The Effect of Small-Sided Games Training on Soccer Passing Skills among Elementary School Students at SDN Rora

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined changes in soccer passing performance among elementary school students after an eight-week small-sided games (SSG) program.

Materials and Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest study involved 30 students aged 10-12 years at SDN Rora, selected through total sampling. Participants completed 24 SSG sessions over eight weeks (three 60-minute sessions per week). Passing performance was assessed before and after the program using a short-passing test. Descriptive statistics, a paired-samples t-test, percentage change, and the paired standardized effect size (dₙ) were calculated.

Results: Mean passing scores increased from 18.73 ± 3.42 at pretest to 33.47 ± 4.28 at posttest, a mean increase of 14.74 points (78.70%). The paired comparison was statistically significant, t(29) = 25.96, p < .001, with a very large standardized change (dₙ = 4.74).

Conclusions: Passing performance improved substantially after the SSG program. SSG can be considered a promising, game-based option for elementary-school soccer instruction; however, the absence of a control group prevents attributing the improvement solely to the intervention.