Unapređenje kondicijske pripremljenosti mladih nogometaša primjenom igranja malog nogometa na različitim veličinama igrališta – poseban osvrt na fiziološke odgovore

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether young soccer players change their physiological responses according to the different sizes of a pitch for 3-a-side and 4-a-side games (SSG). Sixteen young soccer players (age 14.2±0.6 yrs; height 162.8±5.7cm; body mass 55.1±7.4kg) participated in three different format of 3-a-side (small pitch size: SSGS, 20x15m; medium pitch size: SSGM, 25x18m; large pitch size: SSGL, 30x20m) and 4-a-side (SSGS, 20x20m; SSGM, 30x20m; SSGL, 32x25m) games. Each player performed the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (YIRT) level 1. Then, the 3-a-side and 4-a-side games were organized in random order at 2-day intervals. During SSGs, heart rate (HR) was recorded. In addition, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was determined at the end of each SSG. The study results demonstrated that young soccer players presented significantly higher HR (F=14.722; p<.05; η2=0.495), %HRmax (F=14.694; p<.05; η2=0.495) and RPE10 (F=14.045; p<.05; η2=0.484) during 3-a-side SSGL compared to both 3-a-side SSGS and SSGM. Moreover, the 4-a-side SSGL induced significantly higher HR (F=6.658; p<.05; η2=0.307), %HRmax (F=6.495; p<.05; η2=0.302) and RPE10 (F=18.719; p<.05; η2=0.555) compared to 4-a-side SSGS. Therefore, it can be concluded that young soccer players could change their physiological responses during SSGs according to a different pitch size. The results of this study suggest that coaches of young soccer players should pay special attention to choosing the SSG type and pitch size when targeting physical conditioning of players in soccer training.Cilj je ovog istraživanja bio utvrditi da li mladi nogometaši različito fiziološki odgovaraju na igranje malog nogometa 3 na 3 i 4 na 4 kada se mijenja veličina igrališta. Šesnaest mladih nogometaša (14,2±0,6 godina, tjelesne visine 162,8±5,7 cm i tjelesne težine 55,1±7,4 kg) igralo je mali nogomet 3 na 3 na tri različite veličine igrališta (malo igralište: SSGS, 20x15m; srednje igralište: SSGM, 25x18m; veliko igralište: SSGL, 30x20m) te 4 na 4 na (SSGS, 20x20m; SSGM, 30x20m; SSGL, 32x25m). Svaki igrač je bio testiran pomoću YoYo intermittent recovery testa (YYIRT) 1. razine. Nakon provedenih testiranja, slučajnim redoslijedom, u intervalima od 2 dana, igrao se mali nogomet 3 na 3 i 4 na 4. Tijekom igranja malog nogometa bilježena je frekvencija srca (FS). Nadalje, nakon posljednjeg perioda svake igre zabilježena je i subjektivna procjena opterećenja (SPO). Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da mladi nogometaši manifestiraju značajno višu frekvenciju srca (F=14,722; p<,05; η2=0,495), %FS (F=14,694; p<,05; η2=0,495) i SPO10 (F=14.045; p<,05; η2=0,484) tijekom igranja 3 na 3 na velikom igralištu u odnosu na igranje 3 na 3 na srednjem i malom igralištu. Štoviše, igranje 4 na 4 na velikom igralištu izazvalo je značajno višu frekvenciju srca (F=6,658; p<,05; η2=0.307), %FSmax (F=6,495; p<,05; η2=0,302) i SPO10 (F=18,719; p<,05; η2=0,555) u usporedbi s igranjem 4 na 4 na malom igralištu. Stoga se može zaključiti da mladi nogometaši manifestiraju različite fiziološke odgovore na igranje malog nogometa na igralištima različite veličine. Rezultati ovog istraživanja sugeriraju da bi treneri koji rade s mladim nogometašima trebali obratiti pažnju na odabir broja igrača i veličinu igrališta u odnosu na broj igrača kako bi poboljšali željenu razinu kondicijske pripremljenosti tijekom nogometnog treninga

Quantification and analysis of offensive situations in sided games in soccer

Playing soccer in reduced spaces has become particularly important, both for organised or spontaneous set-ups (Castellano et al., 2008). This type of play offers a great deal of possibilities and combinations and gives players an increased level of interaction in the game. Nevertheless, players' need to interact with each other turns any defending or attacking situation into complex moves with a wide range of variables to be considered, in which the player is never isolated and must make the move that has the most positive impact on play (Gréhaigne et al., 2011). Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the most relevant attacking moves from a technical and tactical perspective for each game format (5v5, 7v7, 9v9), playing surface (grass, turf, dirt), and age group (U9, U14)

