Effects of speed–agility–quickness (SAQ) training on pre-planned change-of-direction speed in adolescent and young adult team ball sport athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of speed-agility-quickness (SAQ) training on pre-planned change-of-direction speed (CODS) in adolescent and young adult team-sport athletes and to explore potential moderating factors. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, randomized controlled trials published from database inception to 15 November 2025 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, EBSCOhost, and the Cochrane Library. Eligible studies involved basketball, soccer, or handball athletes aged 9-26 years, with the experimental group receiving SAQ-dominant interventions and the control group performing routine training, regular sport-specific practice, no additional training, or other non-SAQ comparison conditions. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses, restricted cubic spline meta-regression, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias assessments were conducted. Twenty-two studies contributing 26 effect sizes were included, comprising 17 effect sizes for pre-planned CODS and 9 for linear sprint performance. Compared with controls, SAQ training significantly improved pre-planned CODS (SMD = - 0.71, 95% CI - 0.92 to - 0.51, P < 0.00001) and also improved linear sprint performance (SMD = - 0.90, 95% CI - 1.18 to - 0.62). For CODS, subgroup analyses revealed no significant moderation by age (≤ 18 vs. > 18 years, P = 0.92), weekly training volume (≤ 120 vs. > 120 min/week, P = 0.19), competitive level (elite/club vs. school/university, P = 0.63), or sport discipline (basketball, soccer, handball). Meta-regression did not identify statistically significant non-linear associations for the examined moderators. Sensitivity analyses supported the stability of the pooled estimates, although potential publication bias should be considered when interpreting the magnitude of the effects. SAQ training appears to be an effective strategy for improving pre-planned CODS and linear sprint performance in team-sport athletes aged 9-26 years. The available evidence suggests that these benefits may be observed across different age groups, training volumes, competitive levels, and sports, although variability in intervention design, outcome assessment, and study quality should be acknowledged. These findings support the inclusion of SAQ training within routine physical conditioning programs for this population.