In recent decades, basketball has registered extraordinary development, from being limited to a certain group of communities to becoming one of the most widely participated-in sports. Further, basketball is now perhaps the 2nd most popular sport in the world after football with millions of players participating in it. The rhythmic nature of the game, constant keeping up with scores, and ongoing transitioning of skills from defensive to offensive and vice versa, all done with accuracy and speed are the reasons behind this.

The mastering and development of the basic skills of most sports and athletic activities, including basketball, requires mental processes. Sensory-motor perception is one of the most important processes which make one’s skills successfully applicable among these processes. It also helps to develop rapidly individual and group skills as many situations require quick solutions of that nature. According to Ali Mustafa Taha [1], Training players in different situations enhances flexible learning and increases the player’s ability to deal with unexpected situations during matches.

It helps in locating suitable solutions for happenings that happen during a game. The focus of attention before executing the movement must be on the accuracy and quality of the performance so that the player can take a proper position to execute the skill efficiently. The ability to shoot is one of the very perceptive skills required.

Through the researcher’s observation of educational basketball units within Al-Qadisiyah schools, a problem was identified among beginner learners, namely the lack of perception and motor response speed during the execution of basketball shooting skills, whether in stationary or moving situations. This negatively affects their ability to perform tasks during skill execution in gameplay. Accordingly, the researcher decided to investigate this issue by designing a program of mini-exercises using assisting devices in order to identify their effect on shooting skill and its development.

The significance of the research lies in the fact that the fundamental skills in basketball play a crucial role in the game, and their execution during matches requires a high level of accuracy. Therefore, serious efforts must be devoted to teaching and developing these skills properly and effectively through the use of mini-exercises. These exercises are defined as short and focused educational activities used to reinforce rapid understanding of learning concepts, as they rely on simple tasks or specific applications that help learners consolidate knowledge through immediate practice.

Purpose of the study

To identify the effect of mini-exercises using assisting devices on the development of sensory-motor perception and the accuracy of different shooting types in basketball for beginners aged 10–12 years.

The researcher used the experimental method with the equivalent groups design due to its suitability for the nature of the study. The research population consisted of fifth-grade pupils from Al-Banafsaj Primary School during the academic year (2024–2025), totaling 18 pupils. The participants were divided into two equal groups, experimental and control, with 9 pupils in each group. 

To ensure the equivalence of the two groups in the study variables, the researcher used the Mann–Whitney test. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups, as illustrated in Table 1.

Table 1: Equivalence of the Two Research Groups

Level of significance: (0.05)

Tests Used in the Research:

• Basketball set Shooting Accuracy Test: This test measures the player’s ability to shoot accurately from a stationary position, usually from free throws or designated areas. The test generally includes 10 shooting attempts from the free-throw line or specified distances, and a score is recorded for each successful attempt to measure the player’s control of technical and skill performance [2].

• Basketball Jump Shooting Accuracy Test: This test is considered an essential tool for measuring the player’s skill in shooting while airborne. It often includes shooting from different areas (right, left, and center) from specified distances, such as 9 meters or beyond the arc. The purpose of these tests is to evaluate technical performance accuracy and the player’s ability to shoot under match-like conditions [3]. 

• Basketball Lay-up Shooting Accuracy Test: This is a skill-based test designed to evaluate the player’s ability to score while moving after dribbling. The test includes performing 10 lay-up shooting attempts, either from both sides or from one side, following dribbling from midcourt. The final score is calculated according to the number of successful shots scored in the basket [1]. 

• Sensory-Motor Perception Test for Ball-Drop Distance in Basketball:This test is a precise measurement tool for assessing the player’s ability to estimate the required force and distance. It often includes shooting or passing from specific positions, such as the free-throw line, to measure the accuracy of distance perception, especially when the eyes are blindfolded or when a specific target is designated [4]. 

Pilot Study

• Date of the Pilot Study: 1/2/2025 in the morning.

• Location of the Pilot Study: Al-Banafsaj Primary School.

• Pilot Study Sample: The pilot study sample consisted of (3) players selected randomly from the same research population.

Scientific Foundations of the Tests

Validity: The researcher relied on face validity for the tests by presenting the skill tests, sensory-motor perception tests, and response speed tests to a group of experts and specialists in the fields of physical education and basketball to ensure their suitability for achieving the research objectives. All experts agreed on the validity of these tests for measuring the studied variables, as shown in Table 2. 

Table 2 presents the number of experts who agreed and disagreed, the percentages, and the Chi-square (χ²) values for the tests used in the research. The results showed that the calculated χ² value was greater than the tabulated value of (3.84) at a degree of freedom of (1) and a significance level of (0.05), indicating a statistically significant agreement among the experts regarding the validity of the tests adopted in the research.

Table 2: Number of Experts Agreeing and Disagreeing, Percentage, and Chi-square Value for the Investigated Tests

At a Degree of Freedom = 1 and a Significance Level = 0.05

Reliability
The reliability coefficient for all skill tests, the sensory-motor perception test, and the response speed test was calculated using the test–retest method. The researcher applied the tests during the pilot study on the research sample on 1/2/2026. After a period of seven days, the tests were reapplied to the same sample under the same conditions on 8/2/2026. To verify the reliability of the tests, the researcher used Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the results of the first and second tests. The findings revealed a significant correlation between them, indicating that the tests possessed a high degree of reliability, as shown in Table 3. 

Table 3: Reliability and Objectivity Coefficients of the Tests Used in the Research

Statistically significant at the significance level (0.05)

Objectivity
To ensure the objectivity of the tests, the researcher relied on the scores of two evaluators. Their scores were recorded during the retesting process on 8/2/2026. After statistically processing the results using Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the evaluators’ scores, a high significant correlation was found between them, indicating that the tests possessed a high degree of objectivity, as presented in Table 3. 

