Influence of Pitch Size on Short-Term High Intensity Actions and Body Impacts in Soccer Sided Games

The aim of this study was to compare external training loads between small-sided games (SSGs) and largesided games (LSGs) in soccer players. Twenty outfield soccer players (14.8 ± 0.6 years old) who competed in the Spanish U16 Provincial Division and belonged to the same team participated in the study. The soccer sided games were played at different individual interaction space (IIS) per player (i.e., SSG = 100 m(2) and LSG = 200 m(2)) and were disputed in the same format (five-a-side plus goalkeepers) on two different pitch sizes (i.e., 38 x 26 vs. 53 x 37 m) defending an official soccer-goal. The sided games’ duration was 4 bouts of 6 min with 2 min rest intervals between bouts. The results of this study showed no meaningful differences in the total distance and intensity of accelerations and decelerations between SSGs and LSGs except for the lower distance covered at medium intensity (2.5 - 4 m·s(-2)) observed during LSGs (-10.2%; ES (effect size): -0.51). Players registered greater sprints, maximum velocity (Vel(max)) and body impacts at different intensities (i.e., I5-6g, I6-6.5g, I6.5-7g, I7-8g, I8-10g,) in LSGs in comparison to SSGs. These findings suggest that an increase in the pitch size (i.e., IIS per player) can induce higher external loads for soccer players.