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ABSTRACTIntroductionAge differences between athletes born in the same year, as well as an over-representation of older players, are known as the Relative Age Effect (RAE). Players born at the beginning of the selection year have a physical and anthropometric advantage over their younger peers. Experts keep looking for new prediction variables for talent identification.ObjectivesThe aim of the study is to correlate anthropometric, strength and power variables with the relative age (RA) and the level of the teams in which players played in each age category.MethodsAll players (N = 366) from an elite soccer academy of a Spanish club volunteered to participate in the study (U23-U10).ResultsThere was a significant correlation between the RA of the players and the level of the team in which they played in each age category but no correlation between trimester of birth and level of the team. We found significant correlations between the players’ physical capacities, anthropometry, RA and the level of the team in which they played for the same age category, mainly from U16 to U10. U23 did not show any correlation between RA and physical or anthropometric variables.ConclusionCoaches should be cautious of choosing players based only on anthropometric or physical attributes.

Galiano, C, Pareja-Blanco, F, Hidalgo de Mora, J, and Sáez de Villarreal, E. Low-velocity loss induces similar strength gains to moderate-velocity loss during resistance training. J Strength Cond Res36(2): 340–345, 2022—This study aimed to analyze the effects of 2 velocity-based resistance training (VBT) programs that used the same relative loading but differed in the velocity loss (VL) throughout the set: 5% (VL5) vs. 20% (VL20). Twenty-eight physically active men (age: 23.0 ± 3.2 years; height: 175.8 ± 4.7 cm; body mass: 73.8 ± 10.8 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: VL5 (n= 15) or VL20 (n= 13). Subjects followed a 7-week (14 sessions) VBT program using the squat exercise while repetition velocity was monitored. The following variables were assessed at pretest and posttest: estimated 1-repetition maximum (1RM); average velocity attained for all absolute loads common to pretest and posttest (AV); average velocity for those loads that were moved faster than 1 m·s−1(AV > 1); average velocity for those loads that were moved slower than 1 m·s−1(AV < 1); countermovement jump (CMJ); and 20-m running sprint time (T20). T20 and CMJ height were assessed before each training session to analyze their evolution during the training program. The VL5 group executed only 32.6% of the total repetitions performed by the VL20 group (156.9 ± 25.0 vs. 480.5 ± 162.0 rep). Both groups improved significantly (p< 0.01) in all variables analyzed (1RM, AV, AV > 1, AV < 1, CMJ, and T20) from pretest to posttest, with no significant differences between them. Therefore, a low VL (5%) induced similar gains in strength, jump, and sprint performance to a moderate VL of 20%, despite VL5 performing only 32.6% of the repetitions achieved by the VL20 group.

Small-sided games (SSGs) are frequently used in football training programs and their design has been analyzed in scientific literature. The aim of this study was to analyze differences in the mechanical and physiological demands of football SSGs with various configurations over an effective time of 6 min through the application of GPS/GNSS technology, heart rate monitoring, and player self-perceived effort. Thirty football players (21.59 ± 4.35 years, 72.74 ± 9.01 kg, and 178.16 ± 0.93 cm) completed 138 recordings during MD-3 sessions (matchday-3, 76 h pre-match) using Catapult OptimEye S5 devices, synchronized with the Polar system. The training structure was similar for all measurements. Analyses and comparisons were made using a total of ten training tasks and six study variables (dimensions, orientation, number of players, directionality, time distribution, and coaches’ feedback). SSGs played as 3 versus 3 showed higher mechanical responses with greater pitch sizes (p<0.001) and without the presence of goalkeepers (p< 0.032). SSGs with a 6 versus 6 format showed higher velocities were attained when the pitch was long (p= 0.021) and when the duration of the set was shorter (i.e., 2 min; p< 0.015). SSGs arranged as 3 versus 3, showed superior results for internal and external variables in comparison with 6 versus 6 (p< 0.025). The application of new technology is necessary to understand internal and external workload responses to the multiple possible variations of the elements of SSGs. The understanding of these resources will contribute to the development of training tasks based on the complexity of football itself, considering the wide possibilities offered to coaches.