Developing Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness Using Small-Sided Soccer Games: Methodological Proposals

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Developing Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness Using Small-Sided Soccer Games: Methodological Proposals Filipe M. Clemente, MSc, 1,2 Fernando M. Lourenc ¸ o Martins, PhD, 1,3 and Rui S. Mendes, PhD 1 1 Department of Education, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, ESEC, Coimbra, Portugal; 2 University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; and 3 Instituto de Telecomunicac ¸o ˜ es, Delegac ¸a ˜o da Covilha ˜ , Covilha ˜ , Portugal ABSTRACT SOCCER COACHES HAVE BEEN INCREASING THE USE OF SMALL- SIDED GAMES IN SOCCER TRAIN- ING. THESE SMALL-SIDED GAMES SHOW A SIMILAR EFFICIENCY AS TRADITIONAL RUNNING METHODS (WITHOUT THE USE OF A BALL) IN DEVELOPING PHYSICAL FITNESS IN SOCCER PLAYERS. MOREOVER, SMALL-SIDED GAMES ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH TECHNI- CAL SKILLS AND TACTICAL AC- TIONS. HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PROPER ORGANIZATION THAT IS NECES- SARY FOR SMALL-SIDED GAMES TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED EF- FECTS IN SOCCER PLAYERS. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO SUMMARIZE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON SOCCER PLAYERS PROMOTED BY SMALL-SIDED GAMES AND TO DEVELOP A METHODOLOGICAL SCHEMATIZATION FOR ORGANIZ- ING SMALL-SIDED GAMES. INTRODUCTION S occer training has evolved over the past decades from methodo- logical soccer training based on analytical training, in which fitness is the most important factor, to new ap- proaches where the tactical perfor- mance is of greater importance. Both methods have been a subject of many scientific discussions. Nevertheless, it is difficult to discuss the best training methods when the primary theories supporting these methods are contro- versial. As a result, coaches must select methods by considering the players’ skills, competence, and even culture. The aim of this article is to demonstrate how to organize small-sided games in soccer training without reducing the efficiency of fitness development of soc- cer players. Analytical (traditional) training advo- cated fitness as the main factor affect- ing soccer performance. Even when practicing technical actions in training, the main priority is to develop fitness (10). In this method, the sessions are generally organized by fitness develop- ment and tactical/strategic preparation. Therefore, these sessions significantly increase the training time and reduce the specificity of the training over a long period. The primary benefit of this method is the development of players’ general fitness by ensuring a strict con- trol over the exercises during each task. A limitation of the analytical training method is the low level of specificity. Even when performing technical ac- tions, the specific dynamics of the game are fragmented, thus reducing the tactical thinking, the interrelation- ships between players, and the poten- tial to optimize the team’s playing style (30). Nevertheless, in a soccer game, the players perform for 90 minutes with tactical awareness, identifying the specific dynamics of the game and self-organizing behavior during goal opportunities throughout the game. Thus, variability is always pres- ent in the game, as well as the tactical behavior and the specific relationships between players, teammates, oppo- nents, and the ball (8). All physical and physiological responses are based on the behavior that each player dem- onstrates during the game. Thus, it is possible for a player with excellent long-distance endurance to lack tacti- cal efficiency and for a player who lacks long-distance endurance to have a level of tactical behavior that is sufficient for high-quality performance (10). Based KEY WORDS: soccer; fitness training; small-sided games; performance VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2014 Copyright Ó National Strength and Conditioning Association 76

description

An empirical study on how small-sided games develop aerobic and anaerobic fitness in football/soccer players.

Transcript of Developing Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness Using Small-Sided Soccer Games: Methodological Proposals

  • Developing Aerobic andAnaerobic Fitness UsingSmall-Sided SoccerGames: MethodologicalProposalsFilipe M. Clemente, MSc,1,2 Fernando M. Lourenco Martins, PhD,1,3 and Rui S. Mendes, PhD11Department of Education, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, ESEC, Coimbra, Portugal; 2University of Coimbra,Coimbra, Portugal; and 3Instituto de Telecomunicacoes, Delegacao da Covilha, Covilha, Portugal

