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Time-motion, heart rate, perceptual and motor behaviour demands in

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David Casamichanaa; Julen Castellanoa
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Journal of Sports Sciences, December 2010; 28(14): 16151623

Timemotion, heart rate, perceptual and motor behaviour demands in

small-sides soccer games: Effects of pitch size

DAVID CASAMICHANA & JULEN CASTELLANO

Physical Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain

Downloaded By: [Universidad de Malaga] At: 09:46 3 December 2010

(Accepted 1 September 2010)

Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine physical, physiological, and motor responses and perceived exertion during different soccer
drills. In small-sided games, the individual playing area (*275 m2, *175 m2, and *75 m2) was varied while the number of
players per team was kept constant: 5 vs. 5 plus goalkeepers. Participants were ten male youth soccer players. Each session
comprised three small-sided game formats, which lasted 8 min each with a 5-min passive rest period between them. A range of
variables was recorded and analysed for the three drills performed over three training sessions: (a) physiological, measured using
Polar Team devices; (b) physical, using GPS SPI elite devices; (c) perceived exertion, rated using the CR-10 scale; and (d)
motor response, evaluated using an observational tool that was specially designed for this study. Significant differences were
observed for most of the variables studied. When the individual playing area was larger, the effective playing time, the physical
(total distance covered; distances covered in low-intensity running, medium-intensity running, and high-intensity running;
distance covered per minute; maximum speed; work-to-rest ratio; sprint frequency) and physiological workload (percent
maximum heart rate; percent mean heart rate; time spent above 90% maximum heart rate), and the rating of perceived exertion
were all higher, while certain motor behaviours were observed less frequently (interception, control and dribble, control and
shoot, clearance, and putting the ball in play). The results show that the size of the pitch should be taken into account when
planning training drills, as it influences the intensity of the task and the motor response of players.

Keywords: Soccer, small-sided games, timemotion analysis, heart rate, perceived exertion, notation analysis

Introduction
Small-sided games are widely used by coaches to
develop technical and tactical skills (Jones & Drust,
2007), as well as to improve the endurance of soccer
players (Hill-Haas, Dawson, Coutts, & Rowsell,
2009b; Impellizzeri et al., 2006), and as part of generic
training (Hill-Haas, Coutts, Rowsell, & Dawson,
2009a). This is particularly advantageous in the case
of young players, as improvement in specific skills is
closely related to the frequency of practice (Impellizzeri et al., 2006). During small-sided games, players
experience similar situations to those they encounter in
competitive matches (Owen, Twist, & Ford, 2004),
the only differences being fewer players, a reduced
playing surface, and/or the addition or modification of
certain rules (Little, 2009).
Ways to quantify the physical and physiological
demands of small-sided games in soccer training
were first proposed more than 20 years ago
(MacLaren, Davids, Isokawa, Mellor, & Reilly,
1988). More recently, advances in and greater

access to a range of technological resources (heart

rate monitors, lactate analysers, portable global
positioning system (GPS) devices, etc.) have made
the evaluation and monitoring of the demands in
small-sided games more accessible, reliable, and
accurate (Castagna et al., 2007; Gabbet & Mulvey,
2008; Jensen, Randers, Krustrup, & Bangsbo, 2009;
Reilly, 2005; Reilly & White, 2004; Sassi, Reilly, &
Impellizzeri, 2004). The GPS devices are widely
adopted because they are light, small and relatively
cheap, and they also enable rapid data entry through
the automatic analysis of multiple players simultaneously, the analysis itself being easy to perform
(Aughey & Fallon, 2010; Edgecomb & Norton,
2006; MacLeod, Morris, Nevill, & Sunderland,
2009). GPS technology thus provides a practical
method for recording timemotion characteristics
(such as distance, speed, and sprints) during all
forms of soccer training (Hill-Haas et al., 2009b).
If the use of small-sided games is to be effective as
a conditioning stimulus, it is necessary to develop a
better understanding of their expected effects at the

Correspondence: J. Castellano, Physical Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country, Portal de Lasarte s/n, 01007 Vitoria, Spain.
E-mail: julen.castellano@ehu.es
ISSN 0264-0414 print/ISSN 1466-447X online 2010 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2010.521168

