Abstract
Small-sided games (SSGs) are a motivational strategy and effective training method to develop skills and physical fitness at optimal intensity. This study investigates the influence of variability in the number of players on the physiological response using SSGs. The sample was composed of 10 field players with an average age of 15.9 ± 0.50 years old. Three sessions were held on 3 different days to collect information. The 10 min SSG exercise with temporal numerical variability was repeated twice on each day. The numerical ratio of players involved changed every 2 min without disrupting the practice. In a game space with 35 × 25 m, the exercise always started in a situation of 3 vs. 3. External training load metrics (i.e., physical activity counts, activity intensity, and energy expenditure) were assessed using Actigraph WGT3X accelerometers. The 3 vs. 3 format game had higher physical activity counts (i.e., higher vector magnitude) and requested more time spent in very vigorous physical activity intensity. Consequently, the 3 vs. 3 format in young football players had higher energy expenditure (i.e., a higher METs) than that in the other studied game formats. This study confirms the influence of SSGs with numerical variability in external training load.
Highlights
Small-sided games (SSGs), referred to as skill-based conditioned games [1], gamebased training [2], or reduced and conditioned games [3], are game situations that generate practice conditions to induce specific game behaviours
We identify if there is a change in the physiological response of players in five different SSG formats with numerical variability
The present study found that the 3 vs. 3 format game provided higher physical activity counts, increased the time spent in very vigorous physical activity intensity, and requested higher energy expenditure than that of other unbalanced game formats (i.e., 4 vs. 3, 5 vs. 3, 3 vs. 4, or 3 vs. 5)
Summary
Small-sided games (SSGs), referred to as skill-based conditioned games [1], gamebased training [2], or reduced and conditioned games [3], are game situations that generate practice conditions to induce specific game behaviours. SSGs are a sustainable training method to develop skills and physical fitness at optimal intensity. These training methods are based on the variation of practice conditions (depending on training objective), namely, variability in the number of players and game space, and the adaptation or conditioning of the game regulation (among others), but maintaining the logic and reality of the basic principles of the game [4,5,6]. In the last decade, interest in this type of situation has grown again, intending to increase the participation of players in training, and the physical and physiological load [10,11,12,13,14,15]
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