Effects of a Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking on Football-Specific Decision-Making in Under-9 Academy Players

This study evaluates whether two academy football training programmes are associated with different changes in football-specific cognitive-motor performance in under-9 male players. One academy cohort completed a Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) embedded within game-centred training, whereas a comparison cohort followed its usual repetition-oriented academy programme. Performance was assessed before and after 12 training sessions using the Stroop Task Football Test (STFT), including execution time, response accuracy, and a derived Total Index.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male academy football players registered in the under-9 category. * Regular participation in academy football training. * Free from injury at baseline and able to fully participate in training and testing. * Written informed consent provided by a parent or legal guardian. * Age-appropriate assent provided by the child participant. Exclusion Criteria: * Any injury or medical condition limiting full participation at baseline. * Injury sustained during the study that prevents continued full participation. * Absence from more than 25% of intervention sessions. * Inability to complete baseline assessment. * Inability to complete post-intervention assessment.