Tactical IndexTPCT-UWRWNCT07458581
TPCT Underwater Rugby Women
A study testing Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT) and Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective Questioning in people with Tactical Index and Sport, run by Édison Andrés Pérez Bedoya at 1 site in Colombia.
Trial summary
This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether adding a short, structured team-reflection protocol (Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking, TPCT) to regular elite women's underwater rugby training improves tactical efficiency. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Tactical Index, Sport, Sport Participation
- What is being tested?
- Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT) and Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective Questioning
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 24 participants
- Where
- 1 siteColombia
- Study dates
- 1 May 2026to 1 Jul 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Female elite underwater rugby players aged ≥18 years.
- Officially rostered members of the participating high-performance team/squad.
- Regular training participation (minimum 2 sessions per week) in the team's programme.
- Able to complete study procedures at Baseline (Visit 1) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2), including standardized 3v3 scrimmage video assessment.
- Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Current injury, illness, or medical condition that prevents full participation in regular underwater rugby training during the intervention period.
- Anticipated prolonged absence (e.g., travel/competing/other commitments) that would prevent meaningful exposure to the intervention dose (e.g., missing >20% of sessions).
- Inability to complete the assessment procedures reliably (e.g., unable to participate in the standardized 3v3 assessment or comply with study instructions).
- Declines participation or withdraws consent.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effects of a Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) on Tactical Efficiency in Elite Women's Underwater Rugby: a Randomised Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether adding a short, structured team-reflection protocol (Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking, TPCT) to regular elite women's underwater rugby training improves tactical efficiency. Both groups complete the same training content and time; the TPCT group uses brief guided discussion during recovery intervals, while the control group uses the same time for passive recovery. Tactical efficiency is assessed using video-recorded 3v3 scrimmages coded with the RUSTAC checklist at baseline and after 6 weeks.
Read the detailed description
A parallel, two-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted in an elite women's underwater rugby squad. Players will be allocated 1:1 to TPCT or an active control condition using a computer-generated random sequence. The intervention consists of 18 sessions over 6 weeks (3/week), 2 hours per session, delivered in an outdoor 4 m pool and a marked 10 m × 8 m underwater area. Sessions include a short coach introduction (~15 min), constrained small-sided games designed to elicit target tactical principles, and ≥60 min free-play (≥50% of session) to preserve representativeness and transfer. The TPCT condition embeds ~3 min structured reflection between small-sided bouts using a fixed 5-question protocol aligned to critical thinking operations; the control condition uses equivalent between-bout time for passive recovery/hydration.
- Conditions
- Tactical Index, Sport, Sport Participation, Teamwork
- Being tested
- Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT), Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective Questioning
- Keywords
- Tactics, Critical thinking, Team sports, Underwater rugby
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT)Behavioural
Standardized underwater rugby tactical training delivered over 6 weeks (3 sessions/week; 18 sessions), ~2 hours/session. Sessions include structured warm-up and an identical tactical training dose across arms using constrained small-sided game bouts targeting pre-specified offensive and defensive tactical principles through constraint manipulation (e.g., space, numerical relations, rules). Free-play exposure is matched across arms. Between-bout intervals include passive recovery/hydration; any structured reflective questioning is delivered only via the TPCT intervention (when applicable).
Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective QuestioningBehavioural
A structured reflective questioning protocol embedded within regular training during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts. Delivered across the same 6-week period (3 sessions/week; 18 sessions) as MTT. During each recovery interval, the coach facilitates ~3 minutes of guided team discussion using a fixed set of prompts (e.g., intended objective, what helped/hindered, alternatives, and one collective adjustment for the next bout) to elicit interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and explanation of tactical decisions, supporting collective decision-making.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| TPCT (Structured Reflective Questioning) + Matched Tactical Training | Experimental | Participants complete the same underwater rugby training dose and content as the control arm. In addition, they engage in brief, structured team reflection (~3 minutes) during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts, guided by a fixed TPCT questioning protocol targeting tactical critical thinking and collective decision-making. Receives: Behavioral: Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT); Behavioral: Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective Questioning |
| Matched Tactical Training (MTT) Only (Passive Recovery) | Active comparator | Participants complete the same Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT) dose and content as the experimental arm. Recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts are used for passive recovery/hydration without structured reflective questioning or guided discussion. Receives: Behavioral: Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Overall tactical efficiency (RUSTAC overall index)
Overall tactical efficiency derived from video-based coding of standardized 3v3 underwater rugby scrimmages using the RUSTAC checklist. The overall index is computed as successful tactical actions relative to total tactical decisions (expressed as successful actions per 100 decisions) across offensive and defensive phases.
