The effect of small-sided games with different dimensions as warm-up on muscle power, agility, and repeated sprint performance in young soccer players

Abstract

Objective: Warm-up protocols play an important role in enhancing athletic performance, minimizing injury risk, and preparing athletes for higher training intensities. In soccer, an effective warm-up is particularly important for optimizing players' performance. Despite this, there is limited research on the use of small-sided games as a warm-up strategy for young soccer players. This study aimed to investigate the effects of warm-up using smallsided games with different dimensions on muscle power, agility, and repeated sprint ability. Approach: Twelve male soccer players under 15 years of age (mean age: 13.0±1.2 years; body mass: 50.3±13.2kg; height: 158.7±11.2cm) participated in this study. The players completed three different warm-up protocols: a traditional soccer warm-up, a warm-up involving small-sided games on a 15 m×15 m field, and a warm-up with small-sided games on a 30 m×15 m field. Eight minutes after each warm-up condition, performance assessments were performed, including the standing long jump, the agility T-test, and the repeated sprint test (12.5 m×12.5 m). The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was also recorded eight minutes after warm-up. On a separate day, a body composition analysis was performed. Results: The RPE differed significantly between the conditions (traditional: 12.1±1.1; 15×15: 13.9±0.8; 30×15: 15.9±0.7; p=0.001). The standing long jump performance was significantly improved after the 30 m × 15 m small-sided game compared to the traditional warm-up (1.90±0.6 m vs. 1.83±0.5 m; p=0.001), while no significant differences were observed for the agility T-test or repeated sprint ability time trials. Significant correlations were identified between the percentage of body fat and agility T-test performance (r>0.769, p<0.05) as well as the best time trial in the repeated sprint ability test (r>0.686, p<0.05). Additionally, significant correlations were observed between long-jump performance and agility T-test results (r>−0.654, p<0.05), as well as the best time trial in the repeated sprint ability test (r>−0.667, p<0.05) across all three conditions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a warm-up using 30 m × 15 m small-sided games can significantly enhance lower body power but also induces higher RPE exertion compared to traditional warm-ups and 15 m×15 m small-sided games. Moreover, body fat appears to be a limiting factor for power and sprint performance in young soccer players, highlighting the importance of careful attention to training and daily nutrition. Additionally, the standing long jump is a useful predictor of agility and repeated sprint performance in young soccer players.