Downloaded By: [Universidad de Malaga] At: 09:46 3 December 2010

1616

D. Casamichana & J. Castellano

physiological and motor levels, in terms of perceived

exertion (Hill-Haas et al., 2009b), and regarding
socio-motor ability (Parlebas, 2001). Several studies
to date have systematically investigated the effects on
players of altering different variables or game rules,
including pitch size (Kelly & Drust, 2009; Owen
et al., 2004; Tessitore, Meeusen, Piacentini, Demarie, & Capranica, 2006), the inclusion/exclusion of
specific attack and defence zones (Dellal et al., 2008;
Mallo & Navarro, 2008; Sassi et al., 2004), the
number of players (Katis & Kellis, 2009), and the
duration of the game formats (Tessitore et al., 2006).
Other authors have used a combination of these
variables (Aroso, Rebelo, & Gomes-Pereira, 2004;
Hill-Haas et al., 2009b; Jones & Drust, 2007,
Rampinini et al., 2007; Williams & Owen, 2007).
Some studies have also included variables such as
coach encouragement, rule modifications (such as
limiting the number of touches allowed per player or
the scoring method) (Martnez de Santos, BlancoVillasenor, Sanchez, & Los Arcos, 2009) and
different work regimes (Hill-Haas, Rowsell, Dawson,
& Coutts, 2009c).
A key concept in the present study is the individual
playing area, which is defined (Parlebas, 2001) as the
theoretical pitch area that corresponds to each player
and is calculated by dividing the total pitch area by the
number of players. Research is inconclusive regarding
the effect of varying the pitch size (keeping the pitch
area per player constant), since some studies have
found that small-sided games played on larger pitches
are more intensive than those played on smaller ones
(Owen et al., 2004; Rampinini et al., 2007), while
other authors report no significant differences in task
intensity according to pitch size (Kelly & Drust, 2009).
Furthermore, some studies have found that smallsided games played on small pitches are more intensive
(Tessitore et al., 2006). With the aim of providing new
insight in this regard, we studied the effects of physical
variables (distances covered by players at different
speeds, recorded using GPS devices) and physiological
variables (by recording heart rate and perceived
exertion, as in Hill-Hass et al., 2009b), and complemented this with the observation of motor behaviour
during play. As far as we are aware, these variables
have not previously been analysed simultaneously and,
moreover, the research that does exist has only
modified the variable individual playing area. We
also sought to conduct a preliminary analysis of the
effective playing time in small-sided games. To the
best of our knowledge, no published report has studied
the duration of player participation when considering
only the time that the ball is in play. We believe that
this variable could influence the workload undertaken
by players, since the same duration but a different
pitch size might lead to a different effective playing
time.

We are also unaware of any studies that have

examined the influence of decreasing the relative
pitch area per player on physiological, physical, and
perceptual responses, as well as on the behaviour of
young soccer players in small-sided games. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the
physical, physiological, and motor responses as well
as perceived exertion of players during small-sided
games played on three pitch sizes: large, medium,
and small. Specifically, we sought to analyse the
effects on players of varying the individual playing
area in the same type of training drill, and thus
determine whether there were any differences between these three formats as regards effective playing
time. We also studied the relationship between the
effective playing time and the physical, physiological,
perceptual, and motor responses of players.

Methods
Participants
Participants were ten male youth soccer players (age:
15.5 + 0.5 years; height: 1.74 + 0.07 m; weight:
62.9 + 3.7 kg; performance on the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1: 1816 + 505 m). All players
were members of the same team (youth category)
that competed at regional level, with a mean of 7.5
years of experience in federation soccer. The players
and their parents were informed about the research
design and its benefits and risks, and their informed
consent was obtained before testing began. The
Ethics Committee of the University of the Basque
Country approved the study protocol.
To avoid any potential imbalance between the
teams, certain individual and collective aspects were
taken into account in their creation: player position,
tactical/technical level, physical aptitude, and participation in competitive matches. The players technical/tactical level was established according to the
subjective evaluation of their coach, who awarded a
score of 1 to players with the lowest level and 5 to
those with the highest level. The number of minutes
played in competitive matches (prior to the study
date) was also used to categorize players: a score of 1
was given to players with the fewest number of
minutes played and 5 to those who had played the
most minutes. Scores on the Yo-Yo intermittent
recovery test level 1 were used in the same way:
players who covered the least distance were given a
score of 1 and those who covered the most ground
were awarded a score of 5. The total score for each
player was the sum of scores for the coachs
evaluation of technical/tactical level, the number of
minutes played before the study began, and performance on the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test
level 1.

