Can Small Sided Games Build More Explosive Athletes? (Research Review)

Can small-sided games actually build better athletes, not just better decision-makers? In this video, we break down a 2024 randomized controlled study showing that scoring-based small-sided games helped trained high-school players jump higher, get stronger, and land more efficiently, while possession-only games and normal practice did not. We explore why attacking, finishing, and rebounding create a different stimulus, and why coaches should be careful about dosage and over-generalizing these results.