The effects of positional role on tactical behaviour in a four-a-side small-sided and conditioned soccer game

Abstract

In soccer, different tactical behaviours of individuals are necessary to perform well as a team. The demands put on players from different positional roles can be manipulated in training through small-sided and conditioned games and tactical behaviours might be stimulated. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of positional role in tactical behaviour of U-17 youth soccer players based on core tactical principles in a four-a-side small-sided and conditioned game. The sample was comprised of 268 U-17 youth Brazilian soccer players. They were of five positional roles: centre backs; fullbacks; defensive midfielders; offensive midfielders; and forwards. The instrument used to collect and analyse data was the System of Tactical Assessment in Soccer (FUT-SAT). Results revealed that players of different positional roles showed no differences in the quantity of tactical actions performed. Moreover, forwards showed lower quality of tactical behaviour in the defensive phase (M=69.1, SD=16.0; p<.05) compared to fullbacks (M=77.0, SD=13.1; p<.05) and worse in actions far from the ball that ensured team cohesion in the defensive phase (M=69.7, SD=22.8; p<.05) compared to fullbacks (M=80.1, SD=18.4; p<.05). This study showed that the four-a-side format allows U-17 players to perform a similar quantity of tactical actions regardless of their positional role, but the player’s positional role influence quality of their tactical behaviour. Therefore, this structure might be used for trainings that promotes similar tasks and stimuli for players’ development that do not focus on specific tactical roles.

Manipulating the Pitch Size Constrains the Players’ Positioning during Unbalanced Soccer Small-Sided Games Played by Different Age Groups

“…The experimental design comprised a 3 vs. 3 + 1 SSG in two different pitch sizes: 36 x 27 m (~139 m²) and 40 x 29 m (~166 m², ~19% larger). The 36 x 27 m pitch size was extensively adopted in literature (Machado, Padilha, et al, 2019;Sousa, et al, 2019;Teoldo, et al, 2011) and was reported to represent the same proportions of the official pitch to the 3 vs. relative area per player usually adopted in this pitch is 162 m², which has been reproduced in the 40 x 29 m pitch size (~166 m² considering the seven players). Therefore, in the current study, we tested both absolute and relative areas largely adopted in literature.…”

Sport Performance Analysis with a Focus on Racket Sports: A Review

“…The system is used to analyze both technical and tactical behaviors in a video match. FUT-SAT is a tactical assessment system designed specifically for football/soccer that is used by Moreira et al [115] and Machado et al [116]. The system allows for the progression of player movement in the game across all age groups and levels.…”

The Influence of 25 Training Sessions on the Decision-Making Skill of U-12 Soccer Players

“…Regarding the development of the decision-making skill, literature highlights the importance of athletes experiencing a great amount of structured sport practice (e.g., team training) throughout their development process (Berry et al, 2008). Besides, it is necessary that much of this time focused on structured practice includes activities that enable the interaction of perceptual-cognitive and technical skills, as through the utilization of small-sided games, which provides a rich environment to foster the players' game reading and decision-making skills (Machado et al, 2017;Machado et al, 2019;. Another characteristic of this component is its straight connection to the tactical dimension of soccer, since every action in the game has a tactical purpose (Garganta, 2009).…”