Category: Technical and Tactical Skill

Fundamental movement skills and fundamental games skills are complementary pairs…

…and should be taught in complementary ways at all stages of skill development 

In this recent discussion piece published in Sport, Education and Society (2014), Wayne Smith from the University of Auckland, New Zealand argues against the following notions…
  1. The binary logic that separates techniques from tactics, technique from skill, and tactics from skill
  2. The assumption that good technique will emerge as a natural process of adaptive play while playing games
  3. Children need fundamental movement skills before developing fundamental games skills
To argue against these notions, Smith (2014) draws on concepts from complexity theory and complimentary pairs theory. Basically, FMS and FGS should be viewed as having a complimentary relationship and both game-centred learning and technical teaching approaches need to be employed at all stages of skill development.
When we view skill in the traditional sense, we observe and focus on the actual movements of the athlete. But this is only one part of skill. Smith (2014) suggests we see skill as an expression of relational dynamics that emerge from non-linear, self-organising interacting parts. Skill is dependent on the inextricbale interactive dynamics of multiple interactions between physical, psychological, social, ideational factors acting at all levels, over multiple time frames. Simply, skill is highly complex and dynamic, and not just an individual’s physical actions. (Side note, we touched on how social influences may relate to skill in a previous article).
For teaching and coaching, Smith (2014) has broken down skill to 3 primary levels.
  1. Intrinsic – internal co-ordination patterns or techniques (repetition)
  2. Individual – immediate goal-directed tasks (drills)
  3. Interactive – Broader goal directed dynamics at the environmental level e.g. (small-sided games)
Although these levels can be taught separately, they are related, and each level should be coached equally at all ages or stages of development.
Agree or disagree?
Sharief

Skill and the Philosophy of Play

Free-Kick

Asking the questions science has yet to answer.

When the term skill is mentioned, technical skills such passing, offloading in contact, kicking etc comes to mind. Within in a team sport like Rugby though, we are aware of  mini-unit skills (set pieces) and the skill of executing tactics and strategy. Some evidence is now available for the most effective technical components of a skill, but not so much on mini-unit skills, unit skills, and the skill of executing tactics and strategy.

Throughout a player’s career or developmental pathway, emphasis and priority will be placed on certain skills over others, for example, contact skills vs non-contact skills, attack vs defence, technical over game strategy etc. This emphasis ratio or priority list is most likely governed by the team’s philosophy of play. This philosophy of play seems evident in the recent internationals, where teams are focussed on set-piece play and contact for example, compared to others teams who may run the ball more. Some teams also have a good balance. This philosophy of play is not only evident at the international level. I’m sure we all have an understanding of team’s philosophy of play within our respective local competitions.

So, what if we want to change the philosophy?

How do we go about this?

Is finding the right balance the way to go?

Are we negatively influencing a player’s development if we don’t get the balance right?

Do you have real life experience on how you changed the philosophy of play within a team? Please let us know your thoughts.

SH

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Infographic by Steve den Hollander

Steve completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in Sport Science. He is currently an Honours Student at the University of Cape Town, researching non-contact skills in Rugby Union.

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