The effectiveness of small sided games in improving the physical performance and psychophysiological responses of young handball players: A Literature Review

Purpose The purpose of this literature review is to provide an explanation of the results of Small-Sided Games (SSG) training in improving the physical performance and psychophysiological responses of young handball players and appropriate methods of play in order to maximize athlete performance. Materials and Methods Systematic reviews are conducted following the Preferred Reporting Guidelines for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Article searches are conducted through Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, using the PRISMA method to collect data in the literature review stage. Data search is done using Google Scholar, Scopus and Pubmed platforms because of easy access and feasibility of articles. Search Criteria 1) young handball players aged 16-18 years 2) small sided games 3) experimental 4) non-randomized pilot studies, studies with randomized controlled designs as well as cross-sectional studies included. Data searches have been conducted with the keywords "small sided games" AND "physical performance" AND "psychophysiological responses" AND "handball" AND "young players" OR "junior players". Found several articles from Google Scholar with 218 articles, PubMed 62 articles and Scopus 29 articles. The number of articles was 309 articles, then changed again according to the discussion and topic to 8 articles. Of the 8 articles included in the exclusion, 6 articles were excluded because they were "other sports". So that 2 articles obtained from Scopus are used. Result The findings obtained were improved physical performance such as running and jumping, different methods and treatments in the rules of the small sided games, improved mood found in 2 articles. Conclusion Based on the findings, it can be concluded that Small-Sided Games (SSG) can not only be applied in handball, but can also be adapted for other sports such as football and several other team sports. SSG can be a useful tool for handball coaches to improve player performance, especially in the aspects of running and jumping, while also having the potential to improve mood.