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

ABSTRACT 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).