    A B S T R A C T

    SOCCER COACHES HAVE BEEN

    INCREASING THE USE OF SMALL-

    SIDED GAMES IN SOCCER TRAIN-

    ING. THESE SMALL-SIDED GAMES

    SHOW A SIMILAR EFFICIENCY AS

    TRADITIONAL RUNNING METHODS

    (WITHOUT THE USE OF A BALL) IN

    DEVELOPING PHYSICAL FITNESS IN

    SOCCER PLAYERS. MOREOVER,

    SMALL-SIDED GAMES ENABLE THE

    DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH TECHNI-

    CAL SKILLS AND TACTICAL AC-

    TIONS. HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE

    KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PROPER

    ORGANIZATION THAT IS NECES-

    SARY FOR SMALL-SIDED GAMES

    TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED EF-

    FECTS IN SOCCER PLAYERS. THIS

    REVIEW AIMS TO SUMMARIZE THE

    PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON

    SOCCER PLAYERS PROMOTED BY

    SMALL-SIDED GAMES AND TO

    DEVELOP A METHODOLOGICAL

    SCHEMATIZATION FOR ORGANIZ-

    ING SMALL-SIDED GAMES.

    INTRODUCTION

    Soccer training has evolved overthe past decades from methodo-logical soccer training based on

    analytical training, in which fitness isthe most important factor, to new ap-proaches where the tactical perfor-mance is of greater importance. Bothmethods have been a subject of manyscientific discussions. Nevertheless, it isdifficult to discuss the best trainingmethods when the primary theoriessupporting these methods are contro-versial. As a result, coaches must selectmethods by considering the playersskills, competence, and even culture.The aim of this article is to demonstratehow to organize small-sided games insoccer training without reducing theefficiency of fitness development of soc-cer players.

    Analytical (traditional) training advo-cated fitness as the main factor affect-ing soccer performance. Even whenpracticing technical actions in training,the main priority is to develop fitness(10). In this method, the sessions aregenerally organized by fitness develop-ment and tactical/strategic preparation.Therefore, these sessions significantlyincrease the training time and reducethe specificity of the training over a longperiod. The primary benefit of thismethod is the development of playersgeneral fitness by ensuring a strict con-trol over the exercises during each task.

    A limitation of the analytical trainingmethod is the low level of specificity.Even when performing technical ac-tions, the specific dynamics of thegame are fragmented, thus reducingthe tactical thinking, the interrelation-ships between players, and the poten-tial to optimize the teams playing style(30). Nevertheless, in a soccer game,the players perform for 90 minuteswith tactical awareness, identifyingthe specific dynamics of the gameand self-organizing behavior duringgoal opportunities throughout thegame. Thus, variability is always pres-ent in the game, as well as the tacticalbehavior and the specific relationshipsbetween players, teammates, oppo-nents, and the ball (8). All physicaland physiological responses are basedon the behavior that each player dem-onstrates during the game. Thus, it ispossible for a player with excellentlong-distance endurance to lack tacti-cal efficiency and for a player who lackslong-distance endurance to have a levelof tactical behavior that is sufficient forhigh-quality performance (10). Based

    KEY WORDS :

    soccer; fitness training; small-sided games;performance

    VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2014 Copyright National Strength and Conditioning Association76

  • on these general arguments, small-sided games have recently been adop-ted to simultaneously improve playersphysical fitness, tactical thinking, andthe specific dynamics of the game (16).

    Although fitness development based onrunning methods is well supported intheoretical literature, the methodologyof using small-sided soccer games hasnot been sufficiently explored (14). Only2 studies have developed general meth-odological considerations for fitnesstraining based on small-sided soccergames (21,27). Therefore, greater meth-odological development for small-sidedgames in soccer training is needed tooptimize the training periodization andhelp coaches systematize the sessions.This review aims to propose guidelinesfor soccer training based on small-sidedgames.

    For this purpose, we will present a sum-mary of the studies investigating thephysiological responses of soccer play-ers during small-sided games. We willpresent a table summarizing the intensi-ties based on the heart rate response andblood lactate values of the athletes dur-ing each specific small-sided game. Asection of targeted training will be devel-oped based on these intensities. Thisspecific section will discuss the generalguidelines to develop small-sided gameprograms for the training of the lactateand oxygen systems.

    SMALL-SIDED SOCCER GAMES:USING TASK CONSTRAINTS FORPHYSIOLOGICAL STIMULATION

    Physiological responses can be con-strained by the type of task assignedby the coach. Usually, in small-sidedgames, there are 2 main ways to influ-ence the physiological stimulus: (a)changing the number of players pergame and (b) changing the dimensionsof the field. Nevertheless, new ap-proaches can be developed by modify-ing task rules, goals, or coachesencouragements. All of these task con-straints can be used by coaches torestrict the physiological stimulus,and it is important to understand theimpact of these constraints on heartrate and blood lactate level.

