Analysis of External Load in Different Soccer Small-Sided Games Played with External Wildcard Players

The aim of this study was to compare the external load associated with different small-sided game formats played using external wildcard players. Twenty-two professional soccer players (24.7±3.9 years; 78.4±4.2 kg; 182.9±4.5 cm) performed the three formats (5vs5,6vs6 and 7vs7) on a 60 x 35 m pitch and were monitored usingGPS.Two-way ANOVA for repeated measures was performed to calculate the level of significance between the various parameters analyzed. From the results it emerged that the greatest distance covered at high intensity was in the 5vs5 format (p<0.0005), which was also characterized by the greatest amount of high-power running (>20W/kg; p<0.01) and maximum-power running (p<0.0005). The time spent at low power was significantly greater in the 7vs7 format (p<0.0005). Maximum speed (p<0.0005) and maximum power were higher in the 5vs5 format (versus 6vs6, p<0.0005; versus 7vs7, p<0.01), whereas the 7vs7 format involved significantly higher values of maximum power compared with the 6vs6 (p<0.05). Peak values of maximum acceleration were measured in 6vs6; whereas the peak value relative to maximum deceleration was significantly greater in the 5vs5 compared with the 7vs7 format (p<0.0005). Significantly more acceleration events were detected in the 5vs5 format (p<0.0005), whereas the number of decelerations was significantly greater in the 6vs6 compared with the 7vs7 format (p<0.05). Knowledge of the different levels of external load typical of the 3 different formats, as revealed here, permits coaches are better equipped to select the most appropriate format for each day of the weekly microcycle training program.