High-speed Training in a Specific Context in Soccer: Transition Games

Abstract

The aims of this study were to compare the load of three tasks designed to train features of soccer: a transition game, a small-sided game with a change of playing area, and a large-sided game. Twenty young elite players performed these tasks. Variables measured were total distance covered (DC), distance covered at 14.0–17.9 km·h⁻¹ (DC 14.0–17.9 km·h⁻¹), distance covered at 18.0–21 km·h⁻¹ (DC 18–21 km·h⁻¹), distance covered > 21 km·h⁻¹ (DC>21 km·h⁻¹), peak speed, accelerations and decelerations > 1.0 and > 2.5 m·s⁻², player load, and rate of perceived exertion. Transition games produced greater DC 18–21 km·h⁻¹, DC>21 km·h⁻¹, peak speed and Acc>2.5 m·s⁻² than the other drills (p<0.01) and higher DC 14–17.9 km·h⁻¹ (p<0.01), Dec>1 m·s⁻² (p<0.05) and Dec>2.5 m·s⁻² (p<0.01) than the large-sided game. Both sided games produced more DC (p<0.01), Acc>1 m·s⁻² (p<0.01) and player load (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) than the transition game. During the small-sided game, significantly higher DC 14–17.9 km·h⁻¹, DC 18–21 km·h⁻¹ and DC>21 km·h⁻¹ were recorded in comparison with the large-sided game (p<0.01). The studied parameters showed lower variation in the transition game. Coaches could use transition games to train high speed running in counter-attack contexts.

Key words

physical demands - global positioning system (GPS) - time-motion - training load - mechanical load

Publication History

Received: 05 July 2021

Accepted: 08 March 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
10 March 2022

Article published online:
07 June 2022

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