    Table

    1Heart

    rate

    valuesforthenumberofplayers

    usedpersm

    all-sidedgame

    Numberof

    players

    ingame

    Aroso

    etal.(2)

    Owen

    etal.(24)a

    Littleand

    Williams(22)

    Rampinini

    etal.(26)a

    Williamsand

    Owen(32)a

    Hill-Haas

    etal.(15)

    Owen

    etal.(25)

    Dellal

    etal.(11)a

    Koklu

    (20)a

    1/side

    178HRmean

    183HRmean

    2/side

    168HRmean

    173HRmean

    89%

    HRmax

    180HRmean

    89%

    HRmax

    91.8%

    HRmax

    88.8%

    HRmax

    3/side

    173HRmean

    176HRmean

    91%

    HRmax

    90.9%

    HRmax

    171HRmean

    85%

    HRmax

    90%

    HRmax

    90.2%

    HRmax

    92.0%

    HRmax

    4/side

    158HRmean

    156HRmean

    90%

    HRmax

    89.7%

    HRmax

    165HRmean

    83%

    HRmax

    86.4%

    HRmax

    90.1%

    HRmax

    5/side

    164HRmean

    89%

    HRmax

    88.8%

    HRmax

    152HRmean

    6/side

    88%

    HRmax

    87.0%

    HRmax

    7/side

    8/side

    88%

    HRmax

    9/side

    81%

    HRmax

    aHighest

    valuesofeachstudy.Wecollectedthehighervaluein

    thedifferentgam

    esreportedin

    eachstudy.

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  • Usually, the heart rate can be estimatedusing heart rate monitors. This equip-ment is now easily accessible to coaches,allowing players and coaches to achievespecific values and monitor the impor-tant heart rate variables. Such equipmentis a noninvasive device and very userfriendly. Moreover, with new technolog-ical advances, it is now possible to coor-dinate the heart rate information witha global positioning system, which pro-vides variables such as distance covered,speed, and acceleration. There are manybrands that commercialize such equip-ment, which can improve the coachesintervention during each session.

    CHANGING THE FORMATSOF GAMES

    The majority of the literature indicatesthat small-sided games with a smallernumber of players statistically increaseheart rate response, blood lactate con-centration, perceived exertion, and dis-tance covered (1,9,16).

    With some regularity, small-sidedgames with fewer players can promotevalues of approximately 90% HRmax(11,22). Nevertheless, the regular valuesvary between 80 and 90% HRmax(15,20,26). Table 1 presents a summaryof the heart rate responses.We collectedthe values as presented by each author,thus the variables change betweenHRmean and HRmax.

    Table 1 shows higher intensities tend tobe achieved from games with 1-a-sideto 3-a-side. In these games, it is possibleto achieve values closer to 90%HRmax, which represent the ideal val-ues for high-intensity endurance train-ing and for the lactate system. Gameswith a larger number of players tendto provide intermediate to extensiveaerobic training.

    Other than heart rate, another physio-logical indicator is the blood lactateconcentration. The majority of the re-ported results suggest that small-sidedgames with a smaller number of playersstatistically increase the blood lactateconcentration (2,11,15,26). The litera-ture shows that in small-sided games,the blood lactate values range between2.6 and 8.1 mmol/L (16). The followingtable presents a summary of the studiesanalyzing the influence of the number ofplayers on the blood lactate concentra-tion (Table 2).

    The relation between heart rate andblood lactate varies among people.Generally, the lactate threshold isapproximately 5060% HRmax inuntrained people and 80% HRmax intrained people (18). The anaerobicthreshold is a blood lactate concentra-tion of approximately 4 mmol/L. In theresults reported, the majority surpasses4 mmol/L of blood lactate. Therefore,

    when the goal is to develop specificaerobic training, it is important to con-sider the blocks and repetitions pergame to avoid these higher values.

    CHANGING FIELD DIMENSIONS

    Most studies report an increase in %HRmax, blood lactate concentration,and rate of perceived exertion in small-sided games played on fields with largerdimensions (5,24,32).

    Statistically significant differences inheart rate response were found betweensmall-sided games with the same num-ber of players on different field dimen-sions (5,26). In both studies, higher heartrate values were achieved on fields withlarger dimensions. However, in 1 case,no significant differences were found(19). Table 3 presents the different heartrate responses according to the dimen-sions of the field.

