The effect of variations in passing drill form on soccer passing ability at the arafah youth soccer academy

Abstract

Passing accuracy is a core technical skill in youth soccer, yet the magnitude of improvement following structured passing-drill programs depends on training content, dose, measurement, and contextual factors. This study examined pre-post changes in passing performance after a four-week structured passing-drill program among 15 male U-14 to U-16 players at a soccer school in Payakumbuh, Indonesia. A single-group pretest-posttest pre-experimental design was used. Passing performance was assessed with the Johnson Soccer Test before and after 16 training sessions conducted four times per week. Reported mean performance increased from 14.3 (SD = 1.988) to 17.3 (SD = 2.225), a mean change of 3.0 points (20.98%). The reported paired-samples t-test was t(14) = 17.75, p < .001. Using the reported t statistic and n = 15, the derived standardized paired effect is Cohen's dz = 4.58; this value should be verified against the raw paired scores before final submission. The findings indicate substantial pre-post improvement, but the absence of a control group, small single-club sample, repeated testing, maturation, and other uncontrolled factors prevent a causal conclusion. The results therefore provide preliminary evidence supporting further controlled evaluation of structured passing-drill programs in adolescent soccer.

Keywords
  • Passing accuracy
  • Passing drills
  • Youth soccer
  • Motor learning
  • Technical skill
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