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
