Rule modification in junior sport: Does it change skill performance during games?

Abstract

Interest regarding the modification of game conditions has increased in the last two decades as it has the potential to influence participation and skill development in junior sport. Modifying the rules is a common method of manipulating game constraints in an attempt to achieve a certain outcome, such as increasing participation, creating a safer matchplay environment or improving skill performance. Although there is much interest surrounding rule modification in junior sport, there are few studies investigating rule modification and none that have quantitatively assessed how skills are actually performed when rules are modified in junior sport.