Demands and variability in free, restricted area, and positional role for small-sided games: Effects of presentation order within sessions

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of different tactical setups in small-sided games on perceptual and locomotor demands, and to evaluate the impact of session timing (beginning vs. end) on variability within and between conditions. Twenty young soccer players participated in 3 small-sided games with 6 conditions: free roles (SSG FREE ), positional tactical roles (SSG POS ), and restricted areas (SSG RA ), applied at the beginning and end of the session. Perceptual and locomotor responses were measured. All games were played in a 30 × 50 m area, and locomotor data were collected using GPS devices. SSG FREE resulted in lower RPE than positional formats, with higher RPE at the session's end in SSG POS and SSG RA ( p < 0.05). Players in SSG FREE covered more TD than in positional setups, and SSG POS showed greater TD than SSG RA at the beginning ( p < 0.05). VHSD was higher in SSG POS , particularly at the session's end ( p < 0.05). Higher TD, ACC, and VHSD were observed at the beginning of the session across all formats, with greater variability between sets ( p < 0.05). Coaches should schedule free-play tasks early to reduce perceived effort and tactical drills later to increase intensity, fatigue, and variability.