Quantification and analysis of offensive situations in different formats of sided games in soccer

There has been a lot of research that enabled soccer to improve: its technique, tactics and strategy through analysis and training. Nevertheless, players? need to interact with each other turns any defending or attacking situation into complex solutions with a wide range of variables to be considered, in which the player is never isolated and must make the move that has the most positive impact on play. Fifty-four sided games played in three different formats (5v5, 7v7 and 9v9) and with two age groups (U9 and U14) were filmed at three soccer clubs in Spain in order to identify the most relevant attacking moves, from a technical and tactical perspective. This study used the observational method; it is descriptive and is applied through well-prepared systematic quantitative observation in a natural environment. A key part of the method involved viewing the match recordings and logging moves that had been categorised beforehand. Cohen?s Kappa analysis showed that the results for the most representative variables presented a substantial degree of concordance (0.61-0.80). The results show that there were significant variations depending on the game format, and the following study will present a description and analysis of the aspects that had considerable influence on attacking moves in different formats of sided games (5v5, 7v7 and 9v9). The study also presents various practical applications for the area of training and analysing both youth and professional soccer

Comparison of tactical offensive variables in different playing surfaces in sided games in soccer

In recent decades soccer has been analysed in great detail, enabling the technical and tactical aspects of the game to be improved through observation, analysis and training. However, there are not significant studies that particularly looked at the impact of the playing surfaces in depth. Thus the main aim of this study is to analyse and compare the quantitative and qualitative effect of the playing surface (grass, dirt or turf) on teams? and players? performances from a tactical perspective, through observing various sided games in youth soccer players. 54 games in three different formats (5v5, 7v7 and 9v9) were analysed, divided into two age groups (378 players of U-9 and U-14 categories) and filmed at three Spanish soccer clubs. This study used the observational and descriptive method and was carried out by systematic observation. This involved watching pre-recorded matches to observe and log different types of behaviour in previously defined categories. Results revealed that there were no significant differences for the different surfaces or game formats, and the study presents a description and analysis of the aspects that had considerable influence on the attacking moves for each surface and game format

Straight-Line and Change of Direction Intermittent Running in Professional Soccer Players

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to investigate the difference between straight-line (STL) and change of direction (COD) intermittent running exercises in soccer players. METHODS: Seventeen male professional soccer players performed the agility T-test and 6 intermittent running exercises: 10s at 130% of maximal aerobic speed (MAS) alternated with 10s of rest (10-10), 15s at 120% of MAS alternated with 15s of rest (15-15) and 30s at 110% of MAS alternated with 30s of rest (30-30) both in STL and with COD. All exercises were monitored using a global positioning system. Heart rate was measured during exercises and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was collected post-exercise. Delta (Δ) between covered distance in STL and COD exercises at a similar load was calculated and relationships between T-test and Δ distance were analysed. RESULTS: COD intermittent exercises showed a significantly decreased distance covered and an increased number of accelerations, heart rate peak and RPE value compared to STL intermittent exercises at a similar load. High relationships were observed between T-test performance and Δ distance in 10-10 (r = 0.72, P < 0.01) and 15-15 (r = 0.77, P < 0.01) whereas no significant relationships were observed between T-test performance and Δ distance in 30-30 (r = -0.37, P = 0.2). CONCLUSION: Intermittent COD exercises were associated with higher acceleration, heart rate peak and RPE compared to STL during 10-10 and 15-15 exercises. The ability to rapidly change direction is a crucial quality to perform intense sport-specific running in professional soccer players

Principles and practices of training for soccer

The complexity of the physical demands of soccer requires the completion of a multi-component training programme. The development, planning, and implementation of such a programme are difficult due partly to the practical constraints related to the competitive schedule at the top level. The effective planning and organisation of training are therefore crucial to the effective delivery of the training stimulus for both individual players and the team. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the principles of training that can be used to prepare players for the physical demands of soccer. Information relating to periodisation is supported by an outline of the strategies used to deliver the acute training stress in a soccer environment. The importance of monitoring to support the planning process is also reviewed

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Solutions to the Physical Fitness Challenge

