Are regional differences in basketball already established in under-18 games?

Abstract

To identify regional differences in basketball games for under-age categories, this study analyzed game-related statistics of four continental championships for under-18 (U18) men. Methods: A total of 149 games from each continental championship for U18 men held in 2016 were analyzed. A one-way analysis of variance followed by a Bonferroni post hoc test was performed to assess differences in game-related statistics between the continents (Europe, Africa, America, Asia). A discriminant analysis was performed to identify game-related statistics which discriminate among the continents. Results: The U18 African championship, which was characterized by a high number of free throws, was clearly discriminated from any other U18 continental championship. Among the other U18 continental championships excluding the African championship, the biggest difference was observed between the European and the Asian championships. The U18 European championship was characterized by a low number of possessions and a high number of assists, whereas the U18 Asian championship was characterized by a high number of possessions and a low number of assists. Both possessions and assists showed high numbers in the U18 American championship. Conclusion: This study identified regional differences in basketball games among four continental championships for U18 men held in 2016. It is suggested that basketball games for under-age categories are played in a different manner in each region of the world. The information derived from this study will help players and coaches of under-age national teams prepare for international competitions.

Regional Differences in Women’s Basketball: A Comparison among Continental Championships

“…This assumption is also supported by the fact that the number of assists, which has been considered as an indicator of a well-organized offense [16,27,28], in the European championship, was relatively high among the four continental championships (second to the Asian championship). These performance profiles were consistent with previously reported findings in continental championships for senior [2] and junior [3] men. It is suggested that the basic performance profiles of European basketball are common to both sexes.…”

“…Cohen’s d was calculated as an effect size and interpreted as follows: d = 0.20 to 0.49, small effect; d = 0.50 to 0.79, medium effect; d ≥ 0.80, large effect [25]. To identify game-related statistics that discriminate between the continents, a discriminant analysis was performed using R code ‘candis’ and ‘geneig’, which have been used in previous studies [3,6,11,26]. An absolute value of a structural coefficient (SC) greater than or equal to 0.30 was considered relevant for the discrimination between the continents [2,3].…”

“…International competitions in basketball are governed by the FIBA, so that official games are played by the same rules with the same equipment anywhere in the world. However, regional differences in performance profiles have been reported in recent studies [2,3]. Ibáñez et al [2] compared game-related statistics among continental championships for men held in 2015, and reported that each continent has a specific performance profile, which can be summarized as follows: Africa, high numbers of free throws, rebounds, steals, and fouls; America, a high number of field goal attempts; Asia, a high number of possessions and a low number of assists; and Europe, a low number of possessions and a high number of assists.…”

“…However, although international competitions are held not only for men, but also for women, previous studies on regional differences in basketball [2,3] have analyzed only men’s competitions. Sex differences in performance profiles have been reported in previous studies [4,5,6].…”

“…Considering these facts, it is possible to assume that regional differences in performance profiles differ between men and women. If regional differences among continental championships for women are dissimilar to those for men, the previous findings on men [2,3] cannot be applied to women. Therefore, identifying regional differences in women’s basketball would be of help for players and coaches of women’s national teams to prepare for international competitions.…”