A. (2013). Designing small-sided games for training tactical aspects in soccer: extrapolating pitch sizes from full-size professional matches. Journal of Sports Sciences, 31,[573][574][575][576][577][578][579][580][581] Dette er siste tekst-versjon av artikkelen, og den kan inneholde små forskjeller fra forlagets pdf-versjon. Forlagets pdf-versjon finner du på www.tandfonline.com: http://dx.doi.org/10. 1080/02640414.2012.746722 This is the final text version of the article, and it may contain minor differences from the journal's pdf version. The original publication is available at www.tandfonline.

This study examines entries into the penalty area as a performance indicator that distinguishes between winning, drawing and losing soccer teams. It assesses whether entries into the penalty area are influenced by match status, a player's dismissal and the respective quality of the competing teams. Two observers analysed the relation between defensive and offensive strategies and their scoring consequences for all 64 matches played in the 2006 World Cup. Kappa values ranged between 0.93 and 0.98 for intra-reliability and between 0.88 and 0.98 for inter-reliability. It was found that winning teams received significantly fewer entries into their own penalty area (mean=41.42, s=11.86) than drawing (mean=50.07, s=14.75) and losing teams (mean=47.23, s=12.14). Teams that received more entries into their own penalty area than the opposing team were significantly more likely to concede a goal (P <0.001). Teams losing by one (mean=0.41, s=0.21), two (mean=0.42, s=0.26) or more than two goals (mean=0.34, s=0.13) received significantly fewer entries into the penalty area per minute than teams winning by one (mean=0.55, s=0.27) or two goals (mean=0.59, s=0.39). Teams with fewer players on the pitch received significantly more entries into the penalty area per minute than teams with more (mean=0.22, s=0.07) or the same number (mean=0.14, s=0.05) of players. Based on these results, it is suggested that teams should enter the opposing team's penalty area but should not allow their opponents to do the same. These results also highlight the significance of the dismissal of a player.

The aims of this study were to assess (a) the validity of total body load (TBL)-obtained from the global position system (GPS) devices-to quantify soccer training load, assessing its relationship with session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) and (b) to analyze the differences in terms of TBL and session-RPE among defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Twenty-two professional soccer players (Spanish first division, season 2007-2008; 26.74 ± 4.2 years; height 179.74 ± 4.04 cm; weight 73.7 ± 3.35 kg) participated in the study. During 13 training sessions composed predominantly of small-sided games, TBL and RPE multiplied by the minutes of session duration were determined using GPS and the 21-point scale, respectively. In each session, data from 10 players randomly selected and classified according to player position (defenders, midfielders, and forwards) were collected. Although session-RPE was a significant predictor of TBL (β = 0.23, p < 0.05), this method only accounted for 5% of the variance in TBL. No significant differences in terms of TBL and session-RPE were found regarding player position. The results of this study suggest that TBL is not a valid measure to quantify training load because it is not strongly correlated with session-RPE. Furthermore, TBL and session-RPE in small-sided soccer games do not vary according to player positions.

The aims of this study were to examine the playing area in female football matches according to the position of the ball. We investigated: 1) the space between the two offside lines (the length), 2) the width, 3) the distance from the least advanced defender to the goal line in defensive activity, 4) the distance from the least advanced attacker to her goal line in attacking activity, 5) the distance between the goalkeeper and her nearest attacking team mate, and 6) the distance between the goalkeeper and her nearest defending team mate. With these measurements we were also able to obtain 7) the individual playing area used during female professional football matches. Data were collected during Spanish matches and notated postevent using the Amisco® system. A total of 2756 game situations were coded from four games. The distribution of players was significantly . While there are obvious differences in playing intensity between the men's and women's games, the nature of football competition, in terms of work-rest ratios, and proportion of time spent in highand very-high intensity running is similar between men and women [2-4]. The playing area is also presented as a tactical factor that might influence an athletes' decision-making in football. Therefore, this playing space should be considered when interpreting the real demands of the game [5]. In matches, the offside rule contributes to a reduction of the space among outfield players because teams tend to advance the position of the back four lines, placing 20 players in a reduced area of the pitch [6]. In female football, the distance between the two offside lines varied between 36.16 and 46.88 metres [7]. It is likely that reductions in playing space can impact an athlete's decision-making. Several studies have reported the effect of changing space and time on football match performance [8][9][10][11][12] with factors such as the playing styles, the ability to counter-attack, and distribution of opponents across the field all influencing the space and time available to attacking players. Thus, knowledge of how playing spaces change under different circumstances in a game can provide useful information to coaches who design training tasks to develop game awareness and tactical skills.The playing space is influenced by the location of the ball on the pitch [13]. Different space areas may be expected depending on whether the ball is in one of the six zones of the 11 v 11 pitch. Bangsbo and Peitersen [14] stated that "build up play" (i.e., the construction of attack, beginning with the first attacking options) and preventing finishing phases occurred near to the player's own goal, establishing play and transitioning occurred in the midfield, whereas penetration and finishing took place near the opponent's goal. There are specific technical-tactical skills linked to each phase of play and each part of the pitch. An analysis of the available space in which players have to perform during match-play would appear to be useful for training purposes. From a speci...

Attacking tactical variables have been commonly studied in soccer to analyze teams' performance. However, few studies investigated defensive tactical variables during match-play and the influence of contextual variables on them. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine the defensive behaviors of soccer teams when gaining the ball in advanced zones of the pitch and (2) to evaluate the effect of contextual variables on these defensive behaviors. A sample of 1,095 defensive pieces of play initiated in the opposing half of the pitch obtained from 10 matches of the season 2010/11 of La Liga and involving 13 teams was collected using the semiautomated tracking system Amisco Pro. Five defensive tactical variables, the outcome of defensive pieces of play, and contextual variables (i.e., match status, venue, quality of opposition, and match period) were recorded for every defensive piece initiated in the opposing half of the pitch. Results showed that there were significant differences among teams in the outcome of defensive pieces of play originating from the opposing half (χ 2 = 111.87, p < 0.01, ϕ c = 0.22), and in the outcome of offensive pieces of play following ball gains (χ 2 = 49.92, p < 0.001, ϕ c = 0.22). Cluster analysis revealed four groups describing different defensive behaviors from high-pressure to a defense close to their own goal. Match status (χ 2 = 25.87, p < 0.05, ϕ c = 0.11) and quality of opposition (χ 2 = 21.19, p < 0.05, ϕ c = 0.10) were the contextual variables that showed a significant effect on defensive pieces of play initiated in the opposite half of the pitch. Teams winning gained more balls in the zone close to their own goal, and losing teams gained more balls in advanced zones of the pitch. Moreover, the greater the quality of the opponent the lesser the chance of gaining the ball in advanced zones of the pitch. Neither venue or match period influenced the defensive pieces of play analyzed. Soccer teams could employ a similar analysis to improve their performance and prepare for opposition teams in competition.