Keywords
Football training
Ground passing
Small-sided games
Youth football
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: Passing accuracy is fundamental in football, supporting ball possession, team coordination, and effective decision-making through realistic training situations.
Aims: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of 4–1 small-sided game training using two-touch and one-touch passing models in improving ground passing ability among youth football players and to identify the more effective training approach.
Methods: An experimental design with a matched-subject approach was applied to twenty KU-12 football players from SSB Bina Putra Wonosobo. Participants were divided into two groups based on pre-test performance. The first group received 4–1 small-sided game training with a two-touch passing model, while the second group followed the same format with a one-touch passing model. Ground passing ability was measured using a standardized football passing accuracy test administered before and after the training intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test procedures to determine significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores.
Result: The findings indicated that both training models significantly improved players’ ground passing ability after the intervention period. However, the one-touch training model demonstrated a greater improvement in passing performance compared with the two-touch model. The restriction of ball touches encouraged faster decision-making, improved ball circulation, and increased passing accuracy during training activities.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that the 4–1 small-sided game format effectively improves ground passing ability in youth football players. Integrating one-touch passing rules provides stronger technical and cognitive stimulation, supporting faster decision-making, improved ball circulation, and more efficient skill development during training.
References
Afonso, P., Forte, P., Branquinho, L., Ferraz, R., Garrido, N. D., & Teixeira, J. E. (2025). Shaping Training Load, Technical–Tactical Behaviour, and Well-Being in Football: A Systematic Review. Sports, 13(8), 244. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13080244
Baena-Marín, M., Rojas-Jaramillo, A., González-Santamaría, J., Rodríguez-Rosell, D., Petro, J. L., Kreider, R. B., & Bonilla, D. A. (2022). Velocity-Based Resistance Training on 1-RM, Jump and Sprint Performance: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. Sports, 10(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports10010008
Ceruso, R., D’Isanto, T., Sannicandro, I., Tessitore, A., & D’Elia, F. (2025). Effects of Integrating Football eSports into an Ecological–Dynamic Approach on the Development of Linear Speed in Young Soccer Players. Sci, 7(4), 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/sci7040142
Ceruso, R., Esposito, G., Aliberti, S., D’Isanto, T., & D’Elia, F. (2026). Training Decision-Making in Youth Football: A Comparative Study of Traditional, Ecological Dynamics Approach, and Hybrid eSport-Based Protocol. Applied Sciences, 16(5), 2407. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16052407
Clemente, F. M., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Sarmento, H., Praça, G. M., Afonso, J., Silva, A. F., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2021). Effects of Small-Sided Game Interventions on the Technical Execution and Tactical Behaviors of Young and Youth Team Sports Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.667041
de Joode, T., van der Kamp, J., & Savelsbergh, G. J. P. (2023). Examining the effect of task constraints on the emergence of creative action in young elite football players by using a method combining expert judgement and frequency count. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 69, 102502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102502
Fraenkel, J., Wallen, N., & Hyun, H. (2019). How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
Gaviria Alzate, S. J. O., Higuita, D. A., Jaramillo, A. F., & Machado, J. A. (2025). Impact of the Tactical Critical Thinking Program (TPCT) on ball control and passing accuracy in U-8 football players: A quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 20(5), 1972–1986. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541251335229
Hegedüs, P., Csala, D., Tóth, J., & Tóth, J. (2025). Age-Related Effects of Physical Performance on Technical and Tactical Outcomes in Youth Soccer. Sports, 13(6), 162. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13060162
La Sawali. (2022). The impact of target shooting exercise on passing accuracy in soccer games. Jurnal SPORTIF : Jurnal Penelitian Pembelajaran, 7(4), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.29407/js_unpgri.v7i4.16880
Machado, J. C., Góes, A., Aquino, R., Bedo, B. L. S., Viana, R., Rossato, M., Scaglia, A., & Ibáñez, S. J. (2022). Applying Different Strategies of Task Constraint Manipulation in Small-Sided and Conditioned Games: How Do They Impact Physical and Tactical Demands? Sensors, 22(12), 4435. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22124435
Naylor, L. H., Spence, A. L., Donker, S. C. M., Thijssen, D. H. J., & Green, D. J. (2021). Is there an athlete’s artery? A comparison of brachial and femoral artery structure and function in male strength, power and endurance athletes. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 24(7), 635–640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2021.02.010
Posthumus, L., Macgregor, C., Winwood, P., Darry, K., Driller, M., & Gill, N. (2020). Physical and Fitness Characteristics of Elite Professional Rugby Union Players. Sports, 8(6), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports8060085
Ramsey, H., Miller-Dicks, M., Reddy, V., & Hope, L. (2025). Decision-making in action: How international-level professional football players gain an advantage. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 76, 102722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102722
Rumpf, M. C., Jäger, J., Clemente, F. M., Altmann, S., & Lochmann, M. (2025). The effect of relative pitch size on physiological, physical, technical and tactical variables in small-sided games: a literature review and practical guide. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1592536
Rumpf, M. C., Jäger, J., Uthoff, A., & Lochmann, M. (2026). Man-marking, pressure on the ball, and offside and their effect on physiological, physical, technical and tactical parameters during small-sided games. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1733632
Siregar, I., Siregar, Y. I., Mahmuddin, M., Pradana, B., Bangun, S. Y., Saparia, A., & Mudayat, M. (2026). The Effect of Passing Exercise Variations on Soccer Passing Performance: An Experimental Study among Physical Education Students. International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 14(1), 12–19. https://doi.org/10.13189/saj.2026.140102
Taheri-Araghi, S., Ghadimi, M., & Del Coso, J. (2025). Comparative Analysis of Passing, Possession, and Goal-Scoring Trends in Euro 2024 and Copa America 2024. Sports, 13(10), 357. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100357
Yu, W., Liao, W., Zhong, Y., & Guan, Y. (2025). International youth football research developments: A CiteSpace-based bibliometric analysis. Heliyon, 11(1), e41663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e41663
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 KINESTESIS: Journal of Physical Education, Sports, and Health Science