# How to Optimize Training Design? A Narrative Review of Load Modulators in Basketball Drills
## 1 Introduction
### Types of Drills  
In this regard, among professionals, there is widespread acceptance of the use and benefits of Ball Drills (BDs), Small-Sided Games (SSGs), and Scrimmage Games (SGs), Conditioned Games (CGs), or Game Simulation (GS). While definitions for these drills exist, they are not unique. They are open to interpretation by professionals, allowing for various combinations based on specific objectives. Similarly, different terms are often used interchangeably to describe very similar drills. However, in general terms, and to provide context, these drills can be defined as shown in Table 1. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{142.3 pt} p{142.3 pt}} \hline \hline
**Type of Drill** & **Definition** \\ \hline Ball Drills & Encompass a series drills (varying intensity) characterized by the repetitive execution of technical actions (e.g., dribbling, shooting, passing) under predetermined conditions. These exercises aim to simulate the competitive demands primarily at the technical and physical levels, although in 5v0 situations they are commonly used to work on tactical scenarios and collective movements at different intensities [17; 24]. \\ \hline Small-Sided Games & These are drills consisting of matches with a smaller number of players than in competitive settings (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4), where numerical advantages in offense or defense may also occur (2v1, 3v2, or 4v3). Due to their highly variable nature, these drills can be utilized for improving technical, tactical, and physical aspects [1; 31]. \\ \hline Scrimmage Games & Drills closely emulate competitive scenarios, typically comprising 5v4 or 5v5 setups, although some authors also incorporate 4v4. These exercises are characterized by a significant emphasis on collective or tactical strategies [7; 29]. \\ Game Simulation & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: General classification of drills. The integration of BDs, SGs, and SGs serves to streamline training sessions [32], as coaches associate these drills with comprehensive player development across technical, physical, and decision-making domains [25; 33]. Coaches argue that tactical scenarios involving numerical advantages on both offensive and defensive fronts play a crucial role during developmental stages in enhancing players' understanding of the game's nuances [34]. The use and adaptation of these drills, commonly employed by professionals, have garnered the interest of researchers seeking to investigate how such modifications influence training workload [28; 35]. Given the inherent uncertainty and unpredictability of the game, parameters in BDs, SGs, and SGs are frequently adjusted [22; 32; 36] to align the drills with specific training objectives. To achieve this effect, competition rules are often modified to align with specific objectives. Coaches and fitness trainers recognize that changing the game format directly impacts the physical demands of the drills [25; 28; 29; 30]. Commonly used training settings are included in Table 2.  
In this context, it becomes apparent that findings vary significantly depending on the variables measured and the specific modifications in each instance. Nevertheless, it can be stated that BDs, SGs, and SGs are widely utilized in the teaching-learning-training process in team sports due to their performance-related characteristics [16]. Moreover, they share organizational similarities with competitive environments and can be easily adjusted to specific training variables while maintaining the integrity of the game's dynamics [29; 39]. Therefore, the main objective of this narrative review is, firstly, to identify the various factors that influence the external and internal loads of training exercises in basketball, and secondly, to know how the manipulation of these factors modifies the external and internal loads of each exercise used. The knowledge of how the variation of each of these factors modifies the load of each exercise will allow the establishment of criteria for the efficient planning, programming, and design of training sessions.