Effects of pitch size in small-sided soccer

The participants usual playing position in the
team (defender, midfielder, and forward) was also
taken into account. Two teams were created that
were similar in terms of the coachs subjective
evaluation, the number of minutes played, and
performance on the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test
level 1. Team A included the goalkeeper with the
highest total score, the second- and third-ranked
defenders, the first- and fourth-ranked midfielders,
and the second-ranked forward. Team B comprised
the second-ranked goalkeeper, the first- and fourthranked defenders, the second- and third-ranked
midfielders, and the first-ranked forward.

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Independent variable: playing area

The independent variable was the same small-sided
game format (five-a-side plus goalkeepers) played on
three different pitch sizes, with three matches on
each. All the small-sided game formats were performed outdoors, on a natural grass soccer pitch.
Although the size of the pitch was varied, we held
constant the relative proportions (length/width) of
the playing surface, the division of the playing area,
and the rule that possession should be determined by
the run of play rather than coach instructions. The
largest playing area (i.e. the large-format small-sided
game) had the same individual playing area as the
standard pitch used by the team for its competitive
home matches. For the other two formats used
(medium and small pitches), the individual playing
area was reduced by around 100 m each time to
175 m2 and *75 m2 of the individual playing area,
respectively (Table I). Individual playing area does
not take into account goalkeepers.
Dependent variables
Effective playing time. This is the duration of play after
subtracting the time taken up by stoppages (fouls,

1617

goals, throw-ins, goal kicks, injuries, etc.); that is, the

amount of time during which the ball is stationary.
Physiological profile: heart rate. The parameter used to
evaluate the physiological component was heart rate,
which was recorded at 5-s intervals during each
small-sided game by means of telemetry (Polar Team
Sport System, Polar Electro Oy, Finland). The heart
rate monitors were also worn during the Yo-Yo
intermittent recovery test level 1 (Bangsbo, Iaia, &
Krustrup, 2008) to determine the maximum heart
rate of each player (Krustrup et al., 2003). The YoYo intermittent recovery test level 1 was performed
outdoors on a natural grass soccer pitch with players
wearing soccer boots. The participants completed
the test at the same time of day and in similar sunny
conditions (198C). As in previous studies (Hill-Haas
et al., 2009b), maximum heart rate (HRmax) was
used as a standard against which to define four
intensity zones (575% HRmax, 7584% HRmax, 85
89% HRmax, and 490% HRmax). We quantified the
percentage of time spent within each intensity zone
during the small-sided games, as well as the
percentages of maximum heart rate (%HRmax) and
mean heart rate (%HRmean) with respect to that
achieved in the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test
level 1.
Physical profile: speed and distance covered. Player
motion during the small-sided games was measured
using a portable GPS device (SPI-elite, GPSports,
Canberra, ACT, Australia). This model offers
acceptable accuracy and reliability (MacLeod et al.,
2009) for most of the relevant measures taken in
team sports that involve short demands and nonlinear intermittent sprints. However, some authors
(Coutts & Duffield, 2010) have suggested that it may
offer poor reliability for high-intensity activities
(coefficient of variation [CV] 11.2% for highintensity running of more than 14.4 km  h71, and

Table I. Established characteristics of the three small-sided game formats (SSGL large pitch, SSGM medium pitch, SSGS small pitch)
and of official competitive matches (CM).
Small-sided game format
Variables
Duration
Pitch size
Playing area
Grid ratio (length-to-width)
Ratio per player
Goalkeepers
Rules
Coach encouragement
Availability of balls

