Biology of Sport
eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X
Biology of Sport
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abstract:
Original paper

Analysis of the effects of manipulating the space and number of players in small-sided games on the external load demands of futsal athletes in different age categories

Leandro Lume Gomes
1
,
Sérgio Adriano Gomes
2, 3, 4
,
Bruno Travassos
5, 6, 7
,
João Nuno Ribeiro
5, 8, 9
,
Iván Asín-Izquierdo
10, 11, 12
,
Henrique de Oliveira Castro
13
,
Carlos Ernesto Santos Ferreira
2

  1. Physical Education Faculty, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
  2. Department of Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
  3. Department of Physical Education, University Center of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
  4. Secretaria de Estado de Educação do Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil
  5. Sport Science Department, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
  6. Centro de Investigação em Desporto, Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano – CIDESD, Covilhã, Portugal
  7. Portugal Football School, Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, Oeiras, Portugal
  8. Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, School of Education, Communication and Sports, Guarda, Portugal
  9. Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center – SPRINT, Portugal
  10. ENFYRED Research Group, Department of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain
  11. Science-Based Training Research Group, Physical Performance and Sports Research Center, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain
  12. Football Science Institute, FSI Lab, Granada, Spain
  13. Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisas em Educação Física e Esportes, Physical Education Department, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
Biol Sport. 2025;42(3):29–36
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.145917
Online publish date: 2025/01/14
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The study aim was to analyse the effects of manipulating the space and number of players in small-sided games on the external load demands of futsal athletes of different age categories. Fifty-six male futsal players from U15, U17, U19, and adult age categories participated. The study lasted 7 weeks. The first week was for familiarization and evaluations to characterize the sample. In the six subsequent weeks there were six futsal tasks T1 (GK + 2×2 + GK, 20×20 m), T2 (GK + 2×2 + GK, 40×20 m), T3 (GK + 3×3 + GK, 20×20 m), T4 (GK + 3×3 + GK, 40×20 m), T5 (GK + 4×4 + GK, 20×20 m), and T6 (GK + 4×4 + GK, 40×20 m). The external load variables were measured with an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and kinematic (total and relative distance) and mechanical (total distance at high intensity accelerations and decelerations) data were extracted. T2 (133 m2) showed higher values for total distance covered (1248.0±97.6 m) and distances covered at speeds between 12.1 and 18 km/h (407.8±44.7 m) and greater than 18.1 km/h (115.2±28.9 m) compared to T5 (40 m2) and T6 (80 m2). In addition, we observed greater variability in high-intensity accelerations and high intensity decelerations, suggesting that regardless of field size and number of players, relative area might not play as crucial a role in this dimension.
keywords:

Team sports, Ecological approaches, Nonlinear pedagogy, Constraints-led approach, Game manipulations, Conditioning games

  
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