Why constraints can set your players free

Simple, practical examples: 

• Challenge players to hold width and scan for opportunities on the edges in attack. Double the points for any tries scored from executing opportunities created out wide
• Challenge players to adapt and execute passing techniques in response to a change in defensive pressure, such as speed of ball movement or the length of pass, against a hard or passive press defence
• Double points for tries scored from kicks to promote scanning for spaces behind a defensive line

Organismic constraints (player)

By adding constraints to the players themselves, coaches can create a learning environment that allows players to self-organise to improve tactical deficiencies or adapt technical movement patterns in response to changing variables.

For example, they could consider fatigue, physical attributes, cognitive processing, skill level and injury.

This is a quick and effective way to differentiate a coaching session, making it relevant to the individual and increasing the amount of intrinsic feedback experienced.

Simple, practical examples: 

• Challenge particularly skilful players to find another solution to a technical or tactical aspect of performance, such as constraining a physically dominant player to improve footwork by changing the defensive rules to two-hand touch, rather than 1 v1 tackle
• Adding conditioning to game rules can increase fatigue when solving problems and making tactical decisions. For example, defenders could be made to drop back to the try line every time they make a tackle. They would then have to communicate and self-organise when re-entering the defence in line, which would be fatiguing.

Environmental constraints

By adding environmental constraints to the learning environment, coaches can create a learning situation that challenges players to adapt to external cues, both technically and tactically.

By manipulating the internal feedback players receive from their environment (playing surfaces, crowd noise, or weather conditions), coaches can encourage players to adapt their skill execution.

Simple, practical examples: 

• Challenge a goal-kicker to execute a penalty on a variety of surfaces. This will allow them to vary and adapt their technical skills according to the conditions.
• Replicate crowd noise by reducing verbal communication between players. This will encourage them to notice visual cues, as they may not be able to verbally communicate with each other during the game

Useful tips when using CLA

Over constraining: Avoid adding too many constraints to the performer. This can limit learning by creating an unrealistic situation in which the skill will be performed. The actions are no longer relevant and external cues need to be clarified.

Relevant constraints: Make sure constraints are still relevant to the game’s parameters. For example, when challenging players to find space behind the defensive line, asking them to find an offside player with a forward pass is not consistent with the rules of the game and affords the player an opportunity to adapt and vary the execution of an irrelevant skill.

Clear aims and outcomes: When setting constraints, the coach should always consider the session’s aims and outcomes. If the constraints are not directly relevant to the skills, players cannot adapt and discover technical and tactical skills effectively.

Players’ needs: Some coaches use CLA to challenge and refine their performance when their players are proficient and associative or autonomous learners. Some coaches use CLA with younger, novice performers for exploration and discovery. Either purpose is applicable for CLA as long as the session outcomes are clear.

Safety first: Some skills may not be applicable to certain groups of players, for example, when coaching contact skills. Coaches may need an elevated level of control within the session to practise safely, which is not conducive to using CLA.

What are the benefits of the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA)?

• CLA is a non-linear coaching model, where learning emerges at different rates based on the individual player
• CLA encourages players to self-organise and produce variable movement patterns when executing their technical skills and be tactically adaptable in response to external cues from an ever-changing and dynamic playing environment
• Players learn to modify actions based on what they perceive within the environment (perception-action coupling), rather than relying on external feedback from a coach
• Players improve the quality of their intrinsic feedback, allowing them to be creative and problem solve, finding solutions to challenges within the game
• CLA keeps skill acquisition within the game, rather than removing it, and, ultimately, it is the player who must perform on the pitch