Salter, Jamie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7375-1476 (2024) Small-Sided-Game-Induced Mechanical Load in Adolescent Soccer: The Need for Care and Consideration for Athlete Preservation. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 17 (1). pp. 39-45.

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Abstract

Context: The logistical efficiency and flexibility of small-sided games (SSG) to develop various soccer-specific attributes simultaneously mean they are a staple component of contemporary training programmes in youth soccer. Their high ecological validity and consequential high utilisation mean that if not considerately prescribed, players may be exposed to frequent repetitive mechanical stress that may induce maladaptation in skeletally and/or load naïve or sensitive athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this clinical review is to summarise the mechanical load adaptations associated with the manipulation of area per player in small-sided games to outline the mechanistic pathway of load-related injuries in skeletally maturing athletes and to offer practical guidelines for coaches for the preservation of athlete health.

Evidence Acquisition: A non-systematic search of computerised databases of peer-reviewed articles in English between 2010 and the present was used, and subsequently a critical appraisal of existing literature was conducted.

Study Design: Clinical Review

Level of Evidence: Level 4

Results: The temporary relative strength deficit and inefficiency of the musculotendinous system associated with accelerated growth increase the mechanical cost of activity. As a result, the load tolerance (i.e., tolerant, naïve, or sensitive) of athletes is transiently reduced as the musculoskeletal system struggles to attenuate force absorption adequately. Repeated exposure to sub-maximal mechanical loads that stimulate the accumulation of ‘micro-damage’ in structural tissue, may lead to aggravation and/or tissue failure at connective sites in skeletally fragile athletes.

Conclusions: Coaches and practitioners need to individualise the exposure to mechanical load for load-tolerant, naïve, and sensitive athletes during adolescence. Subtle changes to small-sided game prescription including modifying the area per player, inclusion of goalkeepers, constrained floaters, and management of work: rest ratios can offer practical and efficient methods to mitigate risk without derailing the development process. This, in turn, should contribute to reducing injury burden in this population and enhance developmental opportunities for young players.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
DOI:	10.1177/19417381241296063
Subjects:	Q Science > QP Physiology R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics
School/Department:	School of Science, Technology and Health
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/11126

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