Technical actions, heart rate, and locomotor activity in 7v7 and 8v8 games for female youth soccer players

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Christina Øyangen Ørntoft
  • Malte Nejst Larsen
  • Thomas Bull Andersen
  • Lasse Steentoft Rasmussen
  • Susana C A Póvoas
  • Morten Bredsgaard Randers
  • Peter Krustrup

The purpose of this study was to evaluate technical performance, heart rate (HR), and activity profile in 7v7 and 8v8 soccer games for 9[FIGURE DASH]10-year-old girls (U11). A total of 24 female youth players participated in the study, all playing 20-min 7v7 and 8v8 games with 160 and 223 m per player, respectively. Technical actions, HR, and activity profile were measured during the games using video filming, HR monitors, and 5-Hz GPS units. The number of technical actions was higher in 7v7 than in 8v8 games (34±19 (±SD) vs. 28±14, p=0.03, d=0.37), as was the number of successful actions (25±16 vs. 20±12, p=0.01, d=0.35), with no difference in success rate for technical actions (70±13 vs. 69±14%, p=0.63, d=0.07). No differences were found between 7v7 and 8v8 in total distance covered (1574±251 and 1622±281 m, p=0.66, d=0.18), peak speed (19.5±2.6 and 20.7±1.5 km[BULLET OPERATOR]h, p=0.16, d=0.56), mean HR values (85±5 and 86±6%HRpeak, p=0.85, d=0.18), and time >90%HRpeak (37±16 and 34±16% of playing time, p=0.76, d=0.13). Distance covered at the highest running speeds of >16 km[BULLET OPERATOR]h was lower in 7v7 than in 8v8 games (34±24 vs. 63±34 m, p=0.018, d=0.98), as was number of entries into this speed zone (8±5 vs. 13±7, p=0.006, d=0.82). In conclusion, more technical actions and successful actions were observed in 7v7 than in 8v8 games, but players covered more ground with high-speed running in 8v8. This study also revealed that HR values were high in both game formats for U11 adolescent female players, with no difference between formats.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Volume30
Issue number12
Pages (from-to)3298-3303
Number of pages6
ISSN1064-8011
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

    Research areas

  • Faculty of Science - Technical performance, GPS, High-intensity running, Movement pattern, U11, Association football

ID: 160190614