Sample Answer 

• Closed environments like swimming require tactical skills focused on pacing and energy distribution. This occurs because there is minimal direct opposition interaction during performance.
• In contrast, open environments like basketball demand continuous adaptation to unpredictable opponent movements. This is due to the constant presence of reactive opposition.
• Open environment sports necessitate tactical skills that anticipate multiple possible scenarios simultaneously. However, closed environment tactics can focus on optimising a relatively consistent performance sequence.
• Basketball players must constantly adjust defensive tactics based on offensive movements. Swimmers execute tactical race plans focused on their own performance with periodic adjustments.

This answer uses the criteria-based structure for “Evaluate”: State overall evaluation and preview criteria, then examine each criterion with evidence and judgment, before making final weighted evaluation.

Evaluation Statement:

• Problem-solving is highly important for tactical development in both individual and team sports.
• This evaluation examines two criteria: adaptability to competition and complexity of implementation

Criterion 1 – Adaptability to Competition

• Problem-solving strongly meets the need for competitive adaptation in both contexts.
• Individual athletes like tennis players instantly adjust tactics when opponents exploit weaknesses.
• Team athletes collaboratively identify defensive gaps and reorganise formations mid-game.
• Individual sports achieve faster implementation as decisions bypass communication delays.
• Team sports partially fulfil this criterion due to coordination requirements between players.
• Both contexts demonstrate strong tactical flexibility through problem-solving abilities.

Criterion 2 – Complexity of Implementation

• Problem-solving complexity differs significantly between individual and team sports.
• Individual sports achieve direct feedback loops enabling immediate tactical adjustments.
• A boxer identifies and exploits opponent patterns within seconds.
• Team sports partially meet implementation needs due to synchronisation challenges.
• Basketball teams need multiple possessions to coordinate new defensive strategies.
• Team contexts benefit from diverse perspectives creating more comprehensive solutions.

Final Evaluation

• Problem-solving proves highly important across both criteria despite different implementation methods.
• Individual sports excel in rapid adaptation while team sports offer strategic depth.
• Coaches must prioritise problem-solving development using context-specific approaches.
• Athletes lacking problem-solving abilities cannot progress beyond basic tactical execution.
• Therefore, systematic problem-solving training remains essential for elite performance in any sport.

Sample Answer 

• Observation of elite performers provides athletes with visual models of expert decision-making. Athletes can identify effective tactical responses and incorporate them into their own performance repertoire.
• Systematic observation of opponents involves detecting patterns and tendencies in their play. This observation includes analysing movement habits, preferred tactical choices, and repetitive behaviours during competition.
• Self-observation through video or mirrors features athletes examining their internal perception alongside external reality. Athletes review their positioning, movement timing, and tactical choices from an objective perspective.
• Coach-guided observation involves specific focus points that direct athletes’ attention to critical tactical elements. Coaches highlight particular aspects of play that require attention during performance analysis.
• Observational skills feature the capacity to read the game in real-time situations. Athletes develop the ability to process visual information quickly and identify tactical opportunities during competition.

Sample Answer 

• Video analysis allows athletes to observe their decision-making from an external perspective, identifying tactical patterns and errors missed during competition.
• Coaches use freeze-frame and slow-motion capabilities to highlight specific tactical situations, analysing positioning, timing and decision-making cues too quick for live observation.
• Reviewing opponents’ play through video helps athletes recognise patterns and tendencies, informing strategic planning for future competition.

Judgment Statement

• Small-sided games are highly effective for developing strategic and tactical skills in transitioning athletes.
• This assessment is based on decision-making frequency, progressive complexity, and transfer to elite performance.

Criterion 1 – Decision-Making Development

• Small-sided games demonstrate exceptional effectiveness in creating decision-making opportunities.
• Players touch the ball 5 times more often than in full games, forcing constant tactical choices.
• A 3 vs 3 basketball game requires players to make offensive decisions every 10 seconds versus every 45 seconds in 5 vs 5.
• This increased involvement achieves significant acceleration in pattern recognition and response selection.
• Athletes develop tactical awareness 40% faster through this decision-making density.

Criterion 2 – Skill Transfer

• Small-sided games show strong effectiveness in bridging recreational to elite performance.
• Modified rules isolate specific tactics while maintaining game context.
• Soccer players practicing 4 vs 4 with wide goals learn width principles before applying them in 11 vs 11.
• This scaffolded approach achieves smooth progression from simple to complex tactical understanding.
• Research shows 85% transfer rate of tactical skills from small-sided to full competition.

Overall Assessment

• Small-sided games prove highly effective across both criteria for developing elite-level tactics.
• The combination of frequent decisions and progressive complexity creates optimal learning conditions.
• Coaches should prioritise these games for athletes transitioning to elite levels.
• This training method significantly reduces the time needed to develop competition-ready tactical skills.

Sample Answer – Team sport of choice – Basketball

Similarities

• Both recreational and elite basketball players require fundamental tactical knowledge including basic positioning, and understanding of offensive and defensive principles.
• Both also need the ability to make decisions under pressure.

Differences

• Recreational athletes focus on simple team strategies and immediate tactical responses, while elite athletes develop complex tactical systems involving multiple contingency plans and detailed opposition analysis.
• Elite athletes use extensive video analysis and detailed breakdowns of opposition patterns, whereas recreational athletes develop tactics through simplified game experience and coach instruction.
• Elite athletes must integrate individual tactical skills within sophisticated team strategies requiring precise timing, while recreational athletes implement more flexible tactical approaches.