Small-sided games (SSGs) are commonly employed to simulate game-specific scenarios, emphasizing the importance of incorporating numerical equality and imbalance to mirror real match dynamics. This study evaluated the physical, physiological, and tactical responses of U-15 and U-17 soccer players during SSGs with numerical balance and numerical superiority in the offensive phase. The sample included 28 male athletes, with 14 from each age group participating in official competitions based on the national schedule. The SSGs were organized in 5v5 and 5v5+2 configurations, with each session consisting of four 6-minute bouts interspersed with 3-minute recovery periods. The sessions alternated between formats, with the first 6-minute period conducted as 5v5, followed by 5v5+2, and so on. On the second day of data collection, the order was reversed. The results indicated differences in the factor age group for distances covered at speeds of 7.20 to 14.29 km/h [F(1,74)=4.965, p=0.029, ?²=0.06] and 14.30 to 19.69 km/h [F(1,74)=13.323, p<0.0001, n²=0.15], average heart rate (HRavg) [F(1,74)=13.292, p<0.0001, n²=0.15], maximum heart rate (HRmax) [F(1,74)=4.844, p=0.031, n²=0.06], spatial exploration index (SEI) [F(1,74)=134.061, p<0.0001, n²=0.64], depth [F(1,74)=93.341, p<0.0001, n²=0.56], width [F(1,74)=7.830, p=0.007, n²=0.10], and length per width ratio [F(1,14)=46.095, p<0.001, n²=0.77]. Moreover, considering SEI, there was an interaction between the age group and SSG format [F(1,74)=4.736, p=0.033, n²=0.06], with U-17 players presenting higher SEI compared to U-15 (p<0.001). Additionally, SEI was higher in U-17 compared to U-15 in the 5v5+2 (p<0.001) and in 5v5 (p<0.001) SSGs. Thus, it is observed that numerically unbalanced games did not alter physical, physiological, and tactical responses. On the other hand, differences were noted based on the age group, with older athletes covering greater distances and exploring the game space more.
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