Measured: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Defensive coverage efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Defensive coverage tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful defensive coverage actions per 100 decisions.
Measured: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Recovery efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Recovery tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful recovery actions per 100 decisions.
Measured: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Penetration efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Penetration tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful penetration actions per 100 decisions.
Measured: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Offensive coverage efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Offensive coverage tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful offensive coverage actions per 100 decisions.
Measured: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Space management efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Space management tactical efficiency calculated from RUSTAC coding of standardized 3v3 scrimmages. The principle-specific index is expressed as successful space-management actions per 100 decisions.
Measured: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Mar 2026
- Study start1 May 2026
- Primary completion1 May 2026
- Study completion1 Jul 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Tactical IndexStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Parallel-group, two-arm randomized controlled trial. Eligible athletes are allocated 1:1 to TPCT (structured reflective questioning embedded during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts) or an active control condition (identical training content and time, with passive recovery/hydration instead of guided discussion). Outcomes are assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks) using blinded video-based coding.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 24 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Édison Andrés Pérez Bedoya
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Édison Andrés Pérez Bedoya, Federal University of Vicosa
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07458581
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TPCT-UWRW
- Acronym
- TPCT-UWRW
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 11 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared publicly because the sample is small and drawn from an identifiable elite sports environment, meaning that de-identified records could still be re-identified when combined with contextual information. In addition, the source materials include video-derived measures, and participant consent was obtained for analysis and publication of aggregated results rather than unrestricted public release of participant-level data. Summary statistics and methodological details will be reported in publications; additional data may be considered on a case-by-case basis under a data-use agreement and applicable ethics constraints.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of a Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) on Tactical Efficiency in Elite Women's Underwater Rugby: a Randomised Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07458581
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TPCT-UWRW / TPCT-UWRW
- Conditions
- Tactical Index, Sport, Sport Participation, Teamwork
- Keywords
- Tactics, Critical thinking, Team sports, Underwater rugby
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 24 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Édison Andrés Pérez BedoyaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 May 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether adding a short, structured team-reflection protocol (Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking, TPCT) to regular elite women's underwater rugby training improves tactical efficiency. Both groups complete the same training content and time; the TPCT group uses brief guided discussion during recovery intervals, while the control group uses the same time for passive recovery. Tactical efficiency is assessed using video-recorded 3v3 scrimmages coded with the RUSTAC checklist at baseline and after 6 weeks.
Detailed description
A parallel, two-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted in an elite women's underwater rugby squad. Players will be allocated 1:1 to TPCT or an active control condition using a computer-generated random sequence. The intervention consists of 18 sessions over 6 weeks (3/week), 2 hours per session, delivered in an outdoor 4 m pool and a marked 10 m × 8 m underwater area. Sessions include a short coach introduction (~15 min), constrained small-sided games designed to elicit target tactical principles, and ≥60 min free-play (≥50% of session) to preserve representativeness and transfer. The TPCT condition embeds ~3 min structured reflection between small-sided bouts using a fixed 5-question protocol aligned to critical thinking operations; the control condition uses equivalent between-bout time for passive recovery/hydration.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Parallel-group, two-arm randomized controlled trial. Eligible athletes are allocated 1:1 to TPCT (structured reflective questioning embedded during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts) or an active control condition (identical training content and time, with passive recovery/hydration instead of guided discussion). Outcomes are assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks) using blinded video-based coding.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| TPCT (Structured Reflective Questioning) + Matched Tactical Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT), Behavioral: Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective QuestioningParticipants complete the same underwater rugby training dose and content as the control arm. In addition, they engage in brief, structured team reflection (~3 minutes) during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts, guided by a fixed TPCT questioning protocol targeting tactical critical thinking and collective decision-making. |
| Matched Tactical Training (MTT) Only (Passive Recovery) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT)Participants complete the same Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT) dose and content as the experimental arm. Recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts are used for passive recovery/hydration without structured reflective questioning or guided discussion. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Female elite underwater rugby players aged ≥18 years.
