Heart rate and technical responses to variation in pitch dimension and surface in ‘‘three-a-side’’ youth soccer drills

Abstract

Small-sided soccer games allow increasing players specific practice time eliciting simultaneously phy- sical and technical aspects within a major tactical involvement. Youth players’ performance in ‘‘three- a-side’’ drills are used very often without knowing their real impact. Thus, the aim of the current study was to identify heart rate and technical responses to variation in pitch dimension (30620 m; 20615 m) and surface (grass; rough sand) in ‘‘three-a-side’’ drills performed by youth players (age 9.9+0.64). Each drill condition lasted for 15 min, with a 6-min period of active recovery. Heart rate was evaluated through heart rate reserve (HRR). Tech- nical analysis was validated by a group of experts and consisted of quantifying the following variables: number and ratio of right and wrong passes, average number of ball contacts for each team’s ball possession, number of in and off goal shoots, goals, shooting efficiency, number of passes by shooting play and 161 situations. Results were analysed though a 262 repeated measures ANOVA. In the grass pitch, teams’ exhibited in the 30620 m pitch a higher HRR (132 + 5 and 126 + 4) and a higher ratio of right passes (0.72 + 0.01 and 0.60 + 0.03). In the rough sand pitch, significant differences were found, with higher values for the 30620 pitch, for number (49.5 + 0.7 and 39.0 + 2.8) and ratio (0.67 + 0.00 and 0.57 + 0.02) of right passes, average number of ball contacts (2.1 + 0.08 and 1.8 + 0.02) and HRR (129 + 5 and 124 + 4). In the 30620 m pitch, significant differences were found for ratio of right passes, with higher value in the grass (0.72 + 0.01 and 0.67 + 0.00), and HRR, also with higher values for the grass (134+4 and 129+5). In the 20615 m pitch, significant differences were found only in HRR, with higher values for the grass field (128+4 and 124+4). Coaches should be aware that modifying pitches dimension and surface influences drill physio- logical and technical impact. Therefore, these results help coaches to better plan and direct youth soccer drills and controlling quantity and quality in prac- tices.