Our Favorite Small Sided Games

Our Favorite Small Sided Games

✅100 of our favorite games we use every day

✅10 Different Categories

This booklet will feature:

• the vision behind small sided games

• a description of our favorite small sided games we use in EA


The vision behind it using small sided games

The goal is to maximise the transfer of skills and decisions to competition. The games approach emphasizes on teaching and learning the game while playing the game. Players must apply both
 skill and decisions in the games at the same time. Basketball is too often coached in a traditional linear way.

what are small sided games (SSG’s)

For those who haven’t read into them, small-sided games (SSG’s) are simply games with fewer players. For us coaches of basketball, that means basketball games with fewer players than the traditional 5 on 5.

This can mean games of 1on1, 2on2, 2vs1, 3vs2, 3on3, etc. All the different combinations are effective in their own unique way.

Why we use SSG’s to teach skills

1. More Touches = More Fun

2. Make Easier Decisions = More Fun
3. More Scoring Opportunities = More Fun
4. Increased Space = More Fun
5. Involves All Players = More Fun
6. Breaks the Game down into Chunks = More Fun 7. More room for creativity = More Fun
8. Teaches Players When to Use a Skill = More Fun

Increased development and more fun at the same time.

With the games approach players do multiple repetitions but each rep is different. This forces a player to think on each repetition. This is exactly how the game is = complex and always different.

our job as coaches with young kids

Make them fall in love with the game = this will happen if our practices are super fun, they’re learning at the same time and they have success.

find the optimal level of improvement

Are the players challenged in the right way? Not too hard and not too easy. if it doesn’t

challenge them it wont improve them.



You need to try and create the “sweet spot” in practice: this is where players learn the fastest.
 


- Trash zone: under 60% success rate (to difficult but can stay in here for a bit to wobble)
 


- Sweet zone: between 60-80% success rate (optimal level)
 


- Comfort zone: 80% success rate : to easy but could be good for confidence or recovery