    The results also suggest that greater fielddimensions statistically increase bloodlactate concentration values (2,26,31).It is possible to correlate the blood lac-tate response to the differences in thefield dimensions (Table 4).

    It is possible that bigger field dimen-sions increase the blood lactate con-centration because of the increasedspace each player must cover and thedecreased opportunity for recovery.According to the previously reported

    Table 2Blood lactate concentration in different numbers of players per game

    Number of playersin game

    Aroso et al. (2) Rampinini et al. (26)a Hill-Haas et al. (15) Dellal et al. (11)a Koklu (20)a

    1/side

    2/side 8.1 mmol/L 6.7 mmol/L 4.6 mmol/L 8.1 mmol/L

    3/side 4.9 mmol/L 6.5 mmol/L 4.7 mmol/L 4.1 mmol/L 7.2 mmol/L

    4/side 2.6 mmol/L 6.0 mmol/L 4.1 mmol/L 3.2 mmol/L 6.9 mmol/L

    5/side 5.2 mmol/L

    6/side 5.0 mmol/L

    7/side

    8/side

    9/side

    aHighest values of each studywe reported the higher value reported by authors in their study.

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  • results, the values range between 2.6and 6.0 mmol/L. Therefore, smallerspaces can be more appropriate for aer-obic exercises and activities with highintensity to reach the lactate threshold.However, larger spaces increase theblood lactate concentration and, assuch, are recommended for anaerobicexercises and activities reaching VO2max(maximal oxygen consumption).

    CHANGING TASK CONSTRAINTS

    Many different task constraints can beused by coaches to achieve the physi-ological, technical, and tactical goalsfor the training of soccer players. Forinstance, the coach can change the ori-entation and position of the goal and

    remove the goalkeeper. In addition,specific zones can be defined, the gamerules can be changed, and the coachcan avoid using verbal instructions orencouragement.

    Using goalkeepers. The majority ofstudies on the influence of small-sidedgames with and without goalkeepersreport a higher intensity in the gameswithout goalkeepers (6,7,29). Someauthors suggest that the teams tend toincrease their defensive organization tobetter protect the goal during gameswith goalkeepers (23). Therefore, theteams offensive process is also morecareful, which reduces the intensity ofthe play. A summary of the heart rate

    response in relation to the implementa-tion of goalkeepers is presented inTable 5.

    Only 1 study inspecting blood lactateconcentration was identified. In thisstudy (29), it was possible to observethat the highest blood lactate value wasfound in the 4-a-side game withoutgoalkeepers (6.4 mmol/L), and thelowest value was in the 4-a-side gamewith goalkeepers (6.2 mmol/L).

    Constraining the number of touchesper player. At times, the coach impo-ses the rule that each player can onlyperform a given number of consecutivetouches on the ball. This specific taskconstraint is used not only to increase

    Table 3Influence of field dimensions on heart rate responses

    Number ofplayersin game

    Field dimension Owen et al. (25)a Williams andOwen (32)a

    Rampininiet al. (26)b

    Kelly andDrust (19)a

    Casamichanaet al. (5)b

    1/side Smaller 176

    Medium 180

    Larger 183

    2/side Smaller 172 179

    Medium 169

    Larger 170 180

    3/side Smaller 167 164 89.5

    Medium 167 166 90.5

    Larger 174 171 90.9

    4/side Smaller 147 152 88.7

    Medium 162 89.4

    Larger 159 165 89.7

    5/side Smaller 156 87.8 175 93

    Medium 163 88.8 173 94.6

    Larger 165 88.8 169 94.6

    6/side Smaller 86.4

    Medium 87.0

    Larger 86.9

    aHRmean.

    b%HRmax.

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  • the velocity of each offensive play butalso to avoid players individualism. Anumber of studies have analyzed thisspecific constraint (2,11).

    One of the first studies that analyzedthe restriction of touches per playerwas performed by Aroso et al. (2). Intheir study, a no-limitations, 3-a-sidegame was compared with a 3-a-sidegame with a maximum number of 3consecutives touches per player. Theresults showed that in the 3-a-side gamewith restricted touches, the time spentwalking increased, whereas the timespent standing still, sprinting, or per-forming lateral or backwards move-ments decreased as compared with

    the free-play 3-a-side game. However,only Dellal et al. (11) examined and pro-vided values for heart rate and bloodlactate concentration based on touchrestrictions. These values are presentedin Table 6.

