Impact of a proposed training program during a sports season and evaluation of internal indicators of training load in football players
https://doi-001.org/1025/17645811575120
Ahmed Khalil Khebbeb 1, Sabira Ferahtia 2, Mourad Mahour Bacha 3
1Laboratory of Motor Performance Sciences and Pedagogical Interventions, Istaps University of Algiers3 (Algeria), E-mail: khlfcb1889@gmail.com
2Laboratory of Expertise Sciences and Technology of Physical and Sports Activities. LSETAPS, Istaps University of Algiers3 (Algeria), E-mail: sabiraferahtia@gmail.com
3Laboratory of Expertise Sciences and Technology of Physical and Sports Activities. LSETAPS, Istaps University of Algiers3 (Algeria), E-mail: mourad.mahourbacha@gmail.com
Received : 11/2025 ; Accepted : 12/2025
Abstract:
The objective:
Based on the data extracted about the requirements of modern football, our study came in order to know the effect of the SSCGs method on improving various physical and technical performance factors for football players.
The aim of this Study was to examine the effect or the extent to which players adapt to the proposed training loads through Small sided conditioning games (SSCGs) and medium- and high-intensity interval running exercises in soccer.
Methodology: the study sample was chosen by random method, our research included 10 players from professional team.
The results: The players’ adaptation to the proposed training loads improved through mini-games and medium- to high-intensity interval running exercises, as evidenced by an increase in heart rate and a stabilization of perceived exertion.
Conclusion: the (SSCGs) method has great influence to the development of various factors, but if we mention the appropriate training load,
Keywords: The (SSCGs), interval training, heart rate, RPE, soccer players.
- Introduction:
The training process must follow the specificity of the sport. Thus, identify the physiological demands of the game, the time motion profile of the players, the physical specificities of the players, and the technical actions and tactical behaviors that are most common in soccer which is important. By knowing these characteristics it will be easier to develop the training tasks and correctly prescribe these tasks in the weekly periodization.
Elite soccer players commonly cover values of 10–12 km during a game (Carling et al.2008; Di Salvo et al.2007; Stroyer et al.2004). The majority of studies report that central midfielders and wide defenders run the longest distances during a match and central defenders and strikers the shortest distances (excluding goalkeepers) (Clemente et al.2013; Di Salvo et al.2007; Mohr et al.2003). Actually, the linking role of central midfielders may determine the greater distances covered (Mendez-Villanueva et al.2012; Reilly2007a,b). Defenders perform the largest amount of jogging, skipping, and shuffling movements and spend a significantly smaller amount of time sprinting and running than other players (Bloom field et al.2007). Another evidence is that professional and elite players run longer distances than nonprofessional or moderate players (Ekblom1986). In this particular case, top class players may perform more 28 % of high-intensity running and 58 % of sprint than moderate players (Mohr et al.2003). The effect of fatigue induce a decrease of 5–10 % in the total distance from the first to the second half of the match in the majority of the cases reported (Carling et al.2005; Mohr et al.2003; Rienzi et al.2000).
The intermittent regimen of soccer can be associated with the evidence that a
sprint bout occurs every 90 s, each lasting an average of 2–4 s (Bangsbo et al.1991;Rienzi et al.2000;Stølen et al.2005). Generally, the average distance covered at high intensity is 10 % (Carling et al.2008). Some results suggested that wide midfielders, attackers, and wide defenders covered higher total sprint distance than central defenders and central midfielders (Bradley et al.2009; Di Salvo et al.2007,2010). Wide midfielders performs more sprints (>25.2 km h−1), followed by attackers and wide defenders (Di Salvo et al.2007,2010). Central defenders perform fewer explosive and leading sprints than all other
field positions (Di Salvo et al.2010). A more recent study that analyzed the distance covered at low, moderate, and high-acceleration and deceleration revealed that on average 18 % of total distance covered is done so whilst accelerating or decelerating at a rate greater than 1 ms−2(Akenhead et al.2013). The authors also revealed that 7.5, 4.3, and 3.3 % of total distance is covered at 1–2ms−2, 2–3ms−2, and >3 ms−2, respectively.
