The influence of rink size on intensity of load in floorball
Keywords:
load, sports tester, heart rate, floorball, SSGAbstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of court size during three-on-three training games on the physical load of floorball players. Twelve players, aged 17.8 ±0.6 years, who compete in the highest junior league in the Czech Republic, participated in the study. Data were collected over six training sessions in which players engaged in training games on courts measuring 9 × 20 m and 13 × 20 m, with work-to-rest intervals of 1:1. The intensity of the physical load was monitored using the Polar Team system with Polar H10 chest straps, with the primary variable being the relative heart rate expressed as a percentage of each player’s maximum heart rate (HRmax). The results of the study showed that the physical load intensity of the monitored players was higher on the larger court, averaging 87.23% HRmax compared to 86.68% HRmax on the smaller court. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001) at the 5% level of significance. The findings suggest that high levels of physical load, comparable to those experienced during competitive matches in sports games, can also be achieved during training games on smaller courts. These results may be particularly valuable for planning training processes, especially in situations where space is limited or when the goal is to simulate match-like physical loads.
