Involving coaches in an experimental evaluation method of collective actions: A case study in football

This article proposes an experimental evaluation method based on a theoretical conceptualization of collective action, in response to the difficulty of performance evaluation in team sports. A transformative research protocol was implemented to instruct sports coaches to (i) formalize a collective action based on this theoretical conceptualization, using a spreadsheet; and then (ii) evaluate the success of this collective action by players, using a video recording. The activities carried out by three coaches during the deployment of this experimental evaluation method in their own coaching context were analyzed based on self-confrontation interviews. The results show that this evaluation method helps coaches to make more accurate judgments of players’ collective actions, particularly thanks to the digital technologies that facilitate comparison. But beyond the initial criteria, coaches also consider contextual elements and players’ more unexpected actions. The discussion deals with the complex, contextual, and dynamic nature of evaluation activities and provides prospects for coach training.