The influence of relative playing area and player numerical imbalance on physical and perceptual demands in soccer small-sided game formats

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine physiological, mechanical and perceptual loading in small-sided games using different relative playing areas with balanced and unbalanced player numbers. METHODS: Data were collected in twelve elite youth male soccer players and included heart rate and standard time-motion outputs using commercial GPS. RESULTS: The data demonstrated higher cardiovascular, physical and perceptual demands with increasing pitch size (e.g. average HR was 88.7 vs. 86.7% HRmax with 8 vs. 2 high-intensity acceleration in medium vs. small pitch formats. The largest pitch format resulted in a greater accumulation of high-intensity distance (47 ± 30 m), higher peak velocity (25.2 ± 1.6 km.h-1) and a higher distance and frequency of accelerations (35 ± 9 m and 8 ± 3) compared with the smallest pitch (all p < 0.01). In unbalanced games, there was significantly greater average heart rate in the overloaded team (84.4 ± 4.9 vs. 80.4 ± 4.8% HRmax in 4 v. 6). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that different game formats including numerical imbalance could be prescribed for squad management to target conditioning stimuli for specific players (e.g. to target a higher training load for players that do not get consistent match exposure).