Acute effect of small-sided games on tactical-technical performance of youth football players during a training session

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the offensive technical-tactical performance of youth football players during five bouts of small-sided games within a single training session. Twenty-four U-14 athletes from two professional football clubs participated in the study. Players engaged in five 4-minute bouts of small-sided games in a GK + 4 vs. 4 + GK format with one minute of passive rest between bouts. Offensive technical-tactical performance was assessed using the Game Performance Evaluation Tool (GPET). The non-parametric Friedman test was used to compare the five consecutive SSG bouts. The results indicated no significant changes in decision-making (p = 0.909; effect size = small) or execution (p = 0.638; effect size = small) of passing actions, nor in the decision-making for support actions (p = 0.180; effect size = small). However, a significant difference was observed in the execution of support actions (p = 0.044; effect size = small), with a decline in performance in bout 4 compared to bout 3. These results suggest that five series of small-sided games in a single training session were not sufficient to produce changes in the offensive technical-tactical performance of young players. We suggest that the finding is a consequence of physical and cognitive demands over the bouts, along with better defensive performance, which could have prevented finding improvements between games. We recommend that coaches use this format of SSG as a way to maintain performance in one session in order to avoid players’ overload. Future studies should investigate the performance on this game format over time, as well as the effect of the manipulation of SSG in one session.