The effects of linear, nonlinear, and differential motor learning methods on the emergence of creative action in individual soccer players

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of linear (LP), nonlinear (NLP), and differential (DL) motor learning methods on the emergence of creative actions in soccer. Method: Sixty-six novice players were randomly allocated to one of three groups, which practiced soccer skills for three months, according to different motor learning methods. In the LP-group, attention was focused on acquiring movement patterns largely through prescriptive instructions and feedback and frequent repetitions. By contrast, in the NLP-group, the aim was to guide the players’ search for movement solutions. This was done by manipulating task constraints to induce practice variability. Finally, in the DL-group, prescriptive instructions were again used, but now to maximize random variation in the practice of movement patterns. Results: Behavioral analysis after the three-month training showed that the number of different actions (i.e., variability) was highest in the NLP-group, followed by DL-group, whereas the LP-group showed the lowest number of different actions. Similarly, the NLP-group and DL-group demonstrated more original and creative actions than the LP-group. Conclusion: In sum, the NLP and DL motor learning methods, which aim to promote motor variability in practice, are most conducive for the emergence of creative actions. Coaches are advised to design training environment that help learners increase their adaptive motor repertoire and creative actions

Motor learning methods that induce high practice variability reduce kinematic and kinetic risk factors of non-contact ACL injury

The prevention of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries often involves movement training, but the effectiveness of different motor learning methods has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the effects of linear pedagogy (LP), nonlinear pedagogy (NLP) and differential learning (DL) motor learning methods on changing kinetic and kinematic factors during expected sidestep cutting related to non-contact ACL injuries. These methods primarily differ in the amount and type of movement variability they induce during practice. Sixty-six beginner male soccer players (27.5 ± 2.7 years, 180.6 ± 4.9 cm, 78.2 ± 4.6 kg) were randomly allocated to a group that trained for 12 weeks with either a LP, NLP or DL type of motor learning methods. All participants completed a biomechanical evaluation of side-step cutting before and after the training period. Analysis of covariance was used to compare post-testing outcomes among the groups while accounting for group differences in baseline performance. Changes in all kinematic and kinetic variables in NLP and DL groups were significantly higher compared to the LP group. Most comparisons were also different between NLP and DL group with the exception of vertical ground reaction force, the knee extension/flexion, knee valgus, and ankle dorsiflexion moments. Our findings indicate that beginner male soccer players may benefit from training programs incorporating NLP or DL versus LP to lower biomechanical factors associated with non-contact ACL injury, most likely because of the associated increased execution variability during training. We discuss that practitioners should consider using the NLP or DL methods, and particular the NLP, during which variability is induced to guide search, when implementing training programs to prevent ACL injuries in soccer. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.