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 elite 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 higher 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 higher 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 higher 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 lower area-per-player (ES: -6.01/-0.92) to overall replicate the match demands compared to all other positions. The current results may be used to gain knowledge of the SSGs relative to the match demands. This imply manipulating SSGs using higher or lower ApP, the presence of the goalkeeper or design specific rules to increase or decrease the position-specific demands with respect to the desired external load outcomes.

This study examined the most demanding passages of match play (MDP) and the effects of playing formation, ball-in-play (BiP) time and ball possession on the 1-min peak (1-min peak ) demand in elite soccer. During 18 official matches, 305 individual samples from 223 Italian Serie A soccer players...

The aim was to determine the area per player (ApP, m 2 × player) in small- or large-sided games to replicate the official match demands in elite youth soccer players. Two hundred and twenty-eight players (U15 = 36, U16 = 48, U17 = 49, U18 = 37 and U19 = 58) were monitored during both...

To determine the distribution of match-activities relative to maximum-intensities during official match in elite soccer players. One hundred and forty-eight Italian Serie A soccer players were monitored during 46 official matches (680 individual-samples). Total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR), very high-speed running (VHSR), sprint, acceleration and deceleration were calculated. Maximum-intensities (1-min_peak) were used as the reference value to determine the distribution of relative intensity across the whole-match demands (90-min_avg). Time and distance higher than 90-min_avg (>90-min_avg) were also calculated. The relative (m·min⁻¹) 90-min_avg vs1-min_peak was 59.6(4.4)% for TD, 26.2(4.4)% for HSR, 16.0(3.5)% for VHSR, 9.3(2.3)% for sprint, 19.2(4.6)% for acceleration and 15.4(5.2)% for deceleration. Total distance covered >90-min_avg was ~61.4(5.0)% for TD, ~68.6(1.9)% for HSR, ~80.2(1.3)% for VHSR, ~95.7(0.4)% for sprint, ~75.5(1.3)% for acceleration and ~64.0(2.6)% for deceleration. With the exception of small [ES: 0.50 (0.26 to 0.73)] difference for acceleration, the relative distance >90-min_avg was largely to very largely (ES: 1.64 to 7.78) higher (P< 0.05) than the 90-min_avg for each metric. While no between-position difference (P> 0.05) was found for total minutes >90-min_avg, between-position differences (P< 0.05) for the total distance >90-min_avg were retrieved across each metric. The distribution of the activities relative to maximal intensities could assist coaches for soccer training prescriptions.

Riboli, A, Esposito, F, and Coratella, G. Small-sided games in elite football: practical solutions to replicate the 4-min match-derived maximal intensities. J Strength Cond Res 37(2): 366–374, 2023—The purpose of the study was to determine the area per player (ApP, m²·player⁻¹) to replicate the maximal 4-min match-play period (4-min_Peak) using small-sided or large-sided games (SSGs) lasting the same duration in elite football players. Twenty players (age: 26 ± 5 years) competing in European championship and international UEFA competitions were monitored during SSGs with (SSG_with) or without (SSG_without) goalkeepers, both lasting 4-min. A total of 1,724 and 561 individual observations for SSG_with and SSG_without across 99 and 34 different SSGs formats were undertaken. Whole (90-min_avg) and 4-min_Peak match demands were calculated. Relative (m·min⁻¹) total, high-speed (HSRD), very high-speed (VHSRD), sprint, and acceleration/deceleration distance were collected. For both SSG_with and SSG_without, ApP was small-to-very-largely correlated with TD, HSRD, VHSRD, and sprint, whereas an inverse trivial-to-small correlation with acceleration/deceleration was found. In SSG_with, the ApP to replicate 4-min_Peak was larger (p < 0.001, effect size [ES]: 0.33–5.80) than that to mimic 90-min_avg for total distance, HSRD, VHSRD, and sprint, whereas for acceleration/deceleration the ApP was lower (p < 0.001, ES: −3.13 to 0.48) for 4-min_Peak. In SSG_without, the ApP to replicate 4-min_Peak was larger (p < 0.001, ES: 0.04–3.72) than that to mimic 90-min_avg for HSRD, VHSRD, and sprint. Some positional differences (p < 0.05, ES: 0.22–1.10) in ApP were found. The ApP to replicate 4-min_Peak was higher for SSG_with than SSG_without (p < 0.001, ES: 0.67–3.58). These findings may help practitioners to recreate the 4-min_Peak to manage ApP during SSGs in elite football.

The present study aimed to investigate the area per player (ApP) to replicate the technical and locomotor match demands using small-sided games (SSGs) in male soccer players (n = 20) competing in major European and UEFA competitions. The relative number of each individual technical activity per...