Game Demands of Seven-A-Side Soccer in Young Players.
Barbero-Alvarez, JC, Gómez-López, M, Castagna, C, Barbero-Alvarez, V, Romero, DV, Blanchfield, AW, and Nakamura, FY. Game demands of seven-a-side soccer in young players. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1771-1779, 2017-The aim of this study was to examine the activity patterns and physiological demands of 7-a-side youth soccer matches across 2 chronological age categories (U12 and U14). Twenty-two soccer players of a national youth soccer academy were investigated. Players of each age category performed 2 training matches (2 × 25 minutes) and were monitored by global positioning system and heart rate monitor units. Players of both categories covered similar total distance (5,348 ± 307 m), at similar mean heart rate values (86 ± 4% of maximum). However, the number of high-intensity runs (82.5 ± 17.4 vs. 69.7 ± 15.2) and total distance covered during sprints (264 ± 207 vs. 128 ± 74 m) were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in U14 compared with U12. The results suggest a highly demanding nature of 7-a-side soccer for skilled players, with physical maturity possibly influencing the match-related high-intensity performance at these ages.
1Physical Education Department, Faculty of Sports and Education Sciences, Campus of Melilla, University of Granada, Melilla, Spain; 2Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 3Sports and Physical Activity Faculty, European University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; 4Football Training and Biomechanics Laboratory, Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Technical Department, Coverciano (Florence), Italy; 5School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science, Bangor University, Wales, United Kingdom; and 6Physical Education Department, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
José C
JC
Barbero-Alvarez
Maite
M
Gómez-López
Carlo
C
Castagna
Verónica
V
Barbero-Alvarez
David V
DV
Romero
Anthony W
AW
Blanchfield
Fábio Y
FY
Nakamura
D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*