The effect of different coach encouragement on psychophysiological and technical responses of young soccer players in 4S4 small-sided games

This study aimed to investigate the psychophysiological and technical effects of positive and negative verbal coach encouragement on 4v4 small-sided games in soccer. The study included 16 amateur young male soccer players (16.75 ± 0.45 years) who participated in small-sided games. The small-sided games were completed in two training sessions with the same training design and organization. In one session, coaches provided positive verbal encouragement, whereas, in the other, coaches intervened negatively through negative coach encouragement. Heart rate, enjoyment, perceived difficulty, mental fatigue, mood, and technical activities were measured during the games. The study's findings revealed that positive coach encouragement significantly affected many dimensions of player performance and experience. Positive verbal encouragement caused an increase in heart rate, heart rate percentage, perceived degree of difficulty, moods of enjoyment, vitality, fatigue, technical activities of successful passing and winning the ball, and a decrease in mental fatigue (p<0.05). Positive verbal encouragement increased the technical activities of unsuccessful passing and losing the ball (p<0.05). In conclusion, the findings of this study provide valuable insights into the effects of positive and negative verbal coach encouragement on small-sided play in soccer. Positive coach encouragement was found to have significant positive effects on heart rate, the intensity of the game, enjoyment, perceived difficulty, mental fatigue, mood, and technical responses. These findings underline the importance of positive coaching strategies in optimizing player performance in tight games and enhancing the overall football experience.