Investigation of the effects of small-sided games played in different formats on performance and psychophysiological responses

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of small-sided games played in different formats on football players' performance and psychophysiological responses.The research was conducted using a two-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design to determine cause–effect relationships.The study group consisted of 16 male football players (X̄=14.88±0.84 years) actively competing at Ankara Batıkent Kartal Sports Club.Participants were divided into two groups: an intermittent group(n=8) and a continuous group(n=8).The intervention lasted four weeks and comprised a total of eight small-sided game sessions, with two training sessions per week.Each week, one session was designed as a 2v2 format and the other as a 4v4 format. Performance measurements were conducted before and after the intervention.The assessed parameters included foot reaction time, 20-m sprint test, zigzag agility tests with and without the ball, the RAST Test, the Yo-Yo IRT1 test, and VO₂max.Independent samples t-tests were used to analyse the performance measurements.During the training sessions, players' heart rate responses, blood lactate concentrations, ratings of perceived exertion, and physical activity enjoyment levels were recorded.Mixed-design ANOVA was employed for within-group and between-group comparisons.The results indicated statistically significant improvements in reaction time, 20-m sprint performance, zigzag agility performance with and without the ball, RAST performance, and VO₂max in both groups(p<0.05).However, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in these performance variables(p>0.05).In contrast, statistically significant between-group differences were observed in mean heart rate, percentage of maximal heart rate, peak heart rate, percentage of peak heart rate relative to maximal heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, and blood lactate values measured during the small-sided games(p<0.05).Overall, the findings demonstrate that small-sided games played in both intermittent and continuous formats contribute substantially to football players' performance development.It was concluded that selecting the appropriate small-sided game format in training planning, in line with targeted performance components, plays a crucial role in optimizing athletes' performance and psychophysiological development processes.