{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T11:22:30Z","timestamp":1787829750076,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Journal of Sports Science and Medicine","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"am","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["jsportscimed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>&lt;p&gt;Evidence regarding the influence of relative area per player (ApP), and playing position, on locomotor- and mechanical- external load during small-sided games in elite youth soccer players remains limited. This study aimed to examine associations between continuous ApP and external load during training-based small-sided games in elite U17 soccer players, and to explore whether playing position modified these responses. Twenty-two elite U17 soccer players (16.6 \u00b1 0.47 years) were monitored during small-sided games, using mostly formats such as 4v4, 5v5, and 8v8-using observations derived from individual player responses across SSG bouts under three-game-density conditions. External load variables included total distance (TD); high-speed running distance (HSR); sprint distance (SPRINT); number of sprints (NSPRINTS); accelerations (ACC); decelerations (DEC); high metabolic load distance (HMLD); and, maximal-speed exposure (%MSPEED). Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine associations between continuous ApP and each external load variable, while accounting for repeated observations, including players and session-level clustering. Larger ApP values were positively associated with HSR, SPRINT, NSPRINTS, HMLD, and %MSPEED. In contrast, no significant associations were observed between ApP and TD; ACC; or DEC. No significant main effects of playing position or ApP \u00d7 position interactions were identified. Supplementary player-level effect-size analyses indicated recurring exploratory positional patterns, particularly for high-speed and sprint-related variables. These findings suggest that ApP is a practical programming variable for scaling high-intensity locomotor and metabolically-demanding external load in elite youth soccer, whereas additional task constraints may be required to specifically target acceleration- and deceleration-based demands.&lt;\/p&gt;<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.52082\/jssm.2026.761","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T11:04:06Z","timestamp":1787828646000},"page":"761-771","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Game Density Modulates External Load During Small-Sided Games in Elite U17 Soccer Players"],"prefix":"10.52082","author":[{"given":"Martin","family":"Bejbl","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jakub","family":"Kokstejn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Miroslav","family":"Grobar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jindrich","family":"Vampola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"29163","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","unstructured":"Abbott, W., Brickley, G., Smeeton, N.J. 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International Journal of Sports Medicine 31(10), 709-716."}],"container-title":["Journal of Sports Science and Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T11:04:07Z","timestamp":1787828647000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.jssm.org\/jssm-25-761.xml-Fulltext"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"references-count":47,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.52082\/jssm.2026.761","archive":["Internet Archive"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["1303-2968"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1303-2968","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]}}}