In 2022, the FIFA World Cup has been scheduled to take place in Qatar in November and December, months which coincide with the in-season period of the European soccer season. This will be challenging for the staff of the participating national teams and the domestic clubs to which participating players are attached. The aim of this letter to the editor is to propose solutions on how to manage the associated challenges. Regular training and competition over the course of a season in European professional soccer is generally characterized by a pre-competition preparation period of five to six weeks, followed by two competition phases, interspersed with a winter break (Eliakim et al., 2018). Certain leagues such as the English Premier League do not typically have a winter break meaning that games are played almost continuously across the season. During World Cup years, there is usually an average of four to five weeks between the end of national domestic championships and the start of the World Cup tournament (Table 1, Figure 1) which traditionally takes place during the off-season period. However, in 2022, the FIFA World Cup has been scheduled to take place in November and December, months which coincide with the in-season period of the European soccer season (Figure 1). With the World Cup being staged during this part of the season, many national team players (notably those in the major European Leagues) will have just one week of preparation between the last match of their domestic leagues and the start of the World Cup tournament (November 20th, 2022). More precisely, the major European soccer leagues will interrupt match schedules between November 9th and 13th with differences in the number of games completed at this time of the season ranging from 14 to 17 across the various leagues (Table 2). The physical and mental demands placed on modern professional players have steadily risen over recent years due to an increase in the number of matches played during congested periods across the season (Anderson et al., 2016). Since the number of matches is not evenly distributed across the typical 40-week season, players can often compete in as many as three matches in a seven-day period. Aside from the physical and mental demands that are imposed during a match, players might experience insufficient recovery between these games; in part due to extensive travelling which can disrupt the sleep/wake cycle (Lastella et al., 2019). Indeed, poor quality of sleep and the stress induced by a match can negatively affect physical fitness and may even increase the risk of sustaining injuries and/or infections (Clemente et al., 2021) in the period leading up to the World Cup. National teams are composed of players from different leagues who have varying levels of exposure to match-play (e.g., starters, non-starters) in terms of the average weekly volume of soccer matches at their clubs (“Rapports - Observatoire du football CIES”). Moreover, both starters and non-starters are exposed to different external match and training loads (Anderson et al., 2016). External loads have previously been defined as the overall volume of activity that a player performs during both training sessions and matches (Ravé et al., 2020). There is evidence that this metric correlates with a player’s physical fitness status (Clemente et al., 2019) and their injury risk (Malone et al., 2017). Accordingly, it will be challenging for national teams to manage the fitness of players such that they are physically ready to play at the World Cup tournament. This is especially applicable to individuals who play in the major European leagues and we note a significant contrast between European match schedules and those on other continents. For example, in Major League Soccer (MLS) in North America, match schedules will be interrupted from November 5th, 15 days before the World Cup tournament begins. Similarly, in the Japanese J-League in Asia, Saudi Pro League and Qatar Star League, matches will be interrupted one month before the World Cup tournament begins, leaving more time for players on these continents to prepare. It is also important to note that the French, Spanish and English domestic championships will resume their match schedules on December 27th which is just ten days after the end of the World Cup (Figure 1). Clubs will clearly want their players to return uninjured and with sufficient fitness levels to resume domestic competition but these goals could be compromised by the aforementioned scheduling of the World Cup tournament.</jats:p

Intravenous versus subcutaneous tocilizumab in Takayasu arteritis: multicentre retrospective study

ObjectivesIn this large multicentre study, we compared the effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab intravenous versus subcutaneous (SC) in 109 Takayasu arteritis (TAK) patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective multicentre study in referral centres from France, Italy, Spain, Armenia, Israel, Japan, Tunisia and Russia regarding biological-targeted therapies in TAK, since January 2017 to September 2019.ResultsA total of 109 TAK patients received at least 3 months tocilizumab therapy and were included in this study. Among them, 91 and 18 patients received intravenous and SC tocilizumab, respectively. A complete response (NIH &lt;2 with less than 7.5 mg/day of prednisone) at 6 months was evidenced in 69% of TAK patients, of whom 57 (70%) and 11 (69%) patients were on intravenous and SC tocilizumab, respectively (p=0.95). The factors associated with complete response to tocilizumab at 6 months in multivariate analysis, only age &lt;30 years (OR 2.85, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.12; p=0.027) and time between TAK diagnosis and tocilizumab initiation (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.36; p=0.034). During the median follow-up of 30.1 months (0.4; 105.8) and 10.8 (0.1; 46.4) (p&lt;0.0001) in patients who received tocilizumab in intravenous and SC forms, respectively, the risk of relapse was significantly higher in TAK patients on SC tocilizumab (HR=2.55, 95% CI 1.08 to 6.02; p=0.033). The overall cumulative incidence of relapse at 12 months in TAK patients was at 13.7% (95% CI 7.6% to 21.5%), with 10.3% (95% CI 4.8% to 18.4%) for those on intravenous tocilizumab vs 30.9% (95% CI 10.5% to 54.2%) for patients receiving SC tocilizumab. Adverse events occurred in 14 (15%) patients on intravenous route and in 2 (11%) on SC tocilizumab.ConclusionIn this study, we confirm that tocilizumab is effective in TAK, with complete remission being achieving by 70% of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs-refractory TAK patients at 6 months