{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T02:55:53Z","timestamp":1774234553503,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,12]],"date-time":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1613088000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia\/ Minist\u00e9rio da Ci\u00eancia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior","award":["UIDB\/50008\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/50008\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Ministerio de Econom\u00eda y Competitividad, Programa Estatal de Generaci\u00f3n de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento Cient\u00edfico y Tecnol\u00f3gico del Sistema I+D+i","award":["PGC2018-098742-B-C31"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PGC2018-098742-B-C31"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\"><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>This umbrella review was conducted to summarize the evidence and qualify the methodological quality of SR and SRMA published on small-sided games in team ball sports.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec002\"><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A systematic review of Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec003\"><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>From the 176 studies initially identified, 12 (eight SR and four SRMA) were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures were extracted and analyzed. Methodological quality (with the use of AMSTAR-2) revealed that seven reviews had low quality and five had critically low quality. Two major types of effects of SSGs were observed: (i) short-term acute effects and (ii) long-term adaptations. Four broad dimensions of analysis were found: (i) physiological demands (internal load); (ii) physical demands (external load) or fitness status; (iii) technical actions; and (iv) tactical behavior and collective organization. The psychological domain was reduced to an analysis of enjoyment. The main findings from this umbrella review revealed that SSGs present positive effects in improving aerobic capacity and tactical\/technical behaviors, while neuromuscular adaptations present more heterogeneous findings. Factors such as sex, age group, expertise, skill level, or fitness status are also determinants of some acute effects and adaptations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec004\"><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The current umbrella review allowed to identify that most of the systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in SSGs presents low methodological quality considering the standards. Most of the systematic reviews included in this umbrella revealed that task constraints significantly change the acute responses in exercise, while SSGs are effective in improving aerobic capacity. Future original studies in this topic should improve the methodological quality and improve the experimental study designs for assessing changes in tactical\/technical skills.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0247067","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,12]],"date-time":"2021-02-12T21:46:06Z","timestamp":1613166366000},"page":"e0247067","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":136,"title":["Small-sided games: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9813-2842","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Filipe Manuel","family":"Clemente","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Afonso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Hugo","family":"Sarmento","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,12]]},"reference":[{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0247067.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1161","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2011.583671","article-title":"Quantification of the physiological loading of one week of \u201cpre-season\u201d and one week of \u201cin-season\u201d training in professional soccer players","volume":"29","author":"T-S Jeong","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Sports Sci"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247067.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.1097\/JES.0b013e318292f3ec","article-title":"How small-sided and conditioned games enhance acquisition of movement and decision-making skills","volume":"41","author":"K Davids","year":"2013","journal-title":"Exerc Sport Sci Rev"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247067.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1519\/SSC.0000000000000063","article-title":"Developing Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness Using Small-Sided Soccer Games: Methodological Proposals","volume":"36","author":"FM Clemente","year":"2014","journal-title":"Strength Cond J."},{"key":"pone.0247067.ref004","article-title":"High-Intensity Interval Training, Solutions to the Programming Puzzle: Part I: Cardiopulmonary Emphasis","author":"M Buchheit","year":"2013","journal-title":"Sport Med."},{"key":"pone.0247067.ref005","article-title":"High-Intensity Interval Training, Solutions to the Programming Puzzle: Part II: Anaerobic Energy, Neuromuscular Load and Practical Applications","author":"M Buchheit","year":"2013","journal-title":"Sport Med."},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0247067.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-019-01086-w","article-title":"Effects of Small-Sided Games vs. Conventional Endurance Training on Endurance Performance in Male Youth Soccer Players: A Meta-Analytical Comparison","volume":"49","author":"J Moran","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sport Med."},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0247067.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1446","DOI":"10.23736\/S0022-4707.17.07420-5","article-title":"Does Small-sided Games Training Improve Physical-Fitness and Specific Skills for Team Sports? 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