It was concluded in this study that time dependent reductions in distances covered suggest that acceleration and deceleration capability are acutely compromised during match play (Akenhead et al.2013).
Both intermittent activity profile of the game and the game duration contribute for the physiological stress experienced by the players. The game duration determine the mainly dependence from the aerobic metabolism (Stølen et al.2005). The average work intensity measured by maximal heart rate (HRmax) reveals a profile of activity close to anaerobic threshold (80–90 % HRmax or 75 %VO2max) (Hoff et al.2002; Mohr et al.2005). Average blood lactate concentration of 3–6mmoll−1 has been verified during matches, with specific individual cases above 12 mmol l−1 (Bangsbo1994; Mohr et al.2005).
Soccer players may perform 150–250 brief intense actions during a game (Mohr et al.2003) which indicates that the rate of anaerobic energy turnover is high during specific periods of the game (Bangsbo 2014). The short periods of very high-intensity may indicate the great capacity of creatine phosphate breakdown, which to a great extent is re-synthesized in the following low intensity exercise periods (Bangsbo 1994). Nevertheless, the capacity to slow down after a great effort justifies that after an intense exercise during a game the muscle biopsies revealed 75 % of the level at rest of the creatine phosphate (Krustrup et al.2006).
Despite of the important contribution of ATP-CP system for very fast and powerful actions, the glycolytic system should be also considered during the game. Periods of 5 min of high-intense exertion have been associated with blood lactate concentrations of 12–16 mmol l−1 (Krustrup et al.2006; Mohr et al.2003).
Based on these data extracted about the requirements of modern football, our study came in order to know the effect of the SSCGs method on improving various physical and technical performance factors for football players.
Objectives of the study: The aim of this study was to examine the effect or The extent to which players adapt to the proposed training loads through Small sided conditioning games (SSCGs) and medium- and high-intensity interval running exercises in soccer.
- Methodology: the study sample was chosen by random method, Our research included 10 players from professional team, The following table shows the morphological characteristics of the research sample.
Table n◦01 : shows the characteristics of study sample:
| the sample | N of participant | Length(cm) | Weight (kg). | Age(years) |
| SSCG | 10 | 186 ±1.71 | 71±2.14 | 24 |
- Presentation of Résults: After applying the training program to the study sample, the following values were obtained, which represent the values of both heart rate and perceived exertion.
Table 2: show the comparison between the average heart rate and perceived exertion of players in cycle 1 and 3
| cycle 1 vs cycle 3 | |||||||||||||||
| EXERCICE N°1 | EXERCICE N°2 | EXERCICE N°3 | EXERCICE N°4 | SEANCE | |||||||||||
| A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | |
| J1 | 112 | 57 | 1 | 124 | 63 | 1 | 164 | 83 | 2 | 161 | 82 | 2 | 140 | 71 | 2 |
| 123 | 62 | 1 | 129 | 65 | 1 | 162 | 82 | 2 | 163 | 83 | 2 | 144 | 73 | 2 | |
| J2 | 112 | 57 | 1 | 161 | 81 | 1 | 165 | 83 | 6 | 168 | 85 | 6 | 151 | 77 | 4 |
| 117 | 59 | 1 | 166 | 84 | 3 | 165 | 83 | 6 | 168 | 85 | 6 | 154 | 78 | 4 | |
| J3 | 110 | 56 | 1 | 124 | 63 | 1 | 139 | 70 | 3 | 158 | 80 | 4 | 132 | 67 | 2 |
| 115 | 58 | 1 | 129 | 65 | 1 | 139 | 70 | 3 | 162 | 82 | 4 | 136 | 69 | 2 | |
| J4 | 112 | 57 | 1 | 158 | 80 | 1 | 105 | 53 | 1 | 125 | 63 | 1 | |||
| 112 | 57 | 1 | 158 | 80 | 1 | 105 | 53 | 1 | 125 | 63 | 1 | ||||
| J5 | 138 | 70 | 1 | 185 | 94 | 8 | 185 | 94 | 8 | ||||||
| 138 | 70 | 1 | 184 | 93 | 8 | 185 | 94 | 8 | |||||||
Table 2 compares the average heart rate and perceived exertion of players in cycle 1 and 3, which consisted of a series of small-sided games without central players throughout the training period.
