Comparing the Tactical Behavior of Young Soccer Players in Full- and Small-Sided Games.

The objective was to assess and compare the tactical conduct of players aged U-8, U-10, and U-12 during full- and small-sided games, focusing on tactical modeling and interaction dynamics. Each age group comprised three teams ( n  = 180; 60 per category; 20 per team), engaging in a tournament where teams faced each other once in both formats - 18 matches; 3 per category in each format. Full-sided games (GK + 10 vs.10 + GK; 100 × 68 m) and small-sided games (U-8: GK + 4 vs. 4 + GK (36 × 20 m); U-10: GK + 7 vs. 7 + GK (52.5 × 34 m); U-12: GK + 10 vs. 10 + GK (68 × 45 m). Standard playing times (3 periods of 12 minutes (U-8s); 3 periods of 15 minutes (U-10s); and 3 periods of 20 minutes (U-12s), with a 5-minute break. Variables were examined using descriptive analysis (mean, standard deviation, and confidence interval), with paired t-tests and Wilcoxon tests employed for inter-format comparisons. Despite players benefiting from more time and space in full-sided games (increased ball receptions and overall ball involvement), results from small-sided games indicate three key advantages: 1) More goals (U-8s: z = -3.44, p  = .050) and shots on target (U-8: z = -3.25, p  = .001; U-10: z = -2.72, p  = .007); 2) Game space management-ball circulation in larger amplitude (U-10: t  = -4.20, p  = .001; U-12: t  = -4.35, p  < .001); and with more transitions (U-10: t  = -3.60, p  = .002; U-12: t  = -4.16, p  = .001) and 3) Fast decision-making-larger ball velocity circulation (U-08: t  = -3.54, p  = .003; U-10: t  = -5.13, p  < .001; U-12: t  = -5.80, p  < .001).