The Effect of Small-Sided Games Training on Shooting Accuracy and Physical Fitness in Junior Basketball Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstrak

Despite growing interest in SSGs, evidence on their effects on shooting accuracy and physical fitness in junior basketball remains limited, particularly within the Indonesian sports science context. This study aimed to examine the effect of SSGs training on shooting accuracy and physical fitness in junior basketball athletes. Basketball is one of the most widely practised team sports globally, demanding a complex integration of technical skills and physical fitness. Small-sided games (SSGs) training has emerged as a contemporary approach capable of simultaneously developing technical, tactical, and physiological attributes in athletes. A randomized controlled trial design was employed involving 48 junior male basketball athletes (age: 15.3 ± 1.1 years) randomly assigned to an SSG training group (n = 24) and a traditional training group (n = 24). Interventions were conducted over eight weeks, three sessions per week, 90 minutes per session. Pre- and post-test measurements included shooting accuracy (free throw, mid-range, and three-point shooting tests), cardiovascular endurance (VO2max via Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test), agility (Illinois agility test), speed (30-m sprint), lower limb explosive power (vertical jump), and muscular endurance (push-up and sit-up tests). Independent and paired t-tests as well as effect size (Cohen's d) analyses were employed. Results showed that the SSG group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in shooting accuracy (p < 0.001; d = 1.42), VO2max (p < 0.001; d = 1.18), agility (p < 0.001; d = 1.09), and explosive power (p < 0.01; d = 0.87) compared to the traditional group. These findings suggest that SSG training is a highly effective, ecologically valid training modality for junior basketball athletes, with superior outcomes across both technical and fitness domains.