Author(s): Cherni, Bilel ; Marzouki, Hamza ; Selmi, Okba ; Gonçalves, Bruno ; Chamari, Karin ; Chen, Yung-Sheng ; Bouassida, Anissa
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/37952
Origin: Repositório Científico da Universidade de Évora
Subject(s): Youth; Football training; GPS devices; Time-motion variables; Chronological age
We compared the physical and physiological responses of young soccer players of different ages U13 (Under 13 years), U15, and U17 and competitive levels (elite and sub-elite) during fixed-pitch size small sided games (SSGs) performed under different formats. In a cross-sectional design, seventy-two male players (12 players in each group) performed 3-a-side and 4-a-side SSGs with a fixed-pitch size (40×20 m). The total distance covered (TD), peak velocity (Vpeak), the distances covered at different running speed zones (0 to < 7.0, 7.0 to < 14.0, 14.0 to < 18.0, and ≥ 18.0 km.h−1), peak heart rate (HRpeak), HRmean, expressed as percentage of the theoretical HRmaxTheo, and blood lactate concentration post-SSGs (BLa) were recorded. Players in the 3-a-side SSGs covered more TD, distances covered at different speeds and Vpeak than those of the 4-a-side SSGs across all age categories of both competitive levels (p < 0.05). The 3-a-side SSGs induced higher BLa in all elite groups (p < 0.05), and U13-sub-elite players (p=0.004). HRpeak(%HRmaxTheo) and HRmean(%HRmaxTheo) were greater in the 4-a-side SSGs than the 3-a-side SSGs in most age categories of both competitive levels (p < 0.05). In the zone-3, the U13- and U15-elite covered more distance than U17 in both formats. In both formats, elite players covered larger TD and distances at zone-1 and zone-4 sub-elite players (p < 0.05). BLa was higher in U17-sub-elite compared to their elite counterparts in the 4-a-side SSGs. Our study shows that 3-a-side SSGs are physically more demanding than 4-a-side, especially for elite players. Tailoring training to age and competitive level is crucial for optimising player development.
