Acute effects of rondo training on the skills of youth soccer players

Background and purpose Soccer is an amalgamation of various motor qualities and skills. Predominantly in youth-level soccer players, ball control, passing, and dribbling are the foundation. Developing their technical qualities through small-sided games, such as rondo training, will be beneficial for coaches and trainers to create evidence-based training programmes.The primary objective was two-fold: a) impact of the 6-week acute effects of rondo training on the variations in passing, and b) to determine the effects of rondo training on the dribbling variation of the youth soccer players. Material and methods An experimental design with pre-test and post-test for two groups (Experimental and control) was used. The research sample included 30 male players from the Kerala University intercollegiate team, who were randomly divided into two equal groups (n=15 per group). The experimental group followed a rondo-based training programme for six-weeks; meanwhile, the control group continued with their regular training. The McDonald Soccer Test and the Dribbling for Time Test were administered as pre- and post-tests for assessing the passing and dribbling abilities. Results The findings of this study revealed statistical significance in the experimental group in both variables, passing and dribbling. Passing skills following the 6-week rondo training programme, the results confirmed this expectation with compelling evidence (adjusted mean difference = +2.21 points, *p* = .001, partial η² = .36). Dribbling showed significant improvements in faster dribbling times compared to CG (mean difference = -0.31 seconds, *p* = .002, partial η² = .31). Special informational methods of influence on the perception of basketball players of humanitarian higher educational institutions of the elements of basketball technique and tactics have been developed. These methods correspond to the imaginative, artistic type of thinking of students of humanitarian universities and the peculiarities of their nervous system - high mobility and lability in combination with a low level of endurance development. Conclusions The findings of this study strongly support the fact that the rondo training programme improves the passing accuracy and dribbling speed accuracy in youth soccer players. It also provides a realistic environment for developing technical skills within a game-like context.