    Dellal et al. (11) demonstrated thatheart rate increases as the number oftouches decreases during small-sidedgames. In most situations, professionaland amateur players reached lowerheart rate values during the free-playgame. Similar results were observed inthe blood lactate value. It was possibleto observe that a higher concentrationof blood lactate was achieved in gameswith 1 consecutive touch per player.

    Using neutral players. Sometimesa neutral player is used to give offen-sive or defensive positions numericalsuperiority during a small-sided game.Usually, the neutral player only takespart in offensive or defensive momentswith the attacking or defending team,respectively. Few studies have ana-lyzed the influence of this task con-straint on the heart rate and bloodlactate responses (4,12). Nevertheless,it is important to examine this con-straint. Table 7 presents a summaryof the studies analyzing this issue.

    In the 1-a-side and 4-a-side games, thehighest heart rates were observedwithout a neutral player. In the 3-a-side game, the highest heart rates wereachieved with a defensive neutral, andin the 2-a-side game, the highest heartrates were observed with an offensiveneutral player. Consequently, it is notpossible to confirm a pattern in theheart rate responses based on the useof neutral players.

    However, the highest blood lactateconcentrations were observed in the1-a-side, 2-a-side, and 3-a-side gameswithout neutral players. A higher heartrate response was observed in 2 gameswith a neutral defensive player ratherthan a neutral offensive player, whereasin the other 2 games, a higher bloodlactate concentration was observedwith a neutral offensive player ratherthan a neutral defensive player. There-fore, the use of neutral players does notclearly influence the heart rate re-sponses or the blood lactate concentra-tion (16).

    SUMMARY OF THE GENERALEFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICALRESPONSES

    Based on the previously presentedanalysis, we have developed a graphicalrepresentation of the relation of theheart rate and blood lactate intensitiesto the game shape used by coaches(Figure 1).

    The small-sided soccer games can beinfluenced by many factors, thus thegraphical representation (Figure 1) isby no means complete and exhaustiveof all the possibilities. One of the

    Table 4Influence of field dimensions on blood lactate concentration

    Number of playersin the game

    Field dimension Aroso et al. (2) Rampinini et al. (26)

    3/side Smaller 2.6 mmol/L 6.0 mmol/L

    Medium 6.3 mmol/L

    Larger Increased 6.5 mmol/L

    4/side Smaller 5.3 mmol/L

    Medium 5.5 mmol/L

    Larger 6.0 mmol/L

    5/side Smaller 5.2 mmol/L

    Medium 5.0 mmol/L

    Larger 5.8 mmol/L

    6/side Smaller 4.5 mmol/L

    Medium 5.0 mmol/L

    Larger 4.8 mmol/L

    Table 5Influence of the use of goalkeepers on heart rate responses

    Number of playersin game

    Goalkeeper Sassi et al. (29) Mallo andNavarro (23)

    Casamichanaet al. (7)

    3/side With 166 HRmean

    Without 173 HRmean

    4/side With 174 HRmean 161.4 HRmean

    Without 178 HRmean 162.9 HRmean

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  • fundamental factors determining thephysiological responses to the stimu-lus is the training regime. In fact, theplaytime, the number of blocks andrepetitions, and the recovery timebetween repetitions are consideredto be the fundamental variables affect-ing fatigue and acute responses to theexercise.

    Commonly, small-sided games areperformed intermittently. Neverthe-less, it is important to consider bothcontinuous and intermittent regimesto improve the effects of the programs(1). The results are not consensual.However, when significant differencesare reported, the highest values of%HRmax are achieved during the

    continuous regimes (16). This factmay be due to the recovery periodsof intermittent regimes, which preventthe accumulation of fatigue (1).

    Hill-Haas et al. (17) used 3 shapes ofsmall-sided games (2-a-side, 4-a-side,and 6-a-side) played in intermittent(4 3 6 minutes with 1.5 minutes ofrecovery) and continuous (24 minutes)

    Table 6Heart rate and blood lactate responses based on touch limitations

    Number of playersin game

    Consecutive touchesper player

    Dellal et al. (11)

    %HRmax Blood lactate concentration (mmol/L)

