EFFECTIVENESS OF SMALL-SIDED GAMES IN DEVELOPING TECHNICAL SKILLS AMONG 12–13-YEAR-OLD FOOTBALL PLAYERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of small-sided games (SSGs) in developing key technical skills—dribbling, ball control, and juggling in 12–13-year-old male football players. The goal was to determine whether a structured SSG-based training program could significantly improve technical performance compared to traditional training methods. Methods: 32 youth players from two professional football academies were assigned to either an experimental group (n = 16), which followed a 10-week SSG-focused training program, or a control group (n = 16), which followed conventional training routines. Pre and post-intervention testing included football-specific assessments for dribbling (time), ball control (slalom timing), and juggling (number of repetitions). Data were analyzed using paired and independent sample t-tests to assess within-group and between-group differences. Results: The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all three technical domains (p < 0.001), with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large. Dribbling time decreased by 9.27%, ball control time improved by 15.68%, and juggling performance increased by 49.55%. In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes. Conclusion: The findings support the use of small-sided games as an effective and practical method for enhancing technical skills in early adolescence. Coaches are encouraged to integrate SSGs into youth training curricula to accelerate technical development and promote game-specific learning.