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Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research investigates the recognition of basketball techniques actions through the implementation of three-dimensional (3D) Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), aiming to enhance the accurate and automated identification of various actions in basketball games. Initially, basketball action sequences are extracted from publicly available basketball action datasets, followed by data preprocessing, including image sampling, data augmentation, and label processing. Subsequently, a novel action recognition model is proposed, combining 3D convolutions and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to model temporal features and capture the spatiotemporal relationships and temporal information of actions. This facilitates the facilitating automatic learning of the spatiotemporal features associated with basketball actions. The model's performance and robustness are further improved through the adoption of optimization algorithms, such as adaptive learning rate adjustment and regularization. The efficacy of the proposed method is verified through experiments conducted on three publicly available basketball action datasets: NTURGB + D, Basketball-Action-Dataset, and B3D Dataset. The results indicate that this approach achieves outstanding performance in basketball technique action recognition tasks across different datasets compared to two common traditional methods. Specifically, when compared to the frame difference-based method, this model exhibits a significant accuracy improvement of 15.1%. When compared to the optical flow-based method, this model demonstrates a substantial accuracy improvement of 12.4%. Moreover, this method showcases strong robustness, accurately recognizing actions under diverse lighting conditions and scenes, achieving an average accuracy of 93.1%. The research demonstrates that the method reported here effectively captures the spatiotemporal relationships of basketball actions, thereby providing reliable technical assessment tools for basketball coaches and players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For basketball technique elements to become stable and automated, the technique must be executed correctly from the initial stages of the learning process. The jump shot is considered the most crucial shooting action, equally effective in various on-court situations. Ideal techniques may not unconditionally be the best for every player because they differ in motor and morphological characteristics. One of the shooting methods is shot with one hand from the spot, which, in terms of complexity and required motor abilities, is at a lower level of demand when compared to the jump shot. The first aim of this research is to define the kinematic pattern of the jump shot and the shot with one hand from the spot and determine if there are differences between them. The second aim is to establish whether there is a significant difference in the level of motor skills between the two groups. The participant sample consists of 29 junior basketball players. They were divided into two groups: G1 = players who perform the shot with one hand from the spot (N = 14); G2 = players who execute the jump shot (N = 15). MANOVA was used to determine the differences in observed kinematic parameters between the group and in the measured tests assessing motor abilities. The kinematic parameters of the upper extremities, the parameters of the basketball player's take-off, and the angle of the ball's impact were analyzed. It was determined that the kinematic pattern of these two shooting techniques significantly differs (F = 12.86, p = 0.00). There was a statistically significant difference between the group of participants performing the jump shot and the group performing the one-handed chest shot from the spot (F = 5.51, p = 0.00) in motor ability tests. The group that performed the jump shot showed significantly better results in three of the five measured tests (PLANK, MED_THR, POL_BACK). Shooting with one hand from the spot is a technically correct shooting method recommended to be performed until the player possesses a certain level of motor skills that enables proper execution of the jump shot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of computer vision technology, optical sensors are more and more widely used in the field of sports. But in basketball, the application of optical sensors is still relatively few. The aim of this research is to design an optical sensor system based on computer vision to realize the visual simulation of basketball. The study collected images and video data related to basketball, and processed and analyzed them. Computer vision algorithms are then used to identify and track key information in basketball motion, such as player positions and the trajectory of the ball. Then an optical sensor system is designed and implemented to acquire real-time data of basketball movement. Finally, a visualization simulation system is developed, which integrates the data acquired by optical sensor with the basketball scene to realize the realistic simulation of basketball. Through experiments and tests, the research proves the effectiveness and accuracy of the optical sensor system based on computer vision in the visual simulation of basketball sports. The system can capture and present important information in basketball sports in real time, help trainers and players better understand basketball tactics and techniques, and provide real-time feedback and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the ongoing reforms in Ukraine's educational sector, prioritizing students' health and improving their physical prowess has become imperative. This study