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Area per player in small-sided games to replicate the external load and estimated physiological match demands in elite soccer players

A. Riboli,G. Coratella,S. Rampichini,E. Cé,F. Esposito

Published 2020 in bioRxiv

ABSTRACT

The current study determined the area-per-player during small- or large-sided games with or without goalkeeper that replicates the relative (m·min−1) total distance, high-intensity running distance, sprint distance and metabolic power covered during official matches. Time-motion analysis was performed on twenty-five élite soccer-players during 26 home-matches. A total of 2565 individual samples for SSGs using different pitch sizes and different number of players were collected and classified as SSGs with (SSG-G) or without goalkeeper (SSG-P). A between-position comparison was also performed. The area-per-player needed to replicate the official match demands was largely greater in SSG-G vs SSG-P for total distance [187±53 vs 115±35 m2, effect size (ES): 1.60 95%CI 0.94/2.21], high-intensity running distance [262±72 vs 166±39 m2, ES: 1.66(0.99/2.27)] and metabolic power [177±42 vs 94±40, ES: 1.99(1.31/2.67)], but similar for sprint distance [(316±75 vs 295±99 m2, ES: 0.24(−0.32/0.79)] with direction of larger area-per-player for sprint distance > high-intensity running > total distance ≅ metabolic power for both SSG-G and SSG-P. In SSG-G, forwards required greater area-per-player than central-defenders [ES: 2.96(1.07/4.35)], wide-midfielders [ES: 2.45(0.64/3.78)] and wide-defenders [ES: 3.45(1.13/4.99)]. Central-midfielders required greater area-per-player than central-defenders [ES: 1.69(0.20/2.90)] and wide-midfielders [ES: 1.35(−0.13/2.57)]. In SSG-P, central defenders need smaller area-per-player (ES: −6.01/−0.92) to overall replicate the match demands compared to all other positions. The current results highlight that soccer players need a specific area-per-player during the small-side games with or without goalkeeper to replicate the overall match demands, especially to perform high-intensity running or sprint distance. Additionally, central defenders, central midfielders and forwards need to be trained with tailored area-per-player or specific rules/additional exercises.

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