Cognitive-Integrated Soccer Training and Performance

December 2, 2025 updated by: Fan Mao

Integrating Cognitive Elements Into Soccer Basic Skill Practice: Acute Effects on Cognitive Performance and Motor Learning

This study aimed to examine the acute effects of integrating cognitive elements into basic soccer dribbling practice on cognitive performance and motor skill learning in adolescents.

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted involving 43 male adolescents, who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group participated in cognitively integrated dribbling practice, while the control group performed traditional cone-based dribbling practice. Each participant completed a single structured practice session lasting approximately 30 minutes.

Cognitive performance was assessed using the Flanker task and the 2-back task, while soccer skill learning was evaluated through standardized dribbling performance tests. All assessments were administered immediately before and after the practice session. The study was designed to compare short-term changes in cognitive and motor outcomes between the two training approaches under controlled conditions.

This trial contributes to understanding how cognitively enriched soccer practice may be structured and evaluated in adolescent populations within physical education and youth sport settings.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether incorporating cognitive elements into basic soccer dribbling drills influences cognitive task performance and motor skill learning in adolescents. Cognitive elements integrated into the practice were designed to engage processes such as attention control, inhibitory control, and working memory during motor execution.

The study employed a randomized controlled design with two parallel groups. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group, which performed cognitively integrated soccer dribbling drills, or a control group, which performed traditional soccer dribbling drills without explicit cognitive engagement. The intervention consisted of a single practice session lasting approximately 30 minutes.

Cognitive performance was evaluated using computerized versions of the Flanker task and the 2-back task. Motor skill learning was assessed using standardized soccer dribbling performance tests. All outcome measures were collected immediately before and after the intervention session to capture acute effects. The study design allows for controlled comparison of cognitive-integrated and traditional practice approaches in an adolescent population.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

43

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Shandong
      • Qingdao, Shandong, China, 266071
        • Qingdao University, School of Physical Education

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male adolescents aged 16-18 years;
  • Healthy students with no recent injury affecting movement or physical activity;
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision;
  • Not taking any medication during the study period;
  • Soccer novices with no formal or only limited soccer training experience

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed neurological disorders;
  • Diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders;
  • Use of medications known to affect cognitive function

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitively Engaging Soccer Training
Behavioral: Cognitively Engaging Soccer Practice
This intervention integrates cognitive elements into basic soccer skill practice. Participants engage in 20-minute soccer dribbling sessions that include decision-making tasks, attention control, and working memory challenges embedded within motor actions. For example, players must react to color or number cues while performing dribbling drills. The purpose is to enhance both motor learning and cognitive performance through dual-task engagement.Cognitively Engaging Soccer Practice
Active Comparator: Conventional Soccer Training
Behavioral: Conventional Soccer Practice
This intervention consists of traditional soccer dribbling training without added cognitive tasks. Participants perform the same duration and frequency of soccer skill practice (20 minutes) focusing purely on motor performance and technique refinement. No external cognitive demands are introduced.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reaction time on cognitive tasks (Stroop task and 2-back task)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention, Day 1) and immediately post-intervention (Day 1)
Reaction time (in milliseconds) will be recorded for correct responses during computerized Stroop and 2-back tasks. Mean reaction time across trials will be calculated separately for each task at each assessment time point.
Baseline (pre-intervention, Day 1) and immediately post-intervention (Day 1)
Response accuracy on cognitive tasks (Stroop task and 2-back task)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention, Day 1) and immediately post-intervention (Day 1)
Response accuracy will be calculated as the percentage of correct responses during computerized Stroop and 2-back tasks. Accuracy values will be summarized for each task at baseline and immediately after the intervention.
Baseline (pre-intervention, Day 1) and immediately post-intervention (Day 1)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dribbling performance time
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention, Day 1) and immediately post-intervention (Day 1)
Dribbling performance time will be measured as the total time (in seconds) required to complete a standardized cone-dribbling course. The mean dribbling time will be calculated at baseline and immediately after the intervention to reflect short-term motor learning effects.
Baseline (pre-intervention, Day 1) and immediately post-intervention (Day 1)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Fan Mao

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 15, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 23, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

June 27, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 20, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 2, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

December 16, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

December 16, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 2, 2025

Last Verified

December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • QDU-HEC-2024376

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

de-identified data available upon reasonable request

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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