Effects of a Tactical Critical Thinking Program on Tactical Efficiency in Elite Underwater Rugby Male Players

"Both TPCT and STR groups will follow identical underwater rugby training sessions. Structure: Warm-up (15%): Land-based mobility (5 min) + in-water rondos (10 min). Small-Sided Games (30%): Tactical principles via modified scenarios. Full-Team Games (45%): 6v6, 5-min games with 3-min recovery. Cool-down (10%).~Training includes 20 sessions: 8 defensive (Containment, Recovery) and 12 offensive (Penetration, Offensive Coverage, Space).~SSGs focus on tactical principles:~Containment (4v4, restricted defensive movement) → Defensive positioning, communication.~Recovery (5v6, interception-based) → Quick transitions, passing accuracy. Penetration (4v2, lane-based) → Offensive coordination, defensive pressure. Offensive Coverage (6v6, restricted movement) → Off-the-ball play, passing options.~Space (3v4, defenders in pairs) → Forward movement, spatial awareness."

"Both TPCT and STR groups followed identical underwater rugby training: Warm-up (15%), SSGs (30%), Full-Team Games (45%), Cool-down (10%). Training included 20 sessions: 8 defensive (Containment, Recovery) and 12 offensive (Penetration, Offensive Coverage, Space).~SSGs focused on tactical principles:~Containment (4v4) → Defensive positioning, communication. Recovery (5v6) → Quick transitions, passing accuracy. Penetration (4v2) → Offensive coordination, defensive pressure. Offensive Coverage (6v6) → Off-the-ball play, passing options. Space (3v4) → Forward movement, spatial awareness. The TPCT group engaged in 10-min reflective discussions post-warm-up, SSGs, and games. Prompts included: What key moments defined the activity? How effective were our decisions? How well did we contain attackers? What hindered or helped recovery? How could we improve movement and space usage? Players progressively led discussions, enhancing tactical awareness."