The results are remarkably similar between the two sessions, with only slight variations in average heart rate and the same perceived exertion for the group. However, individual player results show variations, which are attributed to player position and the specific physical demands of each position.
Table 3: show the comparison between the average heart rate and perceived exertion of players in cycle 2 and 4
| cycle 2 vs cycle 4 | |||||||||||||||
| EXERCICE N°1 | EXERCICE N°2 | EXERCICE N°3 | EXERCICE N°4 | SEANCE | |||||||||||
| A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | A of HR | %HR max | RPE | |
| J1 | 116 | 59 | 1 | 167 | 84 | 2 | 149 | 75 | 2 | 162 | 82 | 2 | 148 | 75 | 2 |
| 116 | 59 | 1 | 167 | 84 | 2 | 149 | 75 | 2 | 162 | 82 | 2 | 148 | 75 | 2 | |
| J2 | 177 | 90 | 3 | 176 | 89 | 4 | 156 | 79 | 5 | 168 | 85 | 5 | 169 | 86 | 4 |
| 177 | 90 | 3 | 176 | 89 | 4 | 156 | 79 | 5 | 168 | 85 | 5 | 169 | 86 | 4 | |
| J3 | 115 | 58 | 1 | 129 | 65 | 1 | 144 | 73 | 3 | 154 | 78 | 3 | 135 | 68 | 2 |
| 115 | 58 | 1 | 129 | 65 | 1 | 144 | 73 | 3 | 154 | 78 | 3 | 135 | 68 | 2 | |
| J4 | 116 | 59 | 1 | 152 | 69 | 1 | 107 | 54 | 1 | 124 | 63 | 1 | |||
| 116 | 59 | 1 | 152 | 69 | 1 | 107 | 54 | 1 | 124 | 63 | 1 | ||||
| J5 | 133 | 67 | 1 | 182 | 92 | 7 | 182 | 92 | 7 | ||||||
| 133 | 67 | 1 | 182 | 92 | 7 | 182 | 92 | 7 | |||||||
Table 3 compares the average heart rate and perceived exertion of players in cycle 2 and 4, which combined small-sided games without central players with moderate- to high-intensity interval running exercises. Again, the results are remarkably similar between the two sessions, with only slight variations in average heart rate and the same perceived exertion for the group. However, individual player results show variations, which are attributed to player position and the specific physical demands of each position.
- Study Conclusions:
Based on the results obtained in this study, we conclude that:
– Repeated small-sided games, even with increasing intensity, help achieve positive physiological adaptation in football players.
– The similarity in physiological responses among players during the proposed small-sided games makes them an ideal method for achieving the same responses in all players.
– Small-sided games help develop endurance in football players.
– There is a need to use interval running exercises, especially high-intensity ones, alongside small-sided games to compensate for the distances covered by each player in each position.
– The physiological responses during small-sided games are similar to those during specific periods and situations during a match.
5. general Conclusion:
The knowledge about the acute effects and adaptations that result from the small-sided and conditioned games (SSCG) may help the training periodization, particularly considering the weekly microperiodization. This chapter will summarize the physiological, physical, technical, and tactical effects of different task conditions.
After that, a set of methodological considerations will be provided to help the coaches to identify the best periods of the week to apply specific SSCG.
Finally, a proposal of weekly microcycle will be provided trying to help the coachesto identify the applicability of the scientific findings about these games in the practical context of the training. many studies are required to identify whether these changes were influenced by specific training programs or by concurrent training that is promoted by strength and conditioning professionals in the academy.
Besides the apparent conditioning and psychological benefits of SSCG programs, it was also found in rugby that the majority of injuries occurs in traditional conditioning activities that involved no skill component other than drill-based activities (Gabbett2002). For that reason, SSCGs provide a solid contribution to training periodization and the development of conditioning variables.
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