CM format
standard pitch

SSGL

SSGM

SSGS

2 6 40 min
88 6 62 m
5456 m2
1.4:1
272.8 m2
Yes

8 min
62 6 44 m
2728 m2
1.4:1
272.8 m2
Yes

8 min
50 6 35 m
1750 m2
1.4:1
175 m2
Yes

8 min
32 6 23 m
736 m2
1.4:1
73.6 m2
Yes

As in the 11-a-side game

Yes

Yes
Yes

No offside rule
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes

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1618

D. Casamichana & J. Castellano

CV 15.4% for very high-intensity running of more

than 20 km  h71).
The speeds and distances covered were recorded at
1 Hz. To analyse the data, four speed categories were
established: stationary/walking (06.9 km  h71),
low-intensity running (7.012.9 km  h71), medium-intensity running (13.017.9 km  h71), and
high-intensity running (418 km  h71). The speed
and motion categories were similar to those used in
previous studies (Hill-Haas et al., 2009b; Impellizzeri
et al., 2006).
The variables recorded included total distance
covered, distance covered per minute of play,
maximum speed reached, distance covered in each
of the speed categories (stationary/walking, lowintensity running, medium-intensity running, and
high-intensity running), the work-to-rest ratio (estimated using the distance covered at a speed of 0
6.9 km  h71 as rest, while all categories with
speeds greater than 6.9 km  h71 were considered as
work), and frequency of sprints.
Rating of perceived exertion. A perceived exertion
rating scale was completed by each player immediately after each small-sided game during the 5-min
rest period. The scale used was the CR-10 (Foster,
1998). All participants were familiar with this scale
before its use in the present study. The scale has
been validated as an indicator of training intensity
in intermittent tasks of small-sided games (Coutts,
Rampinini, Marcora, Castagna, & Impellizzeri,
2009).
Motor response. The small-sided games were filmed
using a video-camera (Supratech Supracam Zelus
HD, 1/2.500 CMOS, 5.0 megapixels) placed approximately 10 m from the goal line at a height of 10 m.
An ad hoc observational tool was developed to
register the players behaviour, which was similar to
those used in other studies (Gabbet & Mulvey, 2008;
Jones & Drust, 2007; Kelly & Drust, 2009; Mallo
& Navarro, 2008; Owen et al., 2004; Tessitore
et al., 2006). The behaviours that were observed,
coded, and registered were as follows: tackle,
interception, control, dribble, pass, first-touch
pass, shot, header, clearance, and putting the ball
in play. The Measuring and Observation Tool in
Sport (MOTS) software (Castellano, Perea, Alday, &
Hernandez-Mendo, 2008) was selected as the platform for the computerized analysis of players
behaviour.
To assess intra- and inter-observer reliability, the
data were compared across two observation sessions
of the same large-format small-sided games during
the first training drill. Only the behaviours of one
team were recorded. The results showed very good
stability across observations, as kappa was above 0.88

for all criteria and 0.95 for the session as a whole

(Bakeman & Quera, 1996).
Procedures
The study was conducted over a 2-week period in
February during the 20082009 competitive season.
The first week was used to familiarize players with
the GPS and telemetry devices and the small-sided
game formats, as well for application of the Yo-Yo
intermittent recovery test level 1 to all players. The
second week was dedicated to the small-sided games,
which were all played by the same team line-ups and
immediately after a standard 15-min warm-up. The
players refrained from intense physical activity on the
2 days preceding the test sessions. Water ingestion
was allowed during the rest period between smallsided game formats. Each session comprised the
three small-sided game formats (different individual
playing areas), which lasted 8 min each with a 5-min
passive rest between them. Small-sided games
were played at the same time of day under cloudy
conditions (17 + 28C). There were no stoppages
for injury. The order in which the game formats
were played was randomly varied across the three
sessions.
Statistical analysis
The data are presented as means, standard deviations (s), and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).
Levenes test was applied to assess the homogeneity
of variances, while one-way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) was used to test for significant differences
in each of the dependent variables. The independent
variables were the three individual playing areas of
each small-sided game (large, medium and small),
and the post-hoc Bonferroni test was applied whenever any significant difference was found between
them. Pearsons correlation coefficients were then
used to assess the relationship between effective
playing time and the physical and physiological
variables, perceived exertion, and motor response.
All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS
v.16.0 for Windows. Statistical significance was set at
P 5 0.01 and P 5 0.05.

Results
Effective playing time
There were variations in effective playing time
according to the different small-sided game formats.
As pitch size was reduced, there was a concomitant
decrease in the effective playing time, with the
shortest duration corresponding to the small pitch
(325 + 17 s; medium pitch: 364 + 9 s; large pitch:

Effects of pitch size in small-sided soccer

394 + 33 s). Effective playing time on the small pitch
was significantly different from that on both the large
pitch and medium pitch (post-hoc Bonferroni test:
there were significant differences for small pitch vs.
medium pitch and large pitch, P 5 0.05, but not for
medium pitch vs. large pitch, P 0.1).

