Within our High performance Master, one of the most important and relevant subjects to understand the complexity of the game is the importance that the “meta-game” has in modern day football.
What is the “meta-game”?
The word “meta” means above the game, therefore and in relation to the previous meaning, according to MBP, the “meta-game” is all that affects the game indirectly within the game and the coach can also manage.
In order to better understand the importance of the “meta-game”, Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Systems explains that the environmental approach affects the development of the individual through the different environments / contexts in which it unfolds, since in turn, it influences the change and development that the individual may have in the future
Therefore, this theory is also reproduced in the “game“, where the context and the different external elements will influence its development, where not only the direct elements (players) will have a transcendental role, but also everything that affects indirectly.
What elements compose the “meta-game”?
From MBP we consider external elements of the game to be the fans, the officiating team, the press, among others. These factors will affect the “game” to a greater or lesser extent, being able to condition certain behaviors of the players or generate variations in the environment.
Therefore, the coach must be aware and know how to handle it correctly, with the aim that these elements negatively affect the development of the “game” as little as possible. Through press conferences, interviews, social networks, etc., the coach can send specific messages to fans and even players, with the aim of obtaining a positive impact on the motivation and performance of the players, creating a special environment for matches, or other game styles.
Finally, as we have seen during the article, the “meta-game” is one of the many concepts to be taken into account and controlled by the coach, with the aim of obtaining better performance from the players and therefore of the team.