explores the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating diverse forms of traditional basketball into high school physical education lessons to enhance the work capacity of students. The research cohort comprised 29 male 11th-grade students. The assessment of physical work capacity focused on the Harvard Step Test (HST), utilizing its metrics to measure students' development. Univariate analysis was employed for data analysis. Results indicated a satisfactory level of physical fitness among students, slightly below the established norm. These findings emphasize the need to incorporate various basketball derivatives, including streetball, korfball, netball, rezball, ringball, slamball, and cestoball, into the general secondary education physical education curriculum. The comprehensive adoption of these variations not only improves high school students' functional capabilities and enhances their enthusiasm for physical activities but also deepens their understanding of the objectives of physical culture, contributing to the broader objectives of the educational sphere. Future research should focus on defining a set of informative indicators and developing comprehensive means of enhancing motor skills and proficiency in basketball. This approach is expected to boost high school students' work capacity and foster increased interest in basketball and its derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basketball is included in the junior high school sports curriculum. Shooting is a basic technique that basketball players must master. Youmust be able to make shots, because shooting can cover up the weaknesses of other basic techniques. To make an accurate shot must multiply practice by increasing confidence, mechanism, rhythm, and range. The purpose of this study was to determine the skill level of free throw basketball for grade 8 boys of Pius Gombong Junior High School. The research method used is the survey method. The results of the calculation study use a percentage descriptive formula. Data collection technique with free throw test from the calculation results, the results showed that overall, the basic technique of playing basketball for 8th grade boys of Pius Gombong Junior High School. The results of the research on the Shooting Ability Free throw of 8th grade male students of Pius Gombong Junior High School. Categorized either with a frequency of 58% or with a good predicate. Free throws in basketball games are needed to make points freely. Free throw itself is done without using obstacles so that it makes it easier for players to make points. The conclusion of the data analysis of the results of the study is known that the results of the analysis of shooting ability are free. Throw students.grade 8 boys of SMP Pius Gombong are categorized as good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a basketball training visualization method - Motion Time Cylinder (MTC) designed to help novice players learn basketball techniques more easily. The basketball player can select their preferred movement to learn and visualize the body and joint movements in detail. Extensive visualization as a graphical assistant help supports the player in understanding 3D movements from the visual patterns. At the same time, players can understand the coordination and spatial relationship when playing the movement. The visualization principle is based on the mapping of body movement into the graphic of clock-based division locations. The movements can then be represented by the translation pattern between the frontal and transverse planes of cylinder spaces. As a result, the movement can be visualized by rendering the translation pattern base on the clock from a specific perspective, for example, an orthogonal view. This paper explains the visualization principles of the mapping and pattern as well as the graphical representation based on user perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, intelligent sports monitor devices based on self-powered sensor technology have received widespread attention. Here, we designed a triboelectric nanogenerator based on a poly(vinylidene fluoride-vinyl chloride) PV(DF-A) film and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film (PP-TENG) to harvest bio-mechanical energy and serve as the basketball training sensor. After experimental testing, the electron loss ability of the PV(DF-A) film is greater than that of a polyvinylidene fluoride film. Also, the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current density (Jsc) of PP-TENG can get to 1856.4 V and 269 mA m−2, respectively. The PP-TENG can obtain a maximum power density of 130.28 W m−2. Moreover, the PP-TENG sensor can monitor various gait patterns of players in basketball and achieve auxiliary analysis of basketball training strategies. This research will promote the development of intelligent basketball training sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children have different anthropometrical size ratios in relation to ball and basket compared to adults, but usually compete on the same basket height and field. Therefore, they have to adapt their throwing technique, which might result in movement patterns unfavorable for long-term performance development. In this study, we analyze how children adapt their throwing techniques to different conditions. Seven basketball players (10.14 ± 1.12 years) completed a total of 60 throws, combining different ball sizes, basket heights, and distances. The throwing movements were captured by a 3D motion capture system. Accumulated distances between all time courses of angles, angular accelerations, and velocities served as similarity measures and were analyzed by cluster analysis, including purity measures. Considering all throws, a division into seven clusters separated each individual. For all subjects, distances accounted for the most changes in the throwing motion (purity 0.81–1). In the subclusters, the basket heights were not a decisive condition (purity 0.42–0.63). However, an increase in purity was found compared to the main clusters. Children seem to adapt their movement behavior primarily to throwing distances and subordinately to basket heights, which indicates that changing playing conditions (e.g., closer 3-point line, lower baskets) might be beneficial in mini-basketball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this research was to determine the relations and influence of morphological characteristics on the performance of some elements of basketball technique of 7th and 8th grade elementary school students. 