Tendencies in the Use of Game Zones and the Effectiveness of Players’ Actions in Different Game Formats in the U13 Age Group

Aim of the study: An athlete’s participation in competitions, especially in football, where the number of games in one season can be 50–70, is one of the most important and integral parts of the long-term training process. In this study evaluated tendencies in the use of game zones and the effectiveness of players’ actions in the completion zone for the U13 age group between 9vs9 and 11vs11 game formats. Methods: The players (n = 45), in three teams played two one-day tournaments (game order: C-B, C-A, B-A) using two competition formats. A quasi-experimental design was used to assess the tendencies of the changes in game format. Observational methodologies were employed, to analyse the recordings of six matches by the computer program Lince 2.1, recorded with two VEO Gen.2 cameras, to evaluate the start and end zones of game episodes, including the shots at the opponent’s goal. Results: It was found that the game episodes that started in the confidence zone ended in the completion zone significantly more often in the 9vs9 format (59.2% of episodes) than in the 11vs11 format (20.8% of episodes). Game episodes that started in the forming zone and ended in the forming or completion zone are more common in the 9vs9 format (71.3% of episodes) than in an 11vs11 format (45.1% of episodes). Conclusions: The results show that there is a significant relationship between the effectiveness of players’ actions and reaching the completion zone and the game formats.