The primary objective of this study was to systematically investigate the physiological and physical fitness adaptations resulting from small-sided games (SSGs) training programs in basketball players competing at youth competitive levels, as compared to other training approaches and/or control groups. To achieve this, we conducted a literature search on PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. From the initial 626 studies retrieved, five were considered eligible for the current study. Among the five included articles, four conducted comparisons between the effects of SSGs and running-based high-intensity interval training. Regarding this, the four studies revealed a significant improvement in the final velocity during the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test, ranging from 4.07% to 7.29% following SSG-based interventions. This improvement was not significantly different from the comparator group. Additionally, two studies indicated that the SSGs group showed a significant advantage in change-of-direction time, with improvements ranging from -2.11% to 6.69% after interventions, and these results were not significantly different from the comparator group. However, the effects on repeated sprint ability yielded contradictory findings; two studies reported significant improvements ranging from -5.00% to -2.16%, while two others did not show significant effects following SSGs-based interventions. Similarly, in the linear sprint, the results of SSGs-based interventions were inconsistent. In summary, based on the available research, it can be concluded that SSG-based training is effective in significantly enhancing aerobic performance and change of direction, comparable to alternative approaches. However, the effects on repeated sprint ability and sprint performance are not consistently demonstrated.
Keywords: systematic review; Basketball; athletic performance; drill-based games; physical fitness; sports training.