Table 3 demonstrates the reliability and objectivity coefficients of the tests used in the research. The reliability coefficients ranged between (0.87–0.94), which are considered high values indicating test stability. The objectivity coefficients ranged between (0.88–0.92), indicating a high degree of agreement between the evaluators. This confirms that the tests used in the study possessed a good degree of reliability and objectivity.

Main Experiment

The researcher conducted the pre-tests on the members of the research sample on 8/2/2026 at Al-Banafsaj Primary School at 9:00 a.m. The skill tests related to shooting accuracy in basketball, in addition to the sensory-motor perception test, were administered in order to identify the players’ initial level before implementing the mini-exercises.

The mini-exercises were then applied during the period from 10/2/2026 to 19/3/2026 on the court of Al-Banafsaj Primary School. The exercises prepared by the researcher were implemented with the experimental group for (25) minutes within the main part of the instructional unit, at a rate of three instructional units per week over six weeks. The exercises included dividing the pupils into small groups of three students and using assisting devices such as cones, ropes, hurdles, and elastic bands. They also included exercises such as 2 versus 1 situations and similar activities.

The control group, on the other hand, continued following the regular educational curriculum implemented by the coach without introducing the mini-exercises. After completing the exercises, the post-tests were conducted using the same tests under approximately similar conditions on 22/3/2026.

From presenting and analyzing the results of the skill tests, the sensory-motor perception test, and the various basketball shooting skills in the pre-tests and post-tests for both research groups, as illustrated in Tables 4 and 5, it becomes evident that there were statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test results in favor of the post-test, particularly within the experimental group. The researcher attributes these differences to several important factors.

Table 4: Median Values, Quartile Deviations, and Calculated Wilcoxon Values for the Pre-tests and Post-tests of the Experimental Group

Significance level: (0.05)

The mini-exercises prepared by the researcher addressed all dimensions of sensory-motor perception related to basketball through performing skills at different ranges of distance, speed, direction, and height. This helped the members of the experimental group recognize motor stimuli and perceive them immediately, which consequently enabled them to execute the basic skills with greater accuracy. Increased accuracy of sensory perceptions enhances the player’s ability to consciously control and direct movement in space, while muscular sensation provides precise information regarding the characteristics of the required sensory-motor perception, thereby allowing performance correction and improvement [5].

Table 5: Median Values, Quartile Deviations, and Calculated Wilcoxon Values for the Pre-tests and Post-tests of the Control Group

Significance level: (0.05)

Furthermore, examination of the results presented in Table 6 reveals clear statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group exposed to the experimental variable. The researcher attributes these differences to several essential factors, most notably the implementation of the newly designed mini-exercises, which focused on developing sensory-motor perception and included all the fundamental sensory perceptions associated with basketball. This contributed to increasing the players’ ability to process motor information rapidly and accurately during gameplay, which positively reflected on the performance of basketball shooting skills. Through these exercises and assisting devices, the skills improved effectively, as did the speed and accuracy of decision-making during the execution of open skills. Diversity and variation in motor patterns are necessary to cope with the different variables encountered during matches [6].

Table 6: Median Values, Quartile Deviations, and Calculated Mann–Whitney Values for the Post-tests of the Two Research Groups

The exercises also prepared the players for realistic gameplay situations, enabling them to maintain full concentration while facing opponents, observe their movements, and respond quickly and accurately. This reflects the development of their motor system and neuromuscular coordination, which contributed to improving the overall performance of the studied skills.

The proper organization of the exercises, through combining various skills in game-like situations, helped improve performance accuracy and achieve noticeable superiority for the experimental group compared with the control group.

Accordingly, it appears that the use of mini-exercises accompanied by assisting devices plays an effective role in improving shooting accuracy, sensory-motor perception, and response speed among beginner basketball players. This educational approach is considered one of the most important strategies for developing players’ fundamental skills at this age stage.

• Sensory-motor perception exercises contributed to the development of the accuracy of most basketball shooting skills among beginners. 

• The mini-exercises improved the sensory-motor perception of the members of the experimental group regarding most stimuli associated with basketball. 

• Sensory-motor perception exercises enabled the members of the experimental group to acquire a greater number of motor programs for a single skill, which facilitated their ability to deal with and respond to most gameplay situations accurately and rapidly. 

1. Taha, Ali Mustafa. Volleyball: History, Learning, Training, Analysis, and Rules. Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi, 1999. 

2. Allawi, Mohammed Hassan, and Mohammed Nasr El-Din Radwan. Measurement in Physical Education and Sports Psychology. 2nd ed., Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi, 1988. 

3. Hassanein, Mohammed Sobhi, and Hamdi Abdul Munim. Scientific Foundations of Volleyball and Methods of Measurement. 1st ed., Markaz Al-Kitab for Publishing, 1997. 

4. Al-Saadi, Amer Jabbar. “Design and Standardization of Sensory-Motor Perception Tests for Volleyball Players.” Journal of Physical Education, vol. 11, no. 1, 2002. 

5. Izzat, Naji Mutashar. “The Effect of Proposed Exercises for Developing Sensory-Motor Perception and Decision-Making on the Performance of Passing and Shooting Skills in Youth Handball Players.” Master’s thesis, College of Physical Education, University of Babylon, 2008. 

6. Abdul Karim, Afaf. Teaching for Learning in Physical and Sports Education. Mansha’at Al-Ma‘arif, 1990.