Nobody waits in line.
Why we play in small groups.
For coaches · 2 min read
The longest drill in youth practice is often the line in front of the basket. Twelve kids, one line, each gets a turn maybe once a minute. The rest of the time they watch.
Small-sided games turn this around. A review of small-sided games in basketball shows: the fewer players on the court, the more dribbles, passes and shots per player and the higher the physical load (Li et al., 2025). The studies mostly involve older, competitive players. The direction matches what federations set for kids, though. In German mini-basketball, U8 plays 3-on-3, and U10 and U12 play 4-on-4 (German Basketball Federation, mini-basketball rules). USA Basketball recommends splitting competition at the foundational level between 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5, and focusing on the full game only later (USA Basketball, Youth Development Guidebook).
Small-sided games are not a replacement for the game but the way into it. In 1-on-1, kids learn the matchup; in 2-on-2, playing together; in 3-on-3, spacing and passing lanes.
Our theses
- The most important number in practice is touches per kid.
- Small-sided games are the way to the full game, not a replacement for it.
- Standing in line isn't learning.
In PRACTX
PRACTX AI watches waiting time in every plan. It judges it against the size of your group, based on each drill's minimum number of players, equipment and setup. For large groups, it picks drills that run at several baskets at once.
Sources
- German Basketball Federation (Deutscher Basketball Bund). Spielregeln Minibasketball Deutschland (mini-basketball rules, in German). basketball-bund.de (accessed September 29, 2026).
- Li, T., Wang, S., Martinho, D. V., Silva, R. M., Xu, Q., Gouveia, É. R. & Clemente, F. M. (2025). Can different small-sided game formats impact physiological, physical, technical, and tactical demands in basketball players? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Biology of Sport, 42(3), 283–302. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.147012 (opens in a new tab)
- USA Basketball. Youth Development Guidebook, p. 18.
As of 29 September 2026