WHAT IS THE CONSTRAINTS-LED APPROACH? PART II

How can we actually use constraints in practice? By understanding the impact all categories of constraints can have on a player, we understand that player development goes so much deeper than solely being on-court and adopting the traditional approach of reproducing the performance of specific techniques over and over again.

Through the appropriate manipulation of task constraints, coaches and trainers can thoughtfully design small-sided games that expose players to the same situations and affordances (opportunities to act) they will encounter in an actual game. This allows players to perceive, respond and adapt to game-like situations and information. Using carefully-designed small-sided games is the best way for players to explore different solutions and self-problem solve in a manner that is most likely to translate from practice to a game.

For coaches and trainers who use the traditional approach, players can only improve at these actual game-like scenarios through the game experience. Therefore, using small-sided games ensure players are exposed to far more situations that actually occur in games. By manipulating the correct task constraints, player development becomes extremely more purposeful as teams are not solely relying on games as the only opportunity for players to be exposed to realistic basketball situations.

Common Constraints Used:

• Defense

  • Defender must keep both feet on the ground, hands behind back, be holding a basketball, etc. (great for finishing work).

  • Defense must utilize Drop Coverage vs ball screens, trap the post, etc.

  • It given situations defense MUST be live

• Limiting the Number of Dribbles 

• Amount of Space (can only player on the right side of the floor or within the lane line)

• Time (can improve more aggressive play with end clock situations)

• Musts (must get in the paint or post touch before scoring, etc.)

• Scoring System

  • Extra points for a specific result (if you score off a back screen or basket cut). Subtract points for an undesired result or behavior (-1 for an offensive rebound, if you get beat middle, etc.).

How to manipulate constraints? The key thing to consider when using the CLA is determining task constraints can be manipulated in a purposeful way. Constraints certainly can eliminate certain potential outcomes from occurring. Therefore, coaches and trainers have to be very careful to refrain from over-constraining players. Over-constraining happens by too heavily restricting the behaviors or solutions players can use. For example, players play live 1v1 to improve finishing but are instructed to only use a specific finish. Using these scenarios may lead to pigeonholing players and narrowing their focus. Instead, using the CLA ecologically means that coaches should purposefully manipulate task constraints to invite potential movement solutions to emerge.

1. Intention - Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and ensure that the player understands the goal and is problem solving.

2. Constrain to Afford - Make sure that the constraint is not prescribing a solution, rather it should just remove some options while allowing self-organization and solution finding by the player. The idea is to either design practice activities that deepen affordances (opportunities for movement) that are more functional and amplify those affordances without prescribing movement solutions.

3. Information (Perception) Is Key - Traditional approaches tend to break player development into two parts; developing the skill in an isolated setting (1v0) then practicing that skill in a game-like environment. With recent research, we now know that this is not effective because the particular skill or movement being used depends on the information the player is perceiving. We must perceive, then act.

4. Repetition without Repetition - What this means is that we want to have repetition of an outcome without repetition of the exact movement. Skill is the ability to achieve an outcome, not the ability to repeat one solution. Skill Acquisition is complex and great players will adapt and achieve great outcomes.

The Importance of Problem Solving for players. Using the Constraints-Led Approach, basketball coaches and trainers can support their players by creating situations in practices that promote self-problem solving. In basketball, problem solving is the process of a player coordinating their body to perform basketball-specific sequences. For example, passing the ball or finishing at the rim. Self-organization is shaped by the confluence of these aforementioned constraints. Because these constraints are ever-changing, no basketball possession is ever the same.

Furthermore, using the CLA in practice provides athletes with the opportunity to search for movement solutions similar to those that will emerge in competition. This differs from traditional approaches where coaches believe there is one “correct” movement pattern players should supposedly perform skills. This is characterized by a belief in “fundamentals” and specific techniques, which are drilled into players about how they should pass, shoot, and play defense. These movements are explicitly taught by coaches to their players in practice activities such as 1-on-0, 2-on-0, and pattern rehearsal 5-on-0.

What is Perception-Action Coupling and it's Role? During competition, a continuous process of perception-action coupling occurs. Players must perceive information in their environment, such as the location and positioning of teammates and defenders, the time and score, etc. which shapes the problem solving process (perceive, then act, then perceive, then act, etc.)

The traditional approach focuses overtly on the action component, training ‘techniques’ and then assuming that players can then somehow perform these skills or behaviors at the right time in games. This type of training does not allow players to become perceptive, responsive and adaptive to the information around them. In the traditional approach, coaches make all the decisions for their players by promoting or drilling pre-determined movement sequences.

So, why should coaches use the Constraints-Led Approach? Coaches that choose to use the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) can assist their athletes in developing skills such as, creativity, problem-solving, and adaptability. By encouraging creativity, athletes are empowered to find new ways to solve movement challenges, which can enhance problem-solving skills. Also, by utilizing the CLA athletes develop adaptability by being challenged to adjust their movements to changing constraints. This can lead to better performance in different environments and situations. Furthermore, one of the most power attributes of the CLA is that it encourages players to self-organize and produce variable movement patterns. Lastly, the CLA is a hands-off approach, where the coach can truly design an environment that is truly engaging and enhance learning by manipulating constraints.