    Amateur Professional Amateur Professional

    2/side 1 touch 92.3 90.3 5.0 3.9

    2 touch 91.5 90.1 4.7 3.5

    Free 91.6 90.0 4.1 3.5

    3/side 1 touch 91.2 90.0 4.6 3.6

    2 touch 90.0 89.4 4.1 3.4

    Free 89.5 89.6 3.7 3.1

    4/side 1 touch 87.4 87.6 3.5 3.0

    2 touch 86.6 85.6 3.1 2.9

    Free 85.1 84.7 3.0 2.8

    Table 7Heart rate and blood lactate responses with the use of neutral players

    Number of playersin game + Neutral player

    Bekris et al. (4) Evangelos et al. (12)

    HRmean Blood lactate HRmean Blood lactate

    1/side None 184 12.4

    Defender 178.7 10.2

    Attacker 177.3 8.3

    2/side None 180 9.4

    Defender 176.3 9.0

    Attacker 180.7 9.4

    3/side None 185.8 8.4

    Defender 188.8 8.4

    Attacker 183.8 9.1

    4/side None 177.0 4.1

    Defender 174.0 3.3

    Attacker 171.3 3.1

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  • regimes. Significant differences betweenboth training regimes were observed,and the highest %HRmax was achievedduring the continuous regime. Never-theless, the greatest distance at a highintensity (13.017.9 km/h) was coveredduring the intermittent regime. A simi-lar study (13) used 3 different periods oftime per repetition during intermittent

    training (2, 4, and 6 minutes) with a 3-a-side game and observed the heart rateresponse. The results showed a signifi-cantly lower heart rate response value inthe 2-minute periods in comparisonwith the 4 and 6 minutes per repetition.A more recent study (20) compared the2-a-side, 3-a-side, and 4-a-side games inintermittent and continuous training

    regimes. No significant differencesbetween the heart rate responses werefound in this study. However, signifi-cant differences in the blood lactateconcentration were observed; a higherblood lactate value was achieved dur-ing the continuous training regimesin the 2-a-side game. In 3-a-side and4-a-side concentration was higher during

    Figure 1. Graphical representation of the physiological responses to task constraints in small-sided games.

    Figure 2. Schematization for small-sided training regimes.

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  • the continuous regimes but withoutstatistical significance. Based on the anal-ysis presented above, a graphical sche-matization for the small-sided trainingregimes was developed (Figure 2).

    A reduction in motor coordination canbe observed with high blood lactateaccumulation (.6 mmol/L) becauseof soccer performance (18). The nor-mal values reported in the literature forsmall-sided games range between 2.6and 8.1 mmol/L (2,11,15,26). There-fore, it is very important to manage

    the acute physiological responses tothe games regarding the heart rateand blood lactate target. When tech-nical and tactical performance is of thehighest priority, the accumulation ofblood lactate concentration should bereduced to ensure an ideal motorresponse.

    Based on the general recommenda-tions for the organization of small-sided soccer games, the next sectionwill discuss the management of train-ing programs using small-sided games

    as the main variable for developingphysical and physiological fitness.

    TARGETED TRAINING USINGSMALL-SIDED SOCCER GAMES

    In soccer training, it is very importantto specifically define the physiologicaltargets. This theory is well developedin regular sports sciences handbooks.Nevertheless, it is essential to considera set of new variables to ensure thehighest quality of training developmentin the specific case of small-sided soccergames. Therefore, this section will pres-ent the generic recommendations foraerobic and anaerobic soccer trainingbased on small-sided games.

    AEROBIC TRAINING

    Aerobic training is developed toimprove the oxygen transport system(26). The oxygen system is best trainedby endurance workouts, that is, exercisesof relatively long duration at submaxi-mal level (18). This specific training im-proves the ability to continue exercisingfor a prolonged period and the ability toquickly recover from high-intensity ex-ercises (26). Usually, the intensity andvolume of aerobic exercise are inverselyrelated. Increasing the volume (time) of

    Table 8Principles of aerobic training

    Mean (%) Range (%)

    High-intensity training

    %HRmax 90% 80100

    %VO2max 85 70100

    Low-intensity training

    %HRmax 80 6590

    %VO2max 70 5585

    Recovery training

    %HRmax 65 4080

    %VO2max 55 2070

    Figure 3. (A) 2-a-side with 1 supporter player. This specific task has a central zone played by 2 teams of 2 players. In the lateral area,there is one supporting player per team who only plays along this area. His objective is to support his teammates toovercome the opponents and score in one of 2 neutral goals. (B) 3-a-side game plus 2 neutral players. In this game, theaim is to cross the scoring lines behind the opponents team. Players should cross the line with possession of the ball andin progression. The neutral players have a specific lateral area to support the team with ball possession.

    Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com 83

  • aerobic training will reduce the intensityto a tolerable level.

    Endurance training is developed toimprove the aerobic capacity (26). Thereare 3 main types of endurance trainingmethods: (a) intensive endurance training,(b) intermediate endurance training, and(c) extensive endurance training. Eachendurance method is based on the

    training regime and the practice intensity.The principles of aerobic training are pro-posed by Bangsbo (3) in Table 8.

    One can observe that the intensity val-ues vary based on the different types oftraining targets. As presented above,intensity and volume of training areinversely related, and it is important todefine specific regimes of training to

    ensure the specific intensities. Therefore,continuous and intermittent regimesmust be properly used based on the spe-cific training targets. The intermittentregime is based on practice with repeti-tions and blocks, which ensures high-intensity training followed by appropri-ate recovery periods. The continuousregime is used for the development of

    Figure 4. (A) 5-a-side game with 4 small goals. This exercise is performed on a medium field. Each team has 2 small goals to protect.The space beyond the goals is playable. (B) 6-a-side game with midfield penetration. This task has a specific tacticalorientation. Before shooting, all offensive plays should involve a successful pass to a teammate in the specific midfield area.

    Figure 5. (A) 1-a-side and 2-a-side games stations. In this specific game, 1-a-side and 2-a-side soccer tasks are played at the sametime. At each repetition, the players change the specific game. The aim of this task is to overcome the opponent andscore by crossing the opponents goal line. (B) 4-a-side game with 2 neutral players. Two teams of 4 players have 4different sectors, thus each team has 1 player in each sector. The aim is to ensure equal ball possession. The neutralplayers are the only ones who can cross all sectors to provide a proximate supporter to the teamwith ball possession. Theaim is to develop the anaerobic performance of the neutral players.

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  • aerobic fitness and ensures that thetraining will not increase the lactate lev-els above the threshold. Both regimescan be used for aerobic training andmust be organized for intensive, inter-mediate, and endurance training.Generally, intermediate and extensivetrainings are developed for specificlong-distance sports with a regularcadence of practice and small oscilla-tions such as cycling or marathon run-ning. However, soccer has specificcharacteristics of both anaerobic andaerobic profiles because it is played ata minimum of 75% HRmax. Conse-quently, the following section will pres-ent only the purposes of short and longintensive endurance soccer training.

    Short intensive endurance soccer train-ing. Intensive endurance training has

    a duration between 2 and 8 minutesand can be best achieved by intervalworkouts at, as a rule, approximately90% HRmax (18). In this type of specifictraining, an increase in the blood lactatevalue of up to 56 mmol/L is accept-able. In terms of intensity, this type oftraining can be considered the transitionpoint between anaerobic and aerobictraining. Commonly, the recovery timeis between 4 and 6minutes and the num-ber of repetitions is between 5 and 8.

    Small-sided games that ensure a spe-cific heart rate response and bloodlactate concentration include the 1-a-side, 2-a-side, and 3-a-side gamesusing task constraints such as consec-utive touch limitations, no goalkeep-ers, and practice on larger fields. Taskexamples for this specific aim are pro-vided in Figure 3.

    As a rule, the larger field is 15 3 25 mfor a 1-a-side game, 20 3 25 m fora 2-a-side game, and 18 3 30 m fora 3-a-side game. The larger dimensionsensure a higher intensity level.

    Long intensive endurance soccertraining. Long intensive endurancetraining can be performed in 8- to15-minute intervals (18). The intensityimplies a blood lactate concentration of34 mmol/L and heart rate valuesbetween 85 and 90%HRmax. The recov-ery period is approximately 5 minutes,and the number of repetitions varies from4 to 5. This specific training should beperformed without fatigue accumulationfrom other training sessions.

    The ideal configuration for this specifictraining is a 4-a-side, 5-a-side, or 6-a-side game played on medium field

    Figure 6. Methodological schematization for the organization of small-sided games.

    Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com 85

  • dimensions, including goalkeepers andwithout touch limitation. The focus ison achieving a higher quality of tacticalplay by increasing the mental activityneeded to synchronize with the rest ofthe teammates to achieve the maingoal. Figure 4 proposes 2-task examples.

    The field dimensions can be 20 330 m, 25 3 35 m, or 30 3 40 m forthe 4-a-side, 5-a-side, and 6-a-side soc-cer games, respectively.

