title: Physical and Physiological Characteristics of Various-Sided Games in Elite Women's Soccer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the physical and physiological response to different formats of various-sided games.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen elite women's soccer players wore 15-Hz global positioning system devices and heart-rate (HR) monitors during various-sided games (small, 4 vs 4 and 5 vs 5; medium, 6 vs 6 and 7 vs 7; large, 8 vs 8 and 9 vs 9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Players covered more relative sprinting distance during large-sided games than in small-sided (P < .001, d = 0.69) and medium-sided (P < .001, d = 0.54) games. In addition, a greater proportion of total acceleration efforts that had a commencement velocity <1 m/s were observed in small-sided games (44.7% ± 5.5%) than in large-sided games (36.7% ± 10.6%) (P = .018, d = 0.94). This was accompanied by a greater proportion of acceleration efforts with a final velocity equivalent to the sprint threshold in large-sided games (15.4% ± 7.7%) than in small-sided games (5.2% ± 2.5%) (P < .001, d = 1.78). The proportion of time spent in HR zone 4 (>85% maximum HR) was greater during small-sided games (69.8% ± 2.5%) than in medium- (62.1% ± 2.8%, d = 2.90) and large-sided games (54.9% ± 3.1%) (P < .001, d = 5.29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study demonstrate that coaches can use small-sided games as an aerobic conditioning stimulus and to develop players' explosiveness and repeat-sprint ability over short durations. Large-sided games can be used to maintain aerobic capacity and develop maximum speed over longer distances.
authors.forename: Jocelyn K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Mara
authors.forename: Kevin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Kate L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Pumpa
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: GPS analysis; acceleration profiles; football training; heart-rate profiles; motion analysis; women’s football