usual volleyball training

Behavioral intervention integrated into regular university men's volleyball practice. The program adds structured reflective pauses and guided questioning to usual training content (serve, reception, spike and team play). Sessions use game-based drills and small-sided games under modified constraints to elicit tactically demanding situations. After short sequences of play, the coach leads brief discussions in which players identify tactical problems, generate and justify alternatives and agree collective adjustments. A final phase of open play emphasises applying these decisions while promoting metacognitive reflection. Training frequency, duration and physical workload remain comparable to the control arm; the distinctive element is the protocolised critical-thinking and collaborative-reflection component.

OTHER

Usual volleyball training

Behavioral condition consisting of the team's standard university men's volleyball training program with no added reflective component. Sessions include warm-up, general physical preparation, technical drills for serve, reception, spike and defence, positional work and team play under normal coaching practice. Coaches do not apply the structured reflective pauses or guided questioning protocol used in the experimental arm. Training schedule, session duration and general intensity are maintained as similar as possible to the intervention arm so that the principal difference between arms is the absence of the Tactical Critical Thinking Program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Federal University of Vicosa

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-09-01

Primary Completion

2025-10-15

Completion

2025-10-30

Countries

• Colombia

Study Locations