The aim was to compare the running activity in official matches with that achieved in two small-sided games, designed with the same relative area per player but with different constraints and field dimensions, aiming to stimulate high-speed and very-high-speed running. Seventeen young professional players played one 5 vs. 5+5 with 2 floaters, varying in terms of whether there was a change of playing area (SSGCA) or not change (SSGNC). Running activity was monitored using GPS and the following variables were recorded: total distance covered; high-speed distance (18–21 km·h−1); very high-speed distance (>21 km·h−1); peak speed; accelerations and decelerations between 2–3 m·s−2 and above 3 m·s−2. SSGCA achieved statistically higher total distance, high-speed, peak speed and number of accelerations and decelerations than SSGNC (large to small magnitude). Both drills showed statistically greater high speed, number of accelerations and decelerations than official matches (large to small magnitude). Moreover, SSGCA exhibited statistically more total distance and distance at higher speed than official matches (moderate and small magnitude, respectively). In contrast, official matches showed statistically higher peak speeds than both training tasks and more very high speed than SSGNC (large and moderate magnitude, respectively). Coaches could use SSGCA to promote greater running activity in soccer players.

The purpose of this study was to compare the physical and physiological demands of a small-sided game (SSG) in three different age groups (senior, under-19 [U-19] and under-17 [U-17]) belonging to the same academy. A further aim was to contrast the physical and physiological profiles of normal and floater players during this task. Thirty male football players performed a 4 vs. 4 + 2 floaters on a playing field of 40 by 30m for four bouts of 4 min with 2 min of passive recovery. In addition to heart rate (mean and maximal), a GPS (Global Positioning System) system was used to record the distances covered at different speeds, the number of accelerations and decelerations, and the work/rest ratio (W:R Ratio). Analysis of the data showed that the demands of the SSGs are determined by the age of the players and that the regular players have greater demands than floater players in the SSGs utilized. These results suggest that the coaches should pay attention to the promotion of players to superior teams because there are physical differences between them (especially the U-17 to U-19 teams). Likewise, coaches should understand that floaters are a useful tool for regulating the training load of players and programming the return-to-play process, as floater players experience lower demands than normal players.

The aims of this study were to compare the load of three tasks designed to train features of soccer: a transition game, a small-sided game with a change of playing area, and a large-sided game. Twenty young elite players performed these tasks. Variables measured were total distance covered (DC), distance covered at 14.0-17.9 km·h-1 (DC 14.0-17.9 km·h-1), distance covered at 18.0-21 km·h-1 (DC 18-21 km·h-1), distance covered at >21 km·h-1 (DC >21 km·h-1), peak speed, accelerations and decelerations >1.0 and >2.5 m·s-2, player load, and rate of perceived exertion. Transition games produced greater DC 18-21 km·h-1, DC >21 km·h-1, peak speed and Acc >2.5 m·s-2 than the other drills (p<0.01) and higher DC 14-17.9 km·h^-1 (p<0.01), Dec >1 m·s^-2 (p<0.05) and Dec >2.5 m·s^-2 (p<0.01) than the large-sided game. Both sided games produced more DC (p<0.01), Acc >1 m·s^-2 (p<0.01) and player load (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) than the transition game. During the small-sided game, significantly higher DC 14-17.9 km·h^-1, DC 18-21 km·h^-1 and DC >21 km·h^-1 were recorded in comparison with the large-sided game (p<0.01). The studied parameters showed lower variation in the transition game. Coaches could use transition games to train high speed running in counter-attack contexts.

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