Optimizing Scanning in Youth Female Football: The Role of Verbal Instructions

The dataset presented here was used for the models described in the publication (DOI: XY). This study investigates the immediate effects of verbal instructions on scanning behavior and subsequent performance during 4v4 small-sided games (SSGs) involving elite youth female football players. Specifically, it addresses the following research questions: 1) Do verbal instructions increase the frequency of scans performed before receiving the ball? 2) Does the quality of players’ subsequent actions improve in response to verbal instructions?

The dataset included information from 25 youth female football players from two Swiss U19 women’s national league teams. It includes player-specific data, and the number of scans per event (each row corresponding to a single game situation) recorded across two training sessions. Scanning behavior was evaluated under two conditions: without verbal instructions and with verbal instructions.

This dataset represents a subset of the data collected in an umbrella study. The detailed experimental protocol and findings of the parent study are documented in Hintermann, M., Romann, M., Lüdin, D., Taube, W., & Fuchslocher, J. (2025). Optimizing Scanning in Youth Female Football: The Role of Verbal Instructions.