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Physiological responses
Table II shows the physiological characteristics
associated with the small-sided games played with
different individual playing areas. While there were
no significant differences between the large and
medium pitches, both these formats showed significant differences versus the small pitch on all the
variables (%HRmax and %HRmean: large and medium pitches 4 small pitch; 490% HRmax: large
pitch 4 small pitch; 7584% HRmax: large and
medium pitches 5small pitch) except for the percentage of time played at 575% HRmax and the
percentage of time at 8489% HRmax.
Ratings of perceived exertion
Means, standard deviations, and confidence intervals
(95%CI, in parentheses) for the ratings of perceived
exertion given by players in the different small-sided
game formats were: 6.7 + 0.8 (5.87.5) on the large
pitch, 6.7 + 0.8 (5.87.5) on the medium pitch, and
5.7 + 1.0 (4.66.7) on the small pitch. Significant
differences were observed only for the small pitch
with respect to both the large and medium pitches
(post-hoc Bonferroni test: large pitch 4 small pitch;
medium pitch 4 small pitch; P 5 0.05 in all cases).
The correlation with effective playing time was
r 0.374 (P 5 0.01).
Physical responses
Table III shows the total distance covered, distance
covered per minute of play, maximum speed

1619

reached, distance covered in each of the speed

categories during the different small-sided games,
the work-to-rest ratio, and sprint frequency. The
data are expressed as absolute values (metres).
There were significant differences between the
large and small pitches for all the variables studied
except the distance covered at a speed of 0
6.9 km  h71. Differences were observed between
the medium and small pitches with respect to the
total distance covered, distance covered at 13.0
17.9 km  h71, and the work-to-rest ratio. The
only significant difference between the large pitch
and medium pitch concerned the total distance
covered. Finally, the only variable that showed no
significant difference between the different individual playing area formats was the total distance
covered at 06.9 km  h71. There was a strong and
positive correlation between almost all the physical
variables (total distance, distance covered per
minute of play, distance covered in low-intensity
running, distance covered in medium-intensity
running, and work-to-rest ratio) and effective
playing time. However, the correlation was negative
between total distance covered when stationary/
walking and effective playing time.
Motor responses
Table IV shows the various motor behaviours for the
different individual playing area formats. Most of the
behaviours studied increased in frequency as the
individual playing area became smaller, without
there being any significant differences between the
large and medium pitches, except for control and
dribble. There were significant differences between
small and medium pitches for control and shoot,
clearance, and putting the ball in play, as well as
significant differences between small and large
pitches for interception, control and dribble, clearance, and putting the ball in play. There were
negative correlations between interception, control

Table II. Means (+standard deviations) and 95% confidence intervals (in parentheses) for the physiological variables of players in the
different small-sided game formats: The final column shows the correlations between effective playing time (EPT) and each of the
physiological variables.

%HRmax
%HRmean
575% HRmax
7584% HRmax
8489% HRmax
490% HRmax

SSGL

SSGM

SSGS

Correlation with EPT

94.6 + 4.3 (90.1 to 99.2)b

88.9 + 3.9 (84.8 to 93.0)b
3.3 + 4.5 (71.3 to 8.0)
10.0 + 14.7 (75.4 to 25.5)
35.8 + 23.1 (11.6 to 60.0)
50.8 + 34.4 (14.7 to 86.9)b

94.6 + 3.4 (91.0 to 98.2)c

88.5 + 4.9 (83.3 to 93.7)c
2.7 + 5.3 (72.8 to 8.3)
19.4 + 22.7 (74.4 to 43.2)
20.8 + 14.3 (5.8 to 35.8)
57.0 + 36.0 (19.3 to 94.8)c

93.0 + 5.7 (87.0 to 99.0)

86.0 + 5.8 (79.3 to 92.1)
5.6 + 8.7 (73.5 to 14.7)
27.9 + 36.1 (79.9 to 65.8)d,e
25.2 + 17.5 (6.8 to 43.5)
41.3 + 36.0 (3.5 to 79.0)

0.366**
0.332**
70.185
70.250*
70.430
70.284**

Note: SSGL (large pitch), SSGM (medium pitch), SSGS (small pitch), HRmax (maximum heart rate), %HRmax (percentage of maximum
heart rate), %HRmean (percentage of mean heart rate).
Post-hoc Bonferroni test: bSSGL 4 SSGS; cSSGM 4 SSGS; dSSGS 4 SSGL; eSSGS 4 SSGM (P 5 0.05 in all cases).
Pearsons correlation coefficients: *P 5 0.05; **P 5 0.01.