- Officially rostered members of the participating high-performance team/squad.
- Regular training participation (minimum 2 sessions per week) in the team's programme.
- Able to complete study procedures at Baseline (Visit 1) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2), including standardized 3v3 scrimmage video assessment.
- Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Current injury, illness, or medical condition that prevents full participation in regular underwater rugby training during the intervention period.
- Anticipated prolonged absence (e.g., travel/competing/other commitments) that would prevent meaningful exposure to the intervention dose (e.g., missing >20% of sessions).
- Inability to complete the assessment procedures reliably (e.g., unable to participate in the standardized 3v3 assessment or comply with study instructions).
- Declines participation or withdraws consent.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT)Standardized underwater rugby tactical training delivered over 6 weeks (3 sessions/week; 18 sessions), ~2 hours/session. Sessions include structured warm-up and an identical tactical training dose across arms using constrained small-sided game bouts targeting pre-specified offensive and defensive tactical principles through constraint manipulation (e.g., space, numerical relations, rules). Free-play exposure is matched across arms. Between-bout intervals include passive recovery/hydration; any structured reflective questioning is delivered only via the TPCT intervention (when applicable). | Behavioural | Matched Tactical Training (MTT) Only (Passive Recovery), TPCT (Structured Reflective Questioning) + Matched Tactical Training |
| Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective QuestioningA structured reflective questioning protocol embedded within regular training during recovery intervals between constrained small-sided game bouts. Delivered across the same 6-week period (3 sessions/week; 18 sessions) as MTT. During each recovery interval, the coach facilitates ~3 minutes of guided team discussion using a fixed set of prompts (e.g., intended objective, what helped/hindered, alternatives, and one collective adjustment for the next bout) to elicit interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and explanation of tactical decisions, supporting collective decision-making. | Behavioural | TPCT (Structured Reflective Questioning) + Matched Tactical Training |
Primary outcome
Overall tactical efficiency (RUSTAC overall index)
Time frame: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Overall tactical efficiency derived from video-based coding of standardized 3v3 underwater rugby scrimmages using the RUSTAC checklist. The overall index is computed as successful tactical actions relative to total tactical decisions (expressed as successful actions per 100 decisions) across offensive and defensive phases.
5 secondary outcomes
Defensive coverage efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Time frame: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Recovery efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Time frame: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Penetration efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Time frame: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Offensive coverage efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Time frame: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Space management efficiency (RUSTAC principle-specific index)
Time frame: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be shared publicly because the sample is small and drawn from an identifiable elite sports environment, meaning that de-identified records could still be re-identified when combined with contextual information. In addition, the source materials include video-derived measures, and participant consent was obtained for analysis and publication of aggregated results rather than unrestricted public release of participant-level data. Summary statistics and methodological details will be reported in publications; additional data may be considered on a case-by-case basis under a data-use agreement and applicable ethics constraints.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Matched Tactical Training Programme (MTT) and Tactical Programme for Critical Thinking (TPCT) - Structured Reflective Questioning in people with Tactical Index and Sport, run by Édison Andrés Pérez Bedoya at 1 site in Colombia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Colombia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Overall tactical efficiency (RUSTAC overall index) (time frame: Baseline (Visit 1; up to 50 minutes) and Post-intervention at 6 weeks (Visit 2; up to 50 minutes)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Sep 2026.