Small Sided Games in Soccer - Physiological Response and Time Motion Analysis

Soccer is one of the most played team sport games in the world and thereby of substantial interest by the scientific community. Small Sided Games (SSGs) represent a training format in which the number of players and pitch area are reduced and different variables and rule modifications are applied. In the past, these games were mainly used to train and augment technical and tactical soccer competencies. Nonetheless, over the last decade SSGs have drawn larger interest by fitness coaches and are employed in training regimes. The aim of this thesis is first, to review SSGs efficiency for inducing adequate internal (HR, RPE, BL) and external (distance covered, high intensity running and sprinting) physical stimuli. Second, enhancing physical fitness, and finally, to examine the influence of specific variables that might alter players’ responses. A search in electronic databases was done and a total of 70 studies were reviewed. The results from the literature confirm that SSGs produce an adequate internal and external stimulus and therefore, may be used as a fitness-based training which imitates the physiological stimulus of real game or generic fitness exercise methods, with a combination of technico-tactical and motion specific actions. In addition, it is suggested that small format games (2 a side and 3 a side) without goalkeepers and with coach feedback produce higher responses. Other variables (i.e., playing area and format such as rest ratio and rule changes) can also be applied to increase or decrease particular locomotion and an internal load response. Nevertheless, the quantification of exercise intensity by external load components might still be an issue since there is lack of data regarding the most powerful actions (COD, ACC, DEC). SSGs are a very important tool in soccer training that can be addressed to achieve different goals at the same time. This might be of interest in modern soccer training, in which methodology, time and load quantification have an imperative role.