Restarting the game as a task constraint for the technical and physical development of young football players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse the influence on technical and physical parameters of the way of restarting the game in different formats of small sided games in male football players (n=20) of cadet category (15.3 ± 0.5 years) belonging to the academy of a professional club of the first division of Spanish football 2022-2023. Two small sided games (2x2+2c and 4x4+2c) were designed using the coach's restart constraint and the player's throw-in constraint. The external physical variables of total distance, distance at different speeds (7-13 km-h-1;13-18 km-h-1;18-21 km-h-1;21-24 km-h-1), maximum speed (<24km-h-1), average (between 2 and 3 m. s-2), high accelerations/decelerations (> 3 m. s-2) and RPE and, the technical variables of passing and control were analysed. The results showed significant differences in the low intensity physical variables and in the technical actions of passing, when initiating the action on the ground, in control when the ball does not go on the ground and contact is made with other parts of the body. These data allow, through this constraint, to generate a greater technical variability to the tasks so that coaches can generate learning scenarios closer to the game.