Why We Believe in Small Sided Games at TTi Soccer
November 15th 2019
Definition: Small Sided Games
Small-sided games are games with a small number of players on each side (less than the big game), for example 3 v 3 or 5 v 5. The key point is that because there are fewer players, each player gets more touches of the ball, and there are many additional benefits.
Definition: Economical (or 360 Degree) Training
Economical Training is the use of all components of the game at one time; Tactical, Technical, Physical & Psychological.
_________________________________
Performance on a soccer field is influenced by a players ability to perform technical, tactical, physical and psychological tasks all at the same time, to varying degrees based on the situation they find themselves in. Training therefore, should aim to challenge each of these areas as youth players progress through their development phases.
One activity that has seen considerable use and attention is the use of small sided games (SSGs), reduced player numbers per team and a manipulation of the laws to challenge players in different ways. Changing the laws of a game, even slightly, can influence the physiological, perceptual and time-motion response in youth elite soccer players (Hill-Haas, 2010) and altering the laws of a SSG can support the development of ball-possession strategy (Almeida, 2012), In addition, players get significantly more touches of a ball in a 4 v 4 game than they do 8 v 8 (Jones & Drust, 2007) and making the field smaller meant great technical demands on players (Hodgson, 2014).
Coaches, at the youth level especially, have to manage their training time with the players effectively, since there are a multitude of other aspects in a players life (school, social, family, “being a kid”, other sports, travel to name a few). Whilst there is a place for traditional “fitness runs”, it is possible to improve soccer specific fitness and technical ability at the same time (Ozcan, 2018) and also, provided the games are intense enough, can improve repeated sprint ability (Einseler, 2017).
Small sided games appear to be an effective vehicle to not only challenge players development with a ball and in game scenarios but increase the deliberate practice time in each session. There is no doubt a place for “playing bigger”, especially as players get older, however Small Sided Games may be more prominent earlier in the week, when more intense workloads can be put on the players.
Technical skills, such as ball work, can be worked on individually, but the other components of the game (physical, psychological and tactical) still remain to varying degrees and coaches should be mindful of the game as a whole when planning sessions to develop youth players.
We believe that the game itself can be, with true guidance, the best teacher.
_____________
References
Hill-Haas, S.V., Coutts, A.J., Dawson, B.T. & Rowsell, G.J. (2010) Time-motion characteristics and physiological responses of small-sided games in elite youth players: The influence of player number and rule changes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(8), 2149-2156.
Jones, S. & Drust, B. (2007) Physiological and Technical Demands of 4v4 and 8v8 games in elite youth players. Kinesiology, 39(2), 150-156.
Almeida, C.H., Ferreira, A.P. & Volossovitch, A. (2012) Manipulating Task constraints in Small-Sided soccer games: performance analysis and practical implications. Open Sport Science Journal, 5, 174-180.
Hodgson, C., Akenhead, R. & Thomas, K. (2014) Time-motion analysis of acceleration demands of 4v4 small-sided soccer games played on different pitch sizes. Human Movement Science, 33, 25-32.
Eniseler, N., Sahan, C., Ozcan, I. & Dinler. (2017) High-intensity small sided games versus repeated sprint training in junior soccer players. Journal of Human Kinetics, 60, 101-111.
Ozcan, I., Eniseler, N. & Sahan, C. (2018) Effects of small sided games and conventional aerobic interval training on various physiological characteristics and defensive and offensive skills used in soccer. Kinesiology, 50, 104-111.