85 respondents, students of the 7th and 8th grade of Elementary School "Prekounje" from Bihać participated in the research. The system for assessing the morphological status was represented by 7 variables that included all four latent spaces (longitudinal dimensionality of the skeleton, transferal dimensionality of the skeleton, volume and mass of the body, subcutaneous fat tissue), while 4 situational-motor tests were used to evaluate the success of performing elements of the basketball technique: (1. Throwing the ball with both hands against the wall and catching it for 30 seconds (BHLR30), 2. Dribbling the ball with the hand in a slalom (VLRS), 3. Throwing the ball into the basket for 30 seconds (ULK30), 4. Lay-ups for 30 seconds (PNK30). Basic central and dispersion parameters were calculated for all variables which confirmed the normality of the distribution, and the relations between spaces were determined by using the canonical correlation analysis. The values obtained by canonical correlation analysis indicate a medium-high correlation between morphological characteristics and situational-motor abilities. Two significant pairs of canonical factors were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practice is required to improve one's shooting technique in basketball or to play a musical instrument well. Learning these motor skills may be further enhanced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We aimed to investigate whether tDCS leads to faster attainment of a motor skill, and to confirm prior work showing it improves skill acquisition and retention performance. Fifty-two participants were tested; half received tDCS with the anode on primary motor cortex and cathode on the contralateral forehead while concurrently practicing a sequential visuomotor isometric pinch force task on Day 1, while the other half received sham tDCS during practice. On Day 2, retention of the skill was tested. Results from a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that participants in the anodal group attained a pre-defined target level of skill faster than participants in the sham group (χ2 = 9.117, p = 0.003). Results from a nonparametric rank-based regression analysis showed that the rate of improvement was greater in the anodal versus sham group during skill acquisition (F(1,249) = 5.90, p = 0.016), but there was no main effect of group or time. There was no main effect of group or time, or group by time interaction when comparing performance at the end of acquisition to retention. These findings suggest anodal tDCS improves performance more quickly during skill acquisition but does not have additional benefits on motor learning after a period of rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basketball is one of the most popular sports, but apart from a small number of sports specialties, ordinary people rarely have the opportunity to receive professional basketball training, let alone coaches who provide one-on-one dribbling posture guidance. Dribbling is a very basic and important technique in basketball. Mastering the correct dribbling posture can help people further improve their basketball skills. In response to this problem, this article designed a smart wearable product to monitor the user's posture in basketball dribbling training. If the user has a wrong dribble posture, the product will automatically prompt and give relevant suggestions. This article focuses on user demand research, product conceptual design, prototype development, and dribbling posture determination experiments and elaborates the design and development process of the product. Based on the experimental data, this article believes that the optimal parameters of the monitoring standard for the "head down too long" during basketball dribbling are the x -axis angle value of the motion sensor is critical for -120°, and the duration of exceeding the critical value is 1 second. The optimal parameters of the "dribbling wrist flip" monitoring standard are the x -axis angle value of the motion sensor has a critical value of 105°, and the duration of exceeding the critical value is 0.4 seconds. Judging from the end user's experience and rating of the product's trial experience, it can be seen that the smart product can indeed play a very good auxiliary effect in the field of dribbling posture monitoring. Popularizing it in the daily training of basketball players can effectively promote the full informatization and intelligent development of sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has been paying more and more attention to the development of the sports industry, and many sports are no longer seen as a mere sport, but can be developed into an industry and play an important role in the development of the economy. This paper examines the application of multi-source big data mining techniques in the analysis of basketball economic management. Firstly, through multi-source big data mining technology, we collect various