Īlthough a great number of experimental studies have been conducted on the physiological responses and physical demands in SSGs, there has also been a natural increase in the interest of controlling the impact of SSGs in terms of the technical actions and tactical behaviors performed by players. Another growing topic of research is the capacity of SSGs to be structured as training programs to influence chronic variations in fitness status and physical performance variables. This can be easily observed based on the number of systematic reviews about such topics. These adjustments could optimize the teams’ performance as well as improving their style of the game.ĭespite of a progressive increase in the amount of research conducted in SSGs, ,, ,, , the majority of the studies conducted on SSGs are focused on acute physiological responses and physical demands, and they use both internal and external load measures to monitor such acute impacts on players. interval, recovery periods, work-to-rest ratio) or coach's instructions and style (e.g., verbal encouragement, strategic instructions, type of feedback and pedagogical approach). Adjustments can be made to (among other things) the format (i.e., the number of players involved in the game and the numerical relationship between teams using of floaters to provide numerical advantage) pitch size and configuration (e.g., manipulation of relative area per player, length-to-width ratio, restrictions on the pitch) tasks goals and constraints (e.g., use of goalkeepers and goals, ball touches limitations, utilizing specific types of defensive pressing) training regimens (e.g., continuous vs. However, to augment player's perceptions for specific tactical problems, coaches use adjustments in the form of task constraints that are manipulated based on the main purpose of the drill. SSGs are often used in the context of soccer training to provide an interesting way to maintain the dynamics of an official game while making specific adjustments to focus on specific behaviors and actions. Small-sided games (SSGs) are adjusted and smaller versions of formal games that are designed to augment the perceptions of the players for a given tactical problem, thus promoting adjustments in targeted behaviors. Finally, the few studies that tested such a hypothesis revealed greater variability of movements in larger pitches comparing to smaller ones.

Moreover, using floaters may increases the effective playing space, and considerable numerical imbalances contribute to a possible more stable defensive dynamic. In summary, and among other evidence, this systematic review revealed that smaller formats likely lead to increases in the tactical behaviors associated with penetration and defensive delays, while larger formats may lead to an increase in the frequency of collective behaviors associated with attacking and defensive unity. The main topics related to tactical behaviors and collective dynamics were (1) the effects of different formats (2) the effects of different pitch sizes and configurations (3) the effects of tasks adjustments (4) the effects of age and competitive and expertise levels and (5) multidimensional effects. After screening the records against set criteria, 34 articles were fully reviewed. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this systematic review searched for studies on Web of Science, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus.

This study presents a systematic review, organizes the acute effects of the most common task conditions, and describes the common methodologies used in previous studies. The present systematic review aims to describe evidence about the effects of different small-sided soccer games (SSGs) on tactical behaviors and collective dynamics.

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