The Methodological Potential of Small-Sided Football Games in Developing Functional Preparedness Among Students

This article examines the methodological potential of small sided football games in the development of functional preparedness among university students who participate in physical education programs. The study highlights how reduced pitch dimensions and smaller team configurations increase physiological stress, improve tactical awareness, accelerate decision making, and enhance neuromuscular activation. The theoretical and empirical foundations of small sided games are analysed through the lens of contemporary sports science, with attention given to aerobic and anaerobic loading, heart rate dynamics, metabolic cost, locomotor intensity and pedagogical structuring. The findings suggest that systematic integration of small sided games into physical education curricula significantly contributes to the improvement of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular power, movement coordination and cognitive responsiveness. Methodological recommendations for the organization, monitoring and pedagogical justification of small sided game training formats in higher education institutions are provided.