Evaluation of different jumping tests in defining position-specific and performance-level differences in high level basketball players

Miran Pehar; Damir Sekulic; Nedim Sisic; Miodrag Spasic; Ognjen Uljevic; Ante Krolo; Zoran Milanovic; Tine Sattler

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2017.67122

Evaluation of different jumping tests in defining position-specific and performance-level differences in high level basketball players

Biol Sport. 2017 Sep;34(3):263-272. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2017.67122. Epub 2017 Apr 5.

Authors

Miran Pehar^{1

2}, Damir Sekulic², Nedim Sisic^{2

3}, Miodrag Spasic², Ognjen Uljevic², Ante Krolo², Zoran Milanovic⁴, Tine Sattler⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Natural Sciences Mathematics and Education, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
² Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Split, Croatia.
³ University of Zenica, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
⁴ University of Nis, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Nis, Serbia.
⁵ Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Abstract

The importance of jumping ability in basketball is well known, but there is an evident lack of studies that have examined different jumping testing protocols in basketball players at advanced levels. The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of different tests of jumping capacity in identifying differences between (i) playing position and (ii) competitive levels of professional players. Participants were 110 male professional basketball players (height: 194.92±8.09 cm; body mass: 89.33±10.91 kg; 21.58±3.92 years of age; Guards, 49; Forwards, 22; Centres, 39) who competed in the first (n = 58) and second division (n = 52). The variables included anthropometrics and jumping test performance. Jumping performances were evaluated by the standing broad jump (SBJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), reactive strength index (RSI), repeated reactive strength ability (RRSA) and four running vertical jumps: maximal jump with (i) take-off from the dominant leg and (ii) non-dominant leg, lay-up shot jump with take-off from the (iii) dominant leg and (iv) non-dominant leg. First-division players were taller (ES: 0.76, 95%CI: 0.35-1.16, moderate differences), heavier (0.69, 0.29-1.10), had higher maximal reach height (0.67, 0.26-1.07, moderate differences), and had lower body fat % (-0.87, -1.27-0.45, moderate differences) than second-division players. The playing positions differed significantly in three of four running jump achievements, RSI and RRSA, with Centres being least successful. The first-division players were superior to second-division players in SBJ (0.63, 0.23-1.03; 0.87, 0.26-1.43; 0.76, 0.11-1.63, all moderate differences, for total sample, Guards, and Forwards, respectively). Running vertical jumps and repeated jumping capacity can be used as valid measures of position-specific jumping ability in basketball. The differences between playing levels in vertical jumping achievement can be observed by assessing vertical jump scores together with differences in anthropometric indices between levels.

Keywords: Differences; Performance; Reliability; Validity.