Scottish FA Study On Small Sided Games

I think this may be the latest, a study conducted for the Scottish FA dated January, 2006 by the University of Abertay Dundee using observational analysis of U12 small-sided games (4v4, 7v7) to full field games in Scotland.

http://www.footballcentral.org/shado...8&siteName=sfa

Some interesting excerpts:

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Balyi (Istvan Balyi in his paper Trainability in Children (2003).) outlined the stages of development as follows: √FUNdamental stage √Learning to Train √Training to Train √Training to Compete √Training to Win √Retirement / retainment The objective of the Fundamental stage (Males 6 - 9 / Females 6 - 8 years) is to learn all fundamental movement skills (build overall motor skills) Fundamental movement skills should be practiced and mastered before sport specific skills are introduced. The development of these skills, using a positive and fun approach, will contribute significantly to future sporting achievements. Participation in a wide range of activities is also encouraged. This emphasis on motor development will produce players who have a better trainability for long-term, football-specific development. Fundamental movement skills are observable as locomotor, manipulative and stability skills. There are three stages of fundamental movement skill development: initial (2-3 years), elementary (4–5 years) and mature (6–7years). The “FUNdamental” phase should be well structured and fun. The emphasis is on the overall development of the player’s physical capacities and fundamental movement skills, and the ABC's of athleticism - Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed. Participation in as many activities as possible is encouraged. Speed, power and endurance are developed using FUN games. Appropriate and correct running, jumping and throwing techniques are taught using the ABC's of activities. The Learning to Train stage (Males 9 – 12 / Females 8 – 11 years) is especially relevant within this study of the small-sided game. Focusing on the development of children between 9 and 12 years of age, the key objective is to learn all fundamental football skills (build overall football skills). Specialised movement skills are developed from age seven to age eleven, and are specialised sports/football skills. By passing the fundamental and specialised skill development phase is likely to be detrimental to the child’s future engagement in football and sport. Early specialisation into the eleven a side game can also be detrimental to the proceeding stages of skill development. One of the most important periods of motor development for children is between the ages of nine to twelve. During this time children are developmentally ready to acquire general overall sports skills that are the cornerstones of all sporting development. Following on from the findings within this study, it can be concluded that this is best achieved through the development of small-sided games where children will receive repeated touches of the ball, repeated decision making experience, repeated experience of basic tactical situations, more individual responsibility – every player must attack and defend, the game is easier to understand and players will develop a freedom of expression – no positions in early stages. This is the ‘window of accelerated adaptation to motor coordination’. All fundamental movement skills should be further developed and general overall sports skills will be learned during this phase. If fundamental motor skill training is not developed between the ages of eight to eleven and nine to twelve respectively for females and males, a significant window of opportunity has been lost, compromising the ability of the young player to reach his/her full potential. The present environment in Scotland would not allow the few players through playing the full-sized game where examples exist from the age of eight upwards to master this stage of their development and will have a serious impact on the future development/ability of players at a later stage of youth development. The “Training to Train” phase addresses two of the critical or sensitive periods of physical development. Players who miss this phase of training will not reach their full potential, as these critical periods have been missed. The “Learn to Train” and “Training to Train” stages are the most important phases of player preparation. Therefore the emphasis on the small-sided game should be paramount to the development of players and certainly, must be continued to be emphasised through the Scottish Coach Education system. In particular, the use of the 4v4 game whether as a training or match tool should be considered imperative to youth football in Scotland.

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There is also evidence, from exercise physiology studies, of improved physical fitness due to the small sided games environment (for adults as well as children). This study involved the support from the Scottish Institute of Sport who assessed the physiological impacts of the 4v4, 7v7 and 11v11 games on the players. This was conducted using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology linked to heart rate monitors. It is important to point out at this stage that findings again supported the argument for small-sided games being more appropriate to the development of young footballers.

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Specific physical aspects of the players were measured, such as distances covered, speed of movement, heart rate and positional information. Results showed that involvement in small-sided games either as part of a match programme or within a training context, players are more likely to produce quality movement patterns at higher intensity levels, thus providing more physiological benefit as part of the long term player development process.

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The results from the study clearly demonstrate that the small-sided games (SSG) principle is based on sound educational and developmental evidence. Children learn in a progressive and sequential way using a building block approach through a combination of technical and tactical skill development as well as physiological and psychological development of the young players involved. In terms of the key differences of the small-sided game over the eleven-aside game and the benefits of the 4v4 and 7v7 formats, this observational research study has demonstrated: • Far more repeated touches of the ball by all players • More touches throughout all areas of the pitch • More passes attempted are in a forward direction in the Small Sided Game. In the 11-a-side game, the majority of passes are in a backward direction • More attacking 1 v1s, final third and penalty area entries • More shots on goal and technical skills by goalkeepers • Repeated decision making experience • The ball is in play far more in the in the Small Sided Game • Repeated experience of basic tactical situations • More active participation is directly related to fun and enjoyment • More experience in all phases of the game. There is no hiding or dominant player hogging the ball. Every child has to participate in all facets of the game, attack and defend. The emphasis is on PLAYER DEVELOPMENT. • More active participation leads to an optimal fitness load • Better success rate leads to better quality of play and player retention • Better success rate leads to better self esteem and self confidence • More individual responsibility – every player must attack and defend • The game is easier to understand • Freedom of expression – no positions in early stages • Less perceived stress on the player when playing the small-sided game • Less negative comments on the small-sided game • 80% of children believe that they touched the ball more often in the small-sided game • There was less perceived pressure from parents in the small-sided game • It is apparent that children enjoyed all the game formats

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The small-sided game allows coaches the best opportunity to observe and analyse the individual and group responses of players under quick game-like conditions. If fundamental motor skill training is not developed between the ages of eight to eleven and nine to twelve respectively for females and males, the opportunity has been lost, compromising the ability of the young player to reach his/her full potential. Researchers are agreed that the small-sided game is advantageous to coaches in a number of ways: √There is less space required to play √A chance for more individual coaching √A better standard of play as the children will be more successful performing in the small sided format √The coach can have more children playing (at least 42 or more on one pitch) √The coach is following the accepted developmental pathway for children and can be confident that he/she is given their players the best chance at success √Players are more likely to stay in the game if they feel successful, therefore the coach will have less player retention issues √Less pressure on the coach to win when playing trophy free development football

Here is the link to the discussion thread involving this topic:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=419795