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This book reviews the general acute effects and adaptations
of small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs) in terms of physiological
responses, technical performance and methodology/periodization in the game of
soccer. It also reviews the many studies conducted in the past decade to
investigate the influence of SSCGs on physiological responses and technical
performance in soccer training. SSCGs, which are smaller and adapted versions
of formal team sports, are very popular training drills for players at all ability
levels and competitive levels and offer an alternative to traditional fitness
training. Exploring their role in depth, this book offers a valuable resource
for academics, researchers and coaches with an interest in developing improved
training techniques for soccer.

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Introduction.- Physiology of Soccer: A Brief Review.- Acute Effects of SSCGs in Physiological Responses and Technical Performance.- Adaptations to SSCGs vs. Traditional Training Programmes.- Methodological Considerations and Periodization Based on SSCGs.- Practical Applications and Future.

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Filipe Manuel Clemente has a PhD in Sport Sciences - Sports Training and he has been doing research in the field of Sports Training and Performance Analysis. He is Assistant Professor and head of Laboratory of Motion Sciences in Sports College of Melga‡o. He is also Guest Editor of the Sports Performance and Exercise collection in SpringerPlus journal.

His research focuses specifically on the influence and the application of small-sided and conditioned games as a specific methodology to improve the sports training in team sports. In addition, he has also been developing a set of technological metrics applied to sports analysis to identify the collective organization of team sports and to identify the individual variables of performance in match and in training context.

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