Traditional warm-up versus small-sided games warm-up: Acute effects on selected functional parameters in Under 11 soccer players

Problem Statement. The wide variety of warm-up protocols, ranging from combined exercises to those emphasizing mobility and stretching, presents challenges in reaching consensus on the most effective activation, particullary for youth athletes. The introduction of new competition formats in Italian youth soccer provides an opportunity to examine new pre-match warm up methods. Purpose. The study compared the effectiveness of small-sided games (SSGs) versus traditional warm-ups in under-11 soccer players. Materials and methods. Fifty-one young soccer players (age: 10.24 ± 0.23 years, weight: 36.45 ± 4.84 kg, height: 138.02 ± 3.45 cm) participated in the study. After completing two different warm-ups on separate days, they were randomly evaluated using the standing long jump (SLJ), hop test (HT), and side hop test (SHT) for both limbs, as well as a 10-meter sprint. For the single-leg jump tests, functional asymmetry between the two lower limbs was calculated. Results. The results showed statistically significant differences (p<0.001) after SSGs-based warm-up for the SLJ (146.90 ± 11.97 cm vs 129.69 ± 15.06 cm, p<0.001, ES: 1.43), the HT left limb (106.39±17.88 cm vs 80.91±17.31 cm, p<0.001, ES:1.00), the HT right limb (109.14±15.25 cm vs 76.82±12.04 cm, p<0.001, ES:2.42), for the SHT left limb (87±12.83 cm vs 69.60±17.82 cm, p<0.001, ES:1.50), SHT right limb (87.42±13.32 cm vs 69.22±13.44 cm, p<0.001, ES:1.35), for 10 meters sprint (2.48±0.21 sec vs 3.11±0.26 sec, p<0.001, ES: 2.36). No statistically significant differences were identified in inter-limb asymmetry values. Conclusions. In conclusion, the structured pre-match warm-up with SSG appears to be more effective in activating under-11 soccer players than the traditional warm-up. Furthermore, it seems to induce a functional improvement in post-activation performance.