0.683**
0.683**
0.253
70.577*
0.657**
0.787**
0.128
0.805**
0.251

and dribble, and putting the ball in play with effective

playing time.
Discussion

Note: SSGL (large pitch), SSGM (medium pitch), SSGS (small pitch).
Post-hoc Bonferroni test: aSSGL 4 SSGM; bSSGL 4 SSGS; cSSGM 4 SSGS (P 5 0.05 in all cases).
Pearsons correlation coefficients: *P 5 0.05; **P 5 0.01.

695.8 + 37.1 (656.9 to 734.8)

87.0 + 4.6 (82.1 to 91.8)
18.05 + 1.5 (16.5 to 19.6)
401.7 + 27.7 (372.7 to 430.8)
238.9 + 41.7 (195.2 to 282.7)
50.2 + 21.0 (28.1 to 72.2)
4.9 + 5.5 (70.9 to 10.7)
0.7 + 0.2 (0.6 to 0.9)
0.8 + 0.7 (0.0 to 1.6)
908.9 + 30.6c (876.8 to 941.1)
113.6 + 3.8c (109.6 to 117.6)
20.4 + 1.9 (18.4 to 22.4)
390.6 + 30.4 (358.7 to 422.5)
329.3 + 54.0 (272.6 to 386.0)
155.4 + 41.4c (112.0 to 198.8)
28.5 + 33.3 (76.4 to 63.4)
1.3 + 0.2c (1.1 to 1.5)
3.0 + 2.2 (0.7 to 5.3)
999.6 + 50.0a,b (947.1 to 1052.2)
125.0 + 6.2a,b (118.4 to 131.5)
23.1 + 2.6b (20.4 to 25.8)
378.2 + 37.2 (339.2 to 417.2)
366.3 + 74.8b (287.8 to 444.8)
180.9 + 42.6b (136.3 to 225.6)
74.2 + 58.9b (12.3 to 136.0)
1.7 + 0.3b (1.3 to 2.0)
5.8 + 3.9b (1.7 to 9.45)
Total distance (m)
Distance covered per minute (m)
Maximum speed (km  h71)
Distance stationary/walking (06.9 km  h71) (m)
Distance low-intensity running (7.012.9 km  h71) (m)
Distance medium-intensity running (13.017.9 km  h71) (m)
Distance high-intensity running (418 km  h71) (m)
Work-to-rest ratio
Sprint frequency

SSGM
SSGL

SSGS

Correlation with EPT

D. Casamichana & J. Castellano

Table III. Means (+ standard deviations) and 95% confidence intervals (in parentheses) for the physical variables of players in the different small-sided game formats: The final column shows the
correlations between effective playing time (EPT) and each of the physical variables.

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1620

The main aim of this study was to determine the

effect of altering the individual playing area of smallsided games on the physiological, physical, and
motor responses as well as perceived exertion of
field soccer players. Significant differences were
observed for most of the variables studied: when
the individual playing area was largest, the physical
and physiological workloads and the ratings of
perceived exertion were all higher, while certain
motor behaviours were observed less frequently.
Moreover, the effective playing time was also higher
when the individual playing area was larger.
In line with other studies (Owen et al., 2004;
Rampinini et al., 2007), we found that for the same
small-sided games an increase in the individual
playing area led to a concomitant increase in the
physical and physiological workloads and ratings of
perceived exertion. It should be noted, however, that
not all research has reported this trend (Kelly &
Drust, 2009; Tessitore et al., 2006).
Average figures for the immediate physiological
effects of drills ranged between 86% HRmax for the
small pitch to 89% HRmax for the large pitch, these
values being very similar to those observed by other
authors using a 5 vs. 5 format: 91% HRmax (Hoff,
Wisloff, Engen, Kemi, & Helgerud, 2002), 8991%
HRmax (Kelly & Drust, 2009), 8990% HRmax
(Little & Williams, 2006), 89% (Little & Williams,
2007), and 8689% HRmax (Rampinini et al., 2007).
These figures are also close to those required to
improve oxygen consumption (VO2max) (9095%
HRmax) (Helgerud, Engen, Wisloff, & Hoff, 2001;
Impellizzeri et al., 2006), as well as the anaerobic
threshold (8590% HRmax). In this regard, it seems
that the small-sided games used here are useful for
improving the aerobic endurance of young soccer
players. With respect to the percentage of time spent
at more than 90% HRmax, on both the large and
medium pitches players spent more than half their
total activity time within this intensity zone, which is
of considerable interest in terms of improving
VO2max.
Ratings of perceived exertion appear to be a good
indicator of the overall intensity of the activity when
compared with heart rate and lactate concentration
in small-sided games (Coutts et al., 2009). In the
present study, the lowest ratings of perceived
exertion corresponded to the small pitch, which
reflects the pattern observed for the physiological and
physical responses and effective playing time with the
same format. Similar results have been reported by
others (Rampinini et al., 2007).

