# Training Tasks vs. Match Demands: Do Football Drills Replicate Worst-Case Scenarios?
## 2 Materials and Methods
### Task Classification  
Coaches employ a wide range of training tasks, including small-sided games (SSGs) and position-specific possession drills, as well as medium-sided games (MSGs), large-sided games (LSGs), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), integrated physical-technical circuits, and specific strength training [3, 8], in addition to tasks with a primarily tactical or technical focus. SSGs, for instance, are widely used due to their capacity to integrate physical, technical, and tactical components within a high-intensity format [8, 25, 26]. LSGs, which involve a greater number of players and larger pitch dimensions, tend to elicit coverage of higher total distances [3]. HIIT is designed to enhance players' ability to perform and repeat high-intensity efforts [8]. Although primarily aimed at skill development, technical and tactical training scenarios also contribute to the overall physical load [3]. To differentiate the training tasks performed during the season under investigation, task characteristics were considered in relation to their level of specificity; namely, their degree of similarity to actual match play. These included the presence or absence of opposition, directional play, transitional phases, goals, the number of players involved [27], and the size of the playing area [28]. All tasks analysed in the present study were based on regular training methods and were not specifically designed for the purposes of this study. These types of tasks are detailed in Table 1. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Type of Task** & **Characteristics** & **Approximate Playing Area** & **Examples** \\ \hline TYPE 0 & Without opposition & - & Warm-up \\  & Non-directional & & Finishing drills \\  & Without opposition & & Set pieces \\  & Directional & - & Tactical automatisims \\  & & & Tactical work \\ \hline TYPE 2 & Without opposition & & \\  & Non-directional & 80–120 m\({}^{2}\) & Rondo \\  & Without transition & & \\ \hline TYPE 3 & With opposition & & 4v2 possession game \\  & Non-directional & & 4v3 possession game \\  & With transition & & 4v4 possession game \\  & \(\leq\)6 players in possession team & & 5v2 possession game \\  & & & 6v3 possession game \\ \hline  & With opposition & & \\  & Non-directional & & 7v7 possession game \\  & With transition & & 8v4 possession game \\  & 7-8 players in possession team & & 8v8 possession game \\ \hline  & With opposition & & 9v9 possession game \\  & Non-directional & & 10v10 possession game \\  & With transition & & 11v11 possession game \\  & \(\geq\)9 players in possession team & & 12v12 possession game \\ \hline  & With opposition & & \\  & Directional & & 4v2 attack vs. defence \\  & Without transition & 500–750 m\({}^{2}\) & 5v3 attack vs. defence \\  & \(\leq\)6 players in possession team & & 5v4 attack vs. defence \\ \hline  & With opposition & & \\  & Directional & & 7v5 attack vs. defence \\  & Without transition & & 8v5 attack vs. defence \\  & 7–8 players in possession team & & 8v6 attack vs. defence \\ \hline  & With opposition & & \\  & Directional & & 10v4 attack vs. defence \\  & Without transition & & 10v8 attack vs. defence \\  & \(\geq\)9 players in possession team & & 11v8 attack vs. defence \\ \hline  & With opposition & & \\  & Directional & & \\  & With transition & & 5v5 SSG \\  & \(\leq\)6 players in possession team & & 6v6 SSG \\ \hline  & With opposition & & \\  & Directional & & \\  & With transition & & \\  & With transition & & 7v7 MSG \\  & 7–8 players in possession team & & 8v8 MSG \\ \hline  & With opposition & & \\  & Directional & & 9v9 LSG \\  & With transition & & 11v11 LSG \\  & \(\geq\)9 players in possession team & & \\ \hline TYPE 12 & Official match & 6000 m\({}^{2}\) & Official match \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Task classification. TYPE 0 tasks are characterised by the absence of both opposition and spatial orientation towards a specific objective.