Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of different task constraints on the mental load and athletic performance of players in small-sided soccer games.
Methods: This study was semi-experimental in nature. A total of 24 football school players from the city of Sahand were selected through convenience sampling. The players were homogeneously assigned into four comparable groups based on age and athletic background, in order to eliminate the temporal effects of applying the independent variable. Four 3×3 football games with different task constraints were conducted in two four-minute halves with a 30-second rest interval between halves. To measure and collect data on mental load, the official NASA-TLX questionnaire was used. For evaluating and collecting data on athletic performance, video analysis based on the performance evaluation form by Telo et al. (2006) was employed. Repeated measures ANOVA and SPSS version 23 software were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The results indicated that there were statistically significant differences in mental demand and temporal demand across the different task constraints. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were observed in passing performance, dribbling performance, and shooting performance under varying task constraints.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of examining the effects of task constraints on these dimensions for coaches, teachers, and specialists in sports and football sciences. Such examination allows them to apply appropriate constraints by considering objectives, players’ characteristics, and existing conditions, while ensuring a proper balance between mental load and athletic performance.