The video-based tactical task did not elicit mental fatigue and did not impair subsequent physical and technical performance. However, overall RPE did not differ between conditions. The mental effort required by the video-tactical task was significantly higher than the control task ( p = 0.002 ES = 2.09 huge).
None of the technical variables were negatively affected by the video-based tactical condition, with the number of total passes ( p = 0.003 ES = 0.72 medium) and successful passes ( p = 0.003 ES = 0.82 large) results even improved by the video-based tactical task. Results showed no differences ( p > 0.05) in physical performance between the two conditions. Physical performance was assessed during the SSG through GPS technology. Subjective ratings of perceived exertion were assessed through the RPE questionnaire after the end of the SSG. Mental effort was measured through a visual analog scale after the tactical and control tasks. Before each small-sided game, they performed a video-based tactical task (30 min) and a control task (documentary watching, 30 min) in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Ten soccer players performed two small-sided games on two different days in a crossover design. Since most previous research used general cognitive tasks to elicit mental fatigue, the aim of this study was to investigate whether a more sport-specific task could induce the effects of mental fatigue and impair the subsequent physical and technical performance in a soccer small-sided game.
Mental fatigue can impair physical, technical, and tactical performance in sports.