The Effect of Ecological Approaches on Tactical Performance in Volleyball: A Systematic Review
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
2.2. Research Strategy
2.3. Study Selection and Data Collection
2.4. Assessment of Risk of Bias
3. Results
3.1. Study Selection
3.2. Study Characteristics
3.3. Risk of Bias
3.4. Interventions
3.5. Outcome Measures
3.5.1. Outcome Measures in Selected Cross-Sectional Studies
3.5.2. Outcome Measures in Selected Longitudinal Studies
4. Discussion
4.1. Effect of Ecological Perspective in Cross-Sectional Studies
4.2. Effect of Ecological Perspective in Longitudinal Studies
4.3. Limitations of Existing Studies and This Review
4.4. Practical Application of Training and Future Research
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Study | Desing | Participants (Number and Age) | Level of Play (Practice Experience) | Findings on Tactical Behavior Variables |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ramos et al. (2020) [35] | QE | 15 females (14–15 years) | At least 1 year | Team synchronization: 3° AR cycle with more complex tactical organizations; index of (re)achievement of functional synchrony, greater than in 2° AR cycle |
Rocha, De Oliveira Castro et al. (2020) [36] | CS | 16 males (M: 12.2 ± 0.5 years) | M: 1.2 ± 0.8 years | DM: 2 vs. 2 on 4.6 × 4.6 m and 5.2 × 5.2 m; higher DM scores compared to situations with different area-per-player ratios; overall results among observed actions |
Rocha, Freire et al. (2020) [37] | CS | 12 males (M: 16.7 ± 1.5 years) | M: 3.2 ± 1.2 years | DM showed better results in general actions in SIT2 compared to SIT1; overall results among observed actions |
De Oliveira Castro, Praça et al. (2022) [38] | NRCT | 44 males: EG (M: 16.3 ± 1.2 years), CG (M: 16.4 ± 0.7 years) | EG: M: 4.0 ± 1.9 years, CG: M: 3.8 ± 1.4 years | DM: SPC DM improved in EG athletes compared to CG after 12 sessions and post-intervention |
Rodrigues et al. (2022) [39] | CS | 16 males (M: 12.2 ± 0.5 years) | M: 1.2 ± 0.8 years | DM: 2 vs. 2 on 4.6 × 4.6 m and 5.2 × 5.2 m; higher DM scores than in situations with different area/player ratios; overall results among observed actions |
Ramos et al. (2024) [40] | QE | 15 females (14–15 years) | At least 1 year | DM: Significant differences observed between M1 and M4 time points, before and after intervetion, regarding timing tendencies at blocking line and defensive line |
Moura et al. (2024) [41] | CS | 8 females (M: 22.63 ± 7.22 years) | Professional volleyball players (M: 4.50 ± 2.32 years) | DM: Association observed between network height and DM in relation to actions included in SPC; Lower net height associated with poorer decision-making |
Palao et al. (2024) [42] | QE | 29 females (M: 13.4 ± 0.68 years) | M: 3.21 ± 0.85 years | Team game phase quality: In situations with manipulations, higher rates of appropriate initial and final defensive positions were observed before opponent’s attack |
Study | Task Design Manipulation | Duration of Application | Outcome Actions | Instruments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ramos et al. (2020) [35] | Manipulations of rules, space, scoring methods, attacking contexts, tactical principles | 35 weeks; 143 sessions; 120 min/session | Collective synchronization trends | Software: TACTO vs8.0 [43] and 2D-DLT [44] |
Rocha, De Oliveira Castro et al. (2020) [36] | Court size and number of players | 1 week; 3 sessions (2/3 matches per day) | DM in passing, setting and attacking. | IAD-VB Decision-making [45] |
Rocha, Freire et al. (2020) [37] | Court size, dimensions and number of players | 1 week; 2 sessions (2 competitive matches per day) | DM in reception, attack, setting | IAD-VB Decision-making [45] |
De Oliveira Castro, Praça et al. (2022) [38] | SSG with task constraints to emphasize tactical cues | 24 sessions | DM (SPC components) | IAD-VB Decision-making [45] |
Rodrigues et al. (2022) [39] | Court size and number of players | 1 week; 3 sessions (3 matches per conditions) | DM in defense, setting and attack | IAD-VB Decision-making [45] |
Ramos et al. (2024) [40] | Manipulations of rules, space, scoring, attacking contexts and tactical principles | 35 weeks; 143 sessions 120 min/session | Collective synchronization trends | Software: TACTO vs8.0 [43] and 2D-DLT [44] |
Moura et al. (2024) [41] | Court size, number of players and net heights | 1 week; 1 session; (3 games per court size) | DM (SPC components) | IAD-VB Decision-making [45] |
Palao et al. (2024) [42] | Court size, net height, type of serve and rule modifications | 9 matches (3 total tournaments, 2 per team) | Tactical team actions SPC | Direct observation and expert frecuency counts |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rocha, De Oliveira Castro et al. (2020) [36] | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y |
Rocha, Freire et al. (2020) [37] | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y |
Rodrigues et al. (2022) [39] | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y |
Moura et al. (2024) [41] | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y |
Palao et al. (2024) [42] | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y |
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Amparo, R.-G.; Manuel, C.S.; Alberto, M.D. The Effect of Ecological Approaches on Tactical Performance in Volleyball: A Systematic Review. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 6721. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126721
Amparo R-G, Manuel CS, Alberto MD. The Effect of Ecological Approaches on Tactical Performance in Volleyball: A Systematic Review. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(12):6721. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126721
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmparo, Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Conejero Suárez Manuel, and Moreno Domínguez Alberto. 2025. "The Effect of Ecological Approaches on Tactical Performance in Volleyball: A Systematic Review" Applied Sciences 15, no. 12: 6721. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126721
APA StyleAmparo, R.-G., Manuel, C. S., & Alberto, M. D. (2025). The Effect of Ecological Approaches on Tactical Performance in Volleyball: A Systematic Review. Applied Sciences, 15(12), 6721. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126721