ABSTRACT
The world’s greatest professional soccer players are able to make effective decisions in unpredictable and pressurised situations. Determining more effective ways of assessing complex tactical skill is a difficult but important goal in helping to develop these attributes in youth soccer players. There is also an increased interest in the application of contemporary virtual technologies in both the study and real-world practice of tactical skills. As such, the purpose of this chapter is to explore the current methodologies used to measure and develop tactical skills in youth soccer players. These are grouped as those focusing on: (a) tactical knowledge (derived from self-reports and perceptual-cognitive tests), (b) tactical performance (generally measured through game-based scenarios), and (c) virtual reality (computer-generated technology). Lastly, considerations for researchers and practitioners are offered in an attempt to advance this field of literature as well as the practical application of developing tactical skills.
