{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T16:32:03Z","timestamp":1775147523174,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,21]],"date-time":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761004800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"a Spanish government Project entitled Optimisation of the preparation process and competitive performance in Team Sports based on multi-modal and multi-level data integration by intelligent models","award":["PID2023-147577NB-I00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PID2023-147577NB-I00"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JFMK"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: This study aimed to compare the external load demands of large-sided games, with and without regulatory interruptions, to the average (FOOTmatch) and most demanding scenarios (MDSmatch) observed in official football matches, taking into account players\u2019 pitch positions. Methods: Large-sided training games were implemented with regulatory interruptions (FOOTtask) and without interruptions (MURDtask), during which a coach continuously introduced new balls to maximise effective playing time. GPS data were collected from eight official matches and six training sessions, involving a total of 30 young male football players. Results: MURDtask surpassed FOOTmatch, FOOTtask, and even MDSmatch in distance covered (Effect Size = 0.6\u20132.5), and equaled MDSmatch in the number of decelerations &gt; 3 m\u00b7s\u22122. Both FOOTtask and MURDtask exceeded the average match demands in most locomotor external load variables, except for sprinting efforts &gt; 28 km\u00b7h\u22121. However, none of the training games reached the peak values of MDSmatch in high-speed running or high-intensity accelerations and decelerations (&gt;4 m\u00b7s\u22122). Positional analysis revealed significantly higher values in MDSmatch for most variables, except for decelerations &lt;\u22123 m\u00b7s\u22122. Conclusions: MURDtask is a useful strategy to overload players, but additional tasks are required to replicate high-speed and high-intensity accelerations and decelerations typical of MDSmatch.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfmk10040410","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,21]],"date-time":"2025-10-21T14:53:19Z","timestamp":1761058399000},"page":"410","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Can We Replicate the Most Demanding Periods of Official Football Matches in Large-Sided Training Games?"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"David","family":"Casamichana","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"given":"I\u00f1aki","family":"Ulloa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"given":"Oier","family":"Agirrezabalaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6220-4178","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ibon","family":"Etxeazarra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"},{"name":"Research Group GIKAFIT, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV\/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9 Manuel","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez de Suso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"given":"Alfonso","family":"Azurza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"given":"Bixen","family":"Calzon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"given":"Jon Mikel","family":"Arrieta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1565-6972","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"I\u00f1igo","family":"Sasiain","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"given":"Jon","family":"Ollora","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9005-9860","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eider","family":"Barba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group GIKAFIT, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV\/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain"}]},{"given":"Be\u00f1at","family":"Erkizia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-4306-9765","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aitor","family":"Lazkano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Real Sociedad Institute, Real Sociedad de F\u00fatbol S.A.D., 20160 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9813-2842","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filipe Manuel","family":"Clemente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola Superior Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun\u2019\u00c1lvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Physical Culture, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"},{"name":"Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5167-5284","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Julen","family":"Castellano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group GIKAFIT, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV\/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Clemente, F.M., Afonso, J., and Sarmento, H. 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