factors that influence the development of basketball economic industrialization, use Hash Tree-based Apriori algorithm to mine various influencing factors for basketball economic industrialization, and analyze the correlation between each influencing factor. The association rule mining results are then used to analyze the relationship between the key influencing factors and the industrialization of the basketball economy. This paper examines various aspects of the Chinese basketball league market, including the management system, market operations, and talent flow, and compares them with the foreign basketball industry models, in order to analyze the operation of China's basketball industrialization and develop corresponding countermeasures to improve basketball economic management based on the results of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basketball game is a process in which players use different basic basketball methods to change their actions according to certain tactical structural forms. In the field of basketball, a huge data is generated during training, matches or competitions, sports management, and national physical fitness tests. During basketball matches, the management uses numerous methods to collect data about opponent teams, some of which are intuitive, while others may not be able to directly display their important information. In the sports domain, the coaches and managers use data mining techniques for transforming sports data into actionable knowledge and training their athletes for possible predictions of the outcomes of the games. This article focuses on the analysis application of data acquisition and preprocessing in basketball techniques, and tactical analysis is studied using the proposed data mining algorithm. The proposed algorithm and data of basketball games were used to make association rules analysis to analyze technical and tactical characteristics. The algorithm generates association rules based on the frequent item sets of basketball technical moves. It is evident from the experimental results that the proposed algorithm leads to high accuracy and better outcomes in terms of prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of computer technology, analysis techniques based on various types of sports data sets are also evolving. One typical representative is image-based motion recognition technology, which enables video action recognition with a certain degree of feasibility. In basketball technical action videos, technical action has obvious characteristics. The athletes in the footage in sports videos are relatively fixed, and the scenes are relatively homogeneous, so technical action analysis of basketball technical action videos has certain advantages. However, there are many challenges in basketball technical action recognition, mainly including the fact that basketball techniques are numerous and complex. To address the above issues, this research proposes a 3D convolutional neural network framework that two different resolution image inputs are performed on the basketball technical action dataset. The experimental results show that the algorithmic process designed in this study is effective for action recognition on the basketball technical action dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment is an important link and method in the teaching process, it can be used in teaching activities, obtaining feedback information for improving teaching methods, and guiding students to better master the knowledge and skills they have learned. This research mainly discusses the assessment and evaluation method of basketball special technology for college sports major based on genetic algorithms. In this paper, a genetic algorithm is proposed, aiming at the shortcomings of the genetic algorithm that can easily generate local optimal solutions, the genetic algorithm is improved, and the superiority of the algorithm is verified by comparative experiments. Finally, the algorithm is applied to the basketball professional skills assessment data and evaluation data to verify the practicability of the algorithm and my valuable information in a large amount of data in the assessment process. Based on the existing assessment basis, expert interviews, and questionnaire survey results in the assessment and evaluation methods of sports professional basketball special techniques, the necessity and basic principles of the innovation of the assessment and evaluation methods of special techniques are expounded. Then, by building a new system of assessment methods for basketball specialization in sports training majors, we can better explore the teaching objectives, teaching time, teaching content, teaching methods, organizational forms, teaching assessment and other aspects of basketball for sports majors in colleges and universities. Due to the complex nonlinear relationship between the technical evaluation results of basketball experts and professors and their influencing factors, as well as the unique advantages of genetic algorithms, it is feasible to introduce genetic algorithms into the field of basketball technical evaluation. There was no significant difference in the evaluation scores between the basketball special technology assessment model based on a genetic algorithm and the basketball skill assessment experts P > 0.05 . The scientific and effective technical test indicators for young basketball players can also objectively test the quality and effect of teaching and training for different age groups. It is a favorable tool for talent selection and plays a guiding role in grassroots youth basketball training. The content and methods stipulated by the test indicators directly affect the training content and methods of grassroots youth basketball players. This