Effects of pitch size in small-sided soccer

1621

Table IV. Means (+standard deviations) and 95% confidence intervals (in parentheses) for the observed motor behaviours of players in the
different small-sided game formats: The final column shows the correlations between effective playing time (EPT) and each of the physical
variables.
Behaviours

SSGL

Tackle
3.0 + 0.9 (2.1 to 3.9)
Interception
6.3 + 1.5 (4.7 to 7.9)
Control
1.7 + 1.7 (70.2 to 3.5)
Control and dribble
1.7 + 0.8 (0.8 to 2.5)
Control, dribble, and pass
14.2 + 4.2 (9.8 to 18.5)
Control and pass
18.7 + 4.3 (14.1 to 23.2)
Control and shoot
2.2 + 1.7 (0.4 to 3.9)
Control, dribble, and shoot
1.0 + 0.6 (0.3 to 1.7)
Header
1.7 + 1.0 (0.6 to 2.7)
First-touch pass
9.0 + 5.6 (3.1 to 14.9)
Clearance
2.3 + 1.0 (1.2 to 3.4)
Putting ball in play
12.2 + 4.3 (7.6 to 16.7)

SSGM
4.5 + 2.1 (2.3 to 6.7)
8.3 + 2.6 (5.6 to 11.0)
1.8 + 1.3 (0.4 to 3.2)
4.5 + 1.5 (2.9 to 6.1)c
13.8 + 5.5 (8.1 to 19.6)
16.8 + 6.1 (10.4 to 23.2)
1.8 + 1.6 (0.1 to 3.5)
1.5 + 1.97 (70.6 to 3.6)
2.3 + 2.2 (70.3 to 4.7)
11.3 + 2.9 (8.2 to 14.4)
3.8 + 2.6 (1.1 to 6.6)
16.5 + 1.6 (14.8 to 18.2)

SSGS
3.0 + 2.7
11.2 + 3.1
2.8 + 0.9
5.2 + 1.7
10.2 + 6.5
14.5 + 6.6
5.0 + 2.4
2.5 + 0.5
4.0 + 2.1
10.3 + 3.3
8.0 + 2.9
27.7 + 3.8

(0.2 to 5.8)
(7.9 to 14.4)a
(1.8 to 3.9)
(3.4 to 7.0)a
(3.3 to 17.0)
(7.6 to 21.4)
(2.5 to 7.5)b
(1.9 to 3.1)
(1.8 to 6.2)
(6.8 to 13.8)
(4.9 to 11.1)a,b
(23.6 to 31.7)a,b

Correlation with EPT

0.148
70.522*
70.394
70.494*
0.277
0.204
70.451
70.346
70.542
0.105
70.566
70.871**

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Note: SSGL (large pitch), SSGM (medium pitch), SSGS (small pitch).
Post-hoc Bonferroni test: aSSGS 4 SSGL; bSSGS 4 SSGM; cSSGM 4 SSGL (P 5 0.05 in all cases).
Pearsons correlation coefficients: *P 5 0.05; **P 5 0.01.