    ANAEROBIC TRAINING

    High blood lactate concentrations(sometimes closer to 12 mmol/L)observed in professional soccer playersduring match play suggest that thelactate-producing energy system ishighly stimulated in a soccer game(3). Therefore, the ability to repeatedlyperform high-intensity tasks in soccermust be developed using anaerobictraining (28).

    Intensive anaerobic exercises lastingbetween 30 seconds and 3 minutesactivate and exhaust the lactate systemto its maximum; thus, the lactate sys-tem can be best trained by intervalworkouts (18). Usually, it is possibleto perform 48 repetitions per blockwith recovery periods of 30 secondsto 3 minutes (ratio 1:1). The numberof blocks can vary between 2 and 4based on the number of repetitionsper block (21), with recovery periodsbetween blocks of 35 minutes.

    Small-sided games that are appropriatefor anaerobic training include 1-a-sideand 2-a-side games, without goalkeepers,with touch limitations, smaller fielddimensions, and coachs encourage-ment. It is possible to organize gameswith more players, but they should alsoinclude specific task constraints todevelop the anaerobic training. Basedon this, 2 small-sided games are pre-sented as examples of anaerobic training(Figure 5).

    This type of exercise is best performedon small or medium field dimensions.Dimensions of 5 3 10 m or 10 3 15 mare used for the 1-a-side games. Forthe 2-a-side games, dimensions of103 15m or 153 20m should be used.

    SUMMARY OF TRAININGTARGETS USING SMALL-SIDEDSOCCER GAMES

    The most important contribution ofsmall-sided games to soccer trainingis the opportunity to develop physio-logical, technical, tactical, and socialbehaviors, simultaneously. Small-sidedgames have a great potential to improvethe quality of training. However, theorganization of small-sided games mustbe specifically developed based on thecontext, the players level, and the mul-tiple goals to be achieved. Therefore, it isimportant to provide a generic schema-tization for the organization of small-sided games (Figure 6).

    This schematization allows for a greatnumber of different small-sided soccergames to be developed based on themain tactical and technical goalsdefined for each session. In truth,small-sided games should always beorganized with a specific tactical/tech-nical target in mind. Small-sided gameswithout a tactical goal would not besufficient for the team and can be re-garded as more of a fitness exercise.Developing specific task constraints toattune players to the principles of playand specific tactical behavior can opti-mize and improve the quality of train-ing. In fact, training tactical andtechnical behavior simultaneously aidsin the development of physical fitnessand is a great opportunity to reduce thevolume of training, ensuring the samequality of training with a longer periodto recover between sessions.

    CONCLUSION

    Training sessions based on small-sidedgames are very important in soccer.This type of game makes it possibleto address many variables at the sametime. Therefore, it is important todefine some methodological guidelinesto optimize training. In this article, weidentified that small-sided games witha small number of players, bigger fielddimensions, without goalkeepers, withtouch limitations, and with coachencouragement increase the heart rateand blood lactate response. Small-sided games with a higher number of

    players, smaller field dimensions, withgoalkeepers, without touch limitations,and without the coach encouragementdecrease the physiological intensity.Based on these findings, it was possibleto develop methodological guidelinesfor using small-sided games in aerobicand anaerobic soccer training. It isimportant to emphasize that small-sided games must be used properlyby coaches to provide additional valueto the training session. As a result, it isnot enough to use small-sided gameswithout task constraints. It is impor-tant that each coach develops specificsmall-sided games for the particularneeds of his team. Therefore, tacticalbehavior and principles of play arethe most important factors for theorganization of small-sided games,even when the main goal is to developthe players fitness.

    Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding:The authors report no conflicts of interest.This work was supported by FCT projectPEstOE/EEI/LA0008/2013.

    Filipe M.Clemente iscurrently a PhDstudent in SportsSciences witha specializationin Sports Train-ing at the Facultyof Sport Sciencesand PhysicalEducation of the

    University of Coimbra.

    Fernando M.LourencoMartins works atthe PolytechnicInstitute ofCoimbra, Coim-bra College ofEducation(ESEC), and he

    is currently a Professor in the Depart-ment of Education (Mathematics andMathematics Education) and researcheron Instituto de Telecomunicacoes.

    Small-Sided Soccer Games

    VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 201486

  • Rui S. Mendesworks at thePolytechnic Insti-tute of Coimbra,Coimbra Collegeof Education inthe Sports andPhysical Educa-

    tion Department and is the President ofCoimbra College of Education.

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