GAME EFFICIENCY OF ELITE FEMALE WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL PLAYERS DURING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (GOLD CUP) 2006

Abstract

The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to describe of game efficiency in relation to teams ranking in Gold Cup 2006, and (2) to explore the relationship between the functional classification levels of female elite wheelchair basketball athletes and their basketball performance. All 72 athletes representing the eight teams participating in the World Championships for Wheelchair Basketball in 2006 (3-16 July, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) were evaluated in this study. All twenty-four scheduled games were videotaped. Female athletes were divided according to their functional classification level (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, and 4.5) and Gold Cup’s team ranking (teams from 1st to 4th place, teams from 5th and 6th place, teams from 7th and 8th place). Nineteen variables of game efficiency were evaluated. To determine quality of an athlete’s contribution to the game, modification of the Comprehensive Basketball Grading System (CBGSmodified) was used. Analyses of the results demonstrated that game efficiency in women’s wheelchair basketball is dependent on the athlete’s functional level and team ranking. The results support the notion that athletes from the “best” teams demonstrate higher shooting efficiency and significantly better CBSG values in comparison to female players from the “weakest” teams. In addition the data shows many similarities in game efficiency between those athletes from adjacent classifications levels.