Structure, intensity and player duels in under-13 football training in Switzerland

Abstract

We evaluated the structure (i.e., the different training parts), contents (i.e., the various activities used), intensity and occurrence of contact situations and headers during training sessions in under-13 football in Switzerland. 242 players from 20 different teams on average aged 11.4 (SD 0.7) years participated. The participants were filmed during a typical training session while they were equipped with a heart rate sensor. The sessions were systematically recorded to allow for detailed analyses. Furthermore, a preliminary and explorative analysis of the influence of the level of play on these results was conducted. The overall findings indicated that training included 33.4% playing forms, 29.5% training forms, 28.4% inactivity time and 8.7% athletics. The highest heart rates were achieved in the playing forms (166 min-1, 83% HRmax) compared to the other two activities (training forms 154 min-1, 77% HRmax; athletics 150 min-1, 75% HRmax). Each player had 12.8 duels and 0.6 headers per training. Overall most duels were conducted from anterior direction. Playing forms induce higher cardio-circulatory load as well as a better learning environment. Potentially dangerous situations like contact with other players or headers occurred in a single player on average every 6 minutes during a training session.

Training matters: Heading incidence and characteristics in children's and youth football (soccer) players

“…16 The number of headers per player per training in Under-11 males, Under-19 males, and Under-17 females is similar to that of other observational studies with Under-13 males, 19-year-old males (1 header per player per training), and Under-16 females (approximately 1.4 headers per player per training). [26][27][28] However, incidences in Under-11 are much lower in the present study, compared to the Under-12 in Beaudouin et al (IR: 5007). 16 One reason could be a higher awareness on limiting the heading burden under preventative aspects in younger age groups at present due to media attention, previous limitations of heading in US soccer 29 and recommendations by 2020 published UEFA heading guidelines.…”

“…Despite canceled training sessions and matches due to pandemic situations, the number and exposure time of observed training sessions is much higher compared to previous studies. 16,26,27,37 Single training sessions showed at times very high heading exposures, due to sessions focusing on heading training. Although the coaches were advised to execute "normal" training during study participation, video observation might have motivated players and/or coaches to give eimore or less attention to heading.…”

“…Unfortunately, studies examining heading exposure in training are rare so far, despite the proportion of training sessions being much larger compared to matches. 2,26,27 The (rapid) increase in IR from Under-11 to Under-15, specifically in training might partly be explained by an increase in field size in these age groups as the number of players per team in matches increased and differing training plans. As lower heading numbers are associated with small-sided games, the field size is an influencing factor for technical demands.…”