The influence of pitch dimensions on performance during small-sided and conditioned soccer games |
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| Authors: | Luís Vilar Ricardo Duarte Pedro Silva Jia Yi Chow Keith Davids |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal;2. CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugalluispedrovilar@gmail.com;4. CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal;5. Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;6. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;7. Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Singapore;8. Centre for Sports Engineering Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK;9. FiDiPro Programme, University of Jyv?skyl?, Jyv?skyl?n, Finland |
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| Abstract: | AbstractThis study examined the influence of pitch dimensions in small-sided soccer games in shaping opportunities for performers to maintain ball possession, pass to teammates and shoot at goal. Fifteen amateur standard male participants (M = 21.87, σ = 1.96 years) played 5 v 5 small-sided soccer games in three varying pitch conditions (28 m × 14 m, 40 m × 20 m and 52 m × 26 m). Thirty sequences of play in each condition were selected for digitisation using TACTO software, allowing the capture of bi-dimensional displacement coordinate data of all players and the ball. The values of interpersonal distance between all attackers and immediate defenders and the relative distances of defenders to intercept a shot and a pass were computed as dependent variables. Results showed existence of fewer opportunities to maintain ball possession on smaller pitches, compared to medium and larger pitches. Conversely, the different dimensions set to the pitch did not influence opportunities for players to shoot at goal, or to perform passes to other teammates. By examining the specific spatial–temporal relationships of players and key-task constraints, the data from this study explain how effects of manipulating pitch dimensions of small-sided games might enhance opportunities for acquiring specific movement and decision-making skills. |
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| Keywords: | ecological dynamics performance soccer small-sided games practice task design skill acquisition |
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