Original actions performed by a beginner attacker modify defensive dispersion in small-sided soccer games

In complex systems, the system’s self-regulation processes can transition between states of equilibrium and disequilibrium, leading to changes in the distribution of players within the playing space. Actions that are surprising, rare, or out of the ordinary tend to be valued for their potential to destabilize the opposing defensive structure, altering player dispersion, and creating fragile spaces for the attack. With advancements in understanding the influence of the environment on players’ affordances, the tactical consequences from individuals’ solutions to various scenarios and their impact on the game context becomes a rich area for investigation. This study compared defensive dispersion in the moments preceding and following original actions in small-sided games. The original actions were obtained using the Creative Behavior Assessment in Team Sports (CBATS) observational matrix. At the same time, defensive dispersion was derived from positional data collected via GPS and processed using dedicated routines in MATLAB to obtain variables such as Stretch Index, Surface Area, Team Width, Team Length, and Individual Player Area. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed for normality, and the General Linear Model with Repeated Measures was used to compare pre-and post-action moments across different action classifications (pass and shot) and game configurations (SSG 4v4 − Small , SSG 4v4 − Large , SSG 5v5 − Small , and SSG 5v5 − Large ). Differences were found in the Stretch Index, Surface Area, and Team Width variables in SSG 4v4 − Small and Surface Area in SSG 5v5 − Small ( p