research helps to improve students' basketball skills and tactics and comprehensive practice ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vision-based intelligent human action recognition is the most challenging direction in the field of computer vision in recent years. It detects human actions in video sequences, extracts action features and learns action features, and then recognizes human actions in videos. This paper is based on BP neural network's basketball technique action recognition and experimental verification. First, design a basketball technique action recognition method based on BP neural network, analyze basketball actions, collect relevant test data, and divide the methods of basketball action recognition. Finally, analyze the action characteristics and waveform conditions of the upper- and lower-limb movements of the basketball action and analyze the key basketball action recognition data. The designed classification method realizes the effective recognition of basketball actions; then, the basketball recognition method used in this article is experimentally verified, and the feasibility and effectiveness of the recognition method selected in this article are verified by recognizing basketball technical actions, and the experimental results are carried out. Compared with other related studies, this method proposes a division of unit actions to complete the cycle division of basketball actions. The division results do not include the overlap of other actions, avoiding repeated calculations of actions and greatly reducing the amount of calculation of the system. In addition, the method for the recognition of basketball movement includes the separate recognition of upper- and lower-limb movements, comprehensive consideration of arm and leg movements, and a more comprehensive and accurate analysis of basketball movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of low accuracy, poor stability, and effect of balance control in the current basketball skill balance control process, a basketball skill balance control method based on ant colony algorithm is proposed. The principle and characteristics of ant colony algorithm are analyzed, the mathematical model of ant colony algorithm is established, and the implementation steps of ant colony algorithm are given. According to the balance and stability control principle of basketball skills, this paper constructs the balance and stability control model of basketball skills. By establishing the knee-ankle-foot joint analysis model and using the ant colony algorithm, the basketball movement path is constructed. Through the fitness function, select the basketball motion path nodes and update the pheromone, obtain the relationship between the internal stress and displacement of the body under different force directions, and obtain the influence law of the effective knee joint stress with the varus and internal rotation, so as to achieve the balance and stability of the basketball skills sexual control analysis. The experimental results show that the proposed method has better stability and effect of basketball technique balance control and can effectively improve the accuracy of basketball technique balance control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In team sports like basketball, small-sided games have received much scientific attention because of their capacity to simulate competitive environments. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of different task constraints on mental load, and its consequences for individual and team performance in basketball small-sided games. Method: Twenty-four university students voluntarily took part in this study (Mage = 20.81 years [± 1.76]). Four different 3 × 3 basketball games were played: (A) free game, (B) seven seconds possession, (C) three passes maximum per attack phase, (D) conditions B and C combined. Results: Statistical analysis showed that constraints B, C and D produce more mental load, provoke differences in the affect response and the performance is worse. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the mental cost of restricting the time and number of passes, separately and combined to decide and act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attentional focus is an area that has garnered considerable attention in the sport psychology and motor performance literature. This is unsurprising given that attentional focus has been directly linked to performance outcomes and is susceptible to coaching input. While research has amassed supporting benefits of an external focus of attention (EFA) on motor performance using verbal instruction, other studies have challenged the notion that an EFA is more beneficial than an internal focus of attention (IFA) for sport-related performance. Further, it is unclear what type of instructions may serve to direct an athlete to an EFA and, in particular, if coaching can utilize imagery to orient an athlete toward an EFA. In the present exploratory study, we evaluate the effectiveness of instruction to improve free-throw shooting performance with an emphasis on an EFA brought about by implementing techniques borrowed from the imagery literature. This was tested relative to an alternate approach with an IFA induced through an emphasis on technique, devised to more closely resemble input typical of coach-to-athlete instruction. Twenty-five male and female university basketball players completed both conditions in a fully counterbalanced within-subject design. Results confirmed that participants in the EFA imagery condition had greater shooting accuracy than in the IFA technique condition. The study provides initial evidence that EFA coaching can borrow from imagery techniques, though future research should elucidate the underlying mechanisms of the effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeated sprint ability (RSA) with five changes of direction was well admitted to replicate real basketball game situations, but the additional changes of direction may affect some fundamental skills and performances in basketball. