Heart Rate Responses and Technical Comparison Between Small- vs. Large-Sided Games in Elite Professional Soccer

Abstract

This study aims to examine the difference in heart rate (HR) responses and technical activities placed upon European elite players when exposed to 2-sided games differing in the number of players and playing area. Fifteen male soccer players from a Scottish Premier League team (26.3 ± 4.85 years, 182.4 ± 6.99 cm, 79.5 ± 8.05 kg, VO2max of 54.36 ± 5.45 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) performed both small (3 vs. 3 plus goalkeepers) and large (9 vs. 9 plus goalkeepers) sided games each lasting for 3 × 5 minutes interspersed with 4-minute passive recovery during the 2009-2010 season. The HR responses and players' technical actions were recorded throughout all sided games. Results show that small-sided games (SSG) induced significantly (p < 0.05, large effect) higher HR responses as compared to large-sided games. Furthermore, during SSGs, players spent significantly longer time in the >85% maximal HR zone (p < 0.05, large effect) as compared to large-sided games. Technical analysis revealed a large practical difference (effect size ranged from 1.5 to 21.2) between small- and large-sided games: less number of blocks, headers, interceptions, passes, and receives but more dribbles, shots, and tackles in SSG. Furthermore, SSG induced significantly lesser total ball contacts per game (p < 0.05, large effect) but significantly greater ball contacts per individual (p < 0.05, large effect) when compared to larger-sided games. The different technical requirements also enable coaches to carry out training games more suitable to specific playing positions such as SSG for midfielders (more dribbles, tackles, and ball contacts per player) strikers (more shots), and large-sided games for defender (more blocks, headers, and interceptions).

Effects of self-monitoring of heart rate and additional sprint running on exercise intensity and technical performance during small-sided games in soccer

“…Although mean percentage times were higher for each of the three modified conditions (Figure 3), the variation observed between players was greater than the variation observed for other outcome measures and it is likely the study was underpowered for these measurements and therefore unable to identify the true underlying effect. Similar large standard deviations were reported by Owen et al 21 when investigating time spent in HR zones suggesting that this outcome measure can encompass greater between subject variation compared with %HRmax and RPE. Variation in player response may be due to multiple factors including positional differences and player behaviour with regards to off the ball movements.…”

Quantification of in-season training load relative to match load in professional Dutch Eredivisie football players

“…Interestingly, compared to starters, nonstarters spent significantly greater time above 90%HR max on MD-3, while several external load variables were lower. One might speculate that the smaller number of players in the nonstarters training (~9 vs.~18 in regular training) induces an increase of ball touches, dribbles (Owen et al 2011) and duels (Owen et al 2014). This could increase the internal load due to a higher need for coordination (ball control) and static strength (duels), not reflected by the external load variables that mainly quantify the players' locomotion.…”

“…The highest heart rate measured during either Yo-Yo IR2 tests, training sessions or test matches was designated as the player's maximum heart rate. Finally, time spent above 90%HR max , generally accepted as an average threshold needed to maintain and improve aerobic endurance in elite team sport athletes (Hoff et al 2002;Owen et al 2011), was included as a measure of internal (cardiovascular) load.…”

Efeito do número de jogadores sobre a demanda física e respostas fisiológicas durante jogos com campo reduzido em jogadores de futebol sub-15

“…Em relação às respostas siológicas, nossos resultados estão de acordo com outros estudos que demonstraram que, em geral, os JCRs com menor número de jogadores demandam respostas sioló-gicas e perceptuais mais elevadas [7][8][9][10][11]22 , que podem ter efeitos na melhora do desempenho dos atletas em médio e longo prazo [4][5][6] .…”

“…No entanto, existe uma maior variabilidade interindividual (coe ciente de variação (CV) = 11,8%) nas respostas FC durante JCRs em comparação às corridas intermitentes de curta duração (CV = 5,9%) 6 , sendo essa variação atribuída a diversos fatores como: imprevisibilidade inerente ao jogo, tamanho do campo, estímulo verbal, área do campo relativa por atleta, número de jogadores, entre outros 7 . Dentre esses fatores, a manipulação do número de jogadores parece ser a principal fonte de variação nas respostas siológicas durante os JCRs [7][8][9][10][11] .…”