Drop out and attrition rates in youth sport are well-documented in the literature. Research has found that children overwhelmingly state that enjoyment, fun, and positive experiences are the primary reasons to participate in sport. Competitive Engineering (CE) is a structurally-based competitive climate process designed to create a more positive experience in youth sport. CE encompasses changes to league structures, equipment, pitch-size, and game rules. For example, rule changes that stipulate greater involvement (e.g., playing time) or action (e.g., increasing scoring opportunities) are designed to improve engagement. Despite this, few studies have examined whether CE-based rule changes influence factors known to influence drop out from sport. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a rule change in youth rugby whereby any player selected as part of a match day squad must play at least half a game or equivalent (i.e., the ‘Half-Game Rule’). To achieve this, we studied the influence of the rule change on player reported outcomes throughout the 2017/2018 playing season. Players who “always or almost always” experienced playing at least half a game more often than other players; reported higher enjoyment, than those who played less regularly (F = 35.6, P < .001). Importantly, players who reported higher levels of enjoyment also reported greater intentions to continue playing rugby (F = 6.4, P < .002). Findings support the use of CE to facilitate player enjoyment in team sports and could lead to reduced attrition in youth sport more generally.

青年运动中的辍学率和流失率在文献中有充分记载。研究发现，儿童绝大多数表示享受，乐趣和积极的经历是参加运动的主要原因。竞争工程（CE）是一种基于结构的竞争性气候过程，旨在为青年体育创造更积极的体验。CE包含对联赛结构，设备，球场尺寸和比赛规则的更改。例如，规定更多参与度（例如比赛时间）或行动（例如增加得分机会）的规则更改旨在改善参与度。尽管如此，很少有研究检查基于CE的规则是否会改变影响运动的已知因素。这项研究的目的是评估青少年橄榄球规则变更的影响，根据该规则，任何被选为比赛日阵容的球员都必须参加至少半场比赛或同等水平的比赛（即“半场比赛规则”）。为了实现这一目标，我们研究了规则变更对2017/2018赛季整个球员报告结果的影响。“总是或几乎总是”的玩家比其他玩家多玩至少半场游戏；报告的娱乐性高于那些不经常玩的人（“总是或几乎总是”的玩家比其他玩家多玩至少一半的游戏；报告的娱乐性高于那些不经常玩的人（“总是或几乎总是”的玩家比其他玩家多玩至少一半的游戏；报告的娱乐性高于那些不经常玩的人（F  = 35.6，P <.001）。重要的是，报告享受度更高的球员也报告了继续打橄榄球的更大意愿（F  = 6.4，P <.002）。研究结果支持使用CE来促进运动员在团体运动中的乐趣，并且可能导致青年运动的损耗减少。