Kinesiology, Vol. 18. No. 2., 1986.
Original scientific paper
Effect of morphological characteristics on achievement in basketball
Bojan Matković
; Fakultet za fizičku kulturu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Branka Matković
; Fakultet za fizičku kulturu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
The investigation carried out on a sample of 115 young basketball players had as its aim to establish achievement in various phases of the game, in defence and attack, as well as the efficiency throughout the duration of the match.
The measures of anthropometric features were selected in such way as to represent each latent morphological dimension by three variables. In order to assess the longitudinal dimensions of the skeleton, height of the body, length of arms and legs were measured. The width of the fist, knee diameter helped to assess the transversal dimensions of the skeleton whereas the body weight, circumference of the upper arm and thigh gave data as to volume and mass of the body. Furthermore, the assessment of fat tissue depended upon the measurements of fold on the upper arm, back and lower leg.
The effect of anthropometric variables upon the game parameters was established through application of regression analysis. A significant correlation was obtained between the morphological characteristics of young basketball players and their achievement in both the various segments of the game and the game as a whole. First of all, successful attack and defence in the game is related to the mass and volume of the body (the muscle mass). A whole series of defence and attack actions requiring good realization of simple and complex motor tasks rest upon optimally developed musculature even in young players. Furthermore, the efficiency and success are significantly positively related to the longitudinal dimensions of the skeleton, i. e. height, length of arms and legs. Bearing in min basic aims of the game these results are more expected and they have been confirmed in earlier studies.
A significant correlation between the measures of transversal dimensionality of the skeleton and achievement in the game is particularly expressed by the correlation coefficient of the width of the fist and success in defence (.49), attack (.46) and efficiency throughout the game (.47).
Considering the results, this morphological characteristic is undoubtedly essential for the achievement of players in the game, very likely because every manipulation of the ball during attack is closely related to the fist, partly due to the size of the ball and also because every manipulation of the ball during attack is closely related to the fist, partly due to the size of the ball and also because efficient defence relies greatly u on arm activity and, particularly, upon the most extreme part of the arm, fist.
Viewed as a whole, the results lead to a conclusion that is irrelevant which part of the game is being assessed so long as we observe the relation between morphological characteristics and achievement in the game. Namely, the same morphological characteristics are equally important in attack, defence and game as a whole.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
253367
URI
Publication date:
14.1.1986.
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