Comparison of the Effects of Short-Term Small-Sided Games-Based Training and Traditional Skill-Based Training on Selected Physical Fitness Indicators in Novice Iraqi Youth Football Players

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of short-term training based on small-sided games with traditional skill-based training on selected physical fitness indicators among novice Iraqi youth football players.Methodology: The research employed a quasi-experimental method using a pre-test–post-test design with control and experimental groups. The statistical population consisted of children aged 10 to 12 years in Baghdad. A total of 45 participants were selected voluntarily and based on inclusion and exclusion criteria through convenience sampling. The participants were randomly assigned into three groups of 15 (one control group and two experimental groups). The tests included the 27.5-meter sprint test (speed), the 4×9 meter shuttle run (agility), the Sargent jump test (vertical jump/power), the Wells sit-and-reach test (flexibility), and the one-leg standing test (balance; also referred to as the Stork test). The intervention protocol consisted of training programs lasting 10 weeks, with sessions held four times per week, each lasting 60 minutes. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for data analysis. All statistical operations were conducted using SPSS version 25, with a significance level set at p < .05.Findings: The results indicated that novice football players who received short-term small-sided games-based training showed significantly better balance, power, speed, and flexibility than those who received traditional skill-based training (p < .001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in agility (p = 1.00).Conclusion: It can be concluded that short-term training based on small-sided games was more effective than traditional skill-based training in all variables except agility.