As regards the physical response, the results are in

line with those obtained for the physiological
parameters analysed. The large and medium pitches
were similar to one another, and both showed
significant differences compared with the small pitch.
To compare the present findings with those of other
studies of small-sided games of different duration, or
with competitive matches, we believe that the
variable distance covered per minute is more
representative of the general intensity of the activity
and can be used as a global index of task intensity.
The total distances covered per minute of play
ranged from 87 m  min71 on the small pitch to
125 m  min71 on the large pitch. This is consistent
with findings for young Brazilian soccer players, who
covered 118, 105, and 109 m  min71 in the under15, under-17, and under-19 category, respectively
(Pereira, Kirkendall, & Barros, 2007), as well as with
the 100 m  min71 achieved by Spanish pre-adoles lvarez, Barbero-A
lvarez, &
cent players (Barbero-A
Granda, 2007).
One variable that provides overall information
about the pattern of activity is the work-to-rest ratio.
In line with previous findings in competitive matches
lvarez et al., 2007), the lowest work-to(Barbero-A
rest ratios were obtained on the small pitch,
indicating highly intermittent activity in which
high-intensity tasks are interspersed with moments
of play that enable the player to recover while
stationary, walking or jogging. Note that the workto-rest ratio was 41 on the large and medium
pitches, which indicates that the activity pattern in
these formats prioritizes activity over recovery that
is, they are tasks in which greater distances are
covered at high intensity (work) than at low intensity
(rest). With respect to maximum speed and sprint
frequency, both these variables had the lowest values

on the small pitch, something that needs to be taken

into account when proposing training drills.
As regards the motor response, the frequency of
behaviours increased as the individual playing area
was reduced, this being consistent with previous
findings (Kelly & Drust, 2009; Owen et al., 2004;
Tessitore et al., 2006). However, these earlier studies
only reported a significant difference for the behaviours tackle and shoot, whereas in the present study
there were significant differences for the number of
interceptions, control and dribble, control and shoot,
clearance, and putting the ball in play. It would
appear, therefore, that the size of the pitch largely
determines players behaviours in small-sided games.
In addition, we believe that the effective playing
time could offer a potential explanation for the
differences in the physiological, physical, and perceived exertion variables studied in the small-sided
games: as the individual playing area was reduced,
the frequency of motor behaviours increased, with a
concomitant decrease in the effective playing time
(since a greater number of rule-related interruptions
leads to a shorter effective playing time). At the same
time, the players cover less ground, spending more
time stationary or walking, which leads to a lower
physiological workload and lower ratings of perceived exertion. Thus we believe that the effective
playing time must be evaluated in an attempt to
explain the physical workload in this kind of training
drill. Although the results are presented in absolute
terms (i.e. without making them relative to the
effective playing time), we consider that effective
playing time should be taken into account because
many of the variables studied were highly correlated
with effective playing time. The difference in the
amount of time during which the ball is in play is one
of the factors that influences the variables studied.

1622

D. Casamichana & J. Castellano

This study is the first to describe the timemotion

characteristics associated with different pitch sizes
while keeping the number of players consistent.
However, one limitation of the present study concerns
the interpretation of the timemotion results, because
the sampling rate of the GPS units was 1 Hz, the
reliability of which for high-intensity running is
relatively poor.

Downloaded By: [Universidad de Malaga] At: 09:46 3 December 2010

Conclusions
The present results suggest that small-sided games
can be used to develop soccer players endurance in a
specific way. In this respect, the individual playing
area is a variable that coaches should not overlook
when designing training drills, as it enables the
intensity of all aspects of soccer to be modulated.
Larger pitches can be used to increase task intensity
and smaller ones to reduce it. Moreover, effective
playing time might influence the workload achieved
by players and this can be determined by pitch size.
In addition, greater attention needs to be paid to
the effects on play itself (i.e. a focus on players
motor responses). The main aim of soccer drills is to
enable players to increase their technical and tactical
options. We believe that the key lies in designing
training activities to develop this aspect, with only
secondary emphasis being placed on improving the
players physical performance.
In conclusion, the individual playing area should
be taken into account when designing training drills
because it affects the physical, physiological, and
motor responses of players.
Acknowledgements
This study is part of the project entitled Avances
tecnologicos y metodologicos en la automatizacion de
estudios observacionales en deporte, funded by Spains
Direccion General de Investigacion, Ministerio de
Ciencia e Innovacion (PSI2008-01179) over the
period 20082011.
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