Small-Sided Games in Elite Football: Practical Solutions to Replicate the 4-min Match-Derived Maximal Intensities

Riboli, A, Esposito, F, and Coratella, G. Small-sided games in elite football: practical solutions to replicate the 4-min match-derived maximal intensities. J Strength Cond Res 37(2): 366-374, 2023-The purpose of the study was to determine the area per player (ApP, m(2)center dot player(-1)) to replicate the maximal 4-min match-play period (4-min(Peak)) using small-sided or large-sided games (SSGs) lasting the same duration in elite football players. Twenty players (age: 26 +/- 5 years) competing in European championship and international UEFA competitions were monitored during SSGs with (SSG(with)) or without (SSG(without)) goalkeepers, both lasting 4-min. A total of 1,724 and 561 individual observations for SSG(with) and SSG(without) across 99 and 34 different SSGs formats were undertaken. Whole (90-min(avg)) and 4-min(Peak) match demands were calculated. Relative (m center dot min(-1)) total, high-speed (HSRD), very high-speed (VHSRD), sprint, and acceleration/deceleration distance were collected. For both SSG(with) and SSG(without), ApP was small-to-very-largely correlated with TD, HSRD, VHSRD, and sprint, whereas an inverse trivial-to-small correlation with acceleration/deceleration was found. In SSG(with), the ApP to replicate 4-min(Peak) was larger (p < 0.001, effect size [ES]: 0.33-5.80) than that to mimic 90-min(avg) for total distance, HSRD, VHSRD, and sprint, whereas for acceleration/deceleration the ApP was lower (p < 0.001, ES: -3.13 to 0.48) for 4-min(Peak). In SSG(without), the ApP to replicate 4-min(Peak) was larger (p < 0.001, ES: 0.04-3.72) than that to mimic 90-min(avg) for HSRD, VHSRD, and sprint. Some positional differences (p < 0.05, ES: 0.22-1.10) in ApP were found. The ApP to replicate 4-min(Peak) was higher for SSG(with) than SSG(without) (p < 0.001, ES: 0.67-3.58). These findings may help practitioners to recreate the 4-min(Peak) to manage ApP during SSGs in elite football.