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of RSA with one vs. five changes of direction (IRSA5COD) on squat jump (SJ), five jump test (FJT) and three point shot (3PS) performances in male basketball players. Sixteen participants (23.4 ± 2.3 years; 1.86 ± 0.10 m; 77.8 ± 7.7 kg) randomly performed eight testing sessions consisting of either RSA (10 repetitions of (15 m + 15 m)) or IRSA5COD (10 repetitions of (5 m + 5 m + 5 m + 5 m + 5 m + 5 m)) performed alone or immediately followed by the SJ, FJT or 3PS. The heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were continuously recorded, while blood lactate concentration was measured post-tests. Differences between RSA and IRSA5COD were evaluated by a Student t-test for paired samples, while analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with repeated measures assessed differences in SJ, FJT and 3PS performance between baseline, post-RSA and post-IRSA5COD. A significantly poorer FJT performance post-RSA was shown compared to baseline (7.47 ± 0.47 vs.7.54 ± 0.47 m, p = 0.01) and post-IRSA5COD (7.47 ± 0.47 vs. 7.56 ± 0.49%, p = 0.048). Significantly lower 3PS accuracy was also observed post-IRSA5COD compared to baseline (41.3 ± 3.1 vs.53.1 ± 2.8%, p = 0.003) and post-RSA (41.3 ± 3.1 vs. 48.1 ± 3.7%, p = 0.033). These results suggest that jump performance required for crucial actions such as lay-ups is negatively affected by longer sprints (15-m) with few changes of direction, while 3PS accuracy is impaired by shorter sprints with many changes of direction. These situations should be replicated when training these particular abilities to optimize training adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Timisoara Physical Education & Rehabilitation Journal is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study is to review the available literature for factors affecting a basketball throw and the stabilization of the trunk. Searching for the most important elements which ought to be improved during training to increase the effectiveness of a throw and those which condition the correct stabilization of the trunk. The obtained results, after analyzing the literature, show that it is not possible to determine a single factor affecting a throw and the stabilization of the trunk. There are many factors that influence each other and, therefore, must be trained as one. There are biomechanical relationships between the effectiveness of making a throw, the positioning of the limbs, the trunk and the trajectory of the ball. It is important to mention the role of a factor outside biomechanics, such as the player's psyche. Muscles have the greatest impact on stabilization. Muscle function would not be possible without proper control by the nervous system The conclusion section shows a large number of interacting factors responsible for the quality and effectiveness of the throw as well as for the stabilization of the trunk. This allows better planning and conducting of basketball training aimed at improving technique and throw effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of international wheelchair basketball players currently requires a high level of technicaltactical basketball content. The shot is the most important element of the basketball game, which expresses the ultimate goal of the game, based on the player's neuromuscular coordination. In this paper, we aim to present some aspects regarding the shooting percentage of the Romanian wheelchair basketball players. We can say that this sport follows a developmental trend, but we are still at an early stage, because, in our country, there are not any championships, there are only isolated specific competitions. In Romania, wheelchair basketball is an amateur sport. We developed a training program based on the daily schedule of athletes, where we introduced 1-2 weekly training sessions. This training program was attended by 34 Romanian athletes from 4 teams ("Roșile Astrale" Sport Club Association - Sibiu, "Roșile Schimbării" Sport Club Association - Prahova, AJIF Motivation - Ilfov, "Fii Independent" Sport Club Association - Brașov), who were divided into two groups. The objective of this study was to improve shooting accuracy of lay-up and free throws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence suggests that massive amounts of practice of the basketball free throw (a "set shot") results in the development of a specific memory representation that is unique to this one shot distance and angle, and that is distinct from set shots taken at locations other than the free throw line. We termed this unique capability an especial skill. In this article, we review the evidence and provide new data regarding the existence of especial skills. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for motor control theory and in terms of the broader context of specificity versus generality in the learning of motor skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basketball has seen an increase in the number of players who perform multiple tactical roles. Therefore, the aim of the study was twofold: (i) to define a method to characterize basketball players as versatile or specialists, based on 13 game-related statistics; (ii) to evaluate versatile-specialist tendencies in a professional national league. A predictive model was proposed using the Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) of the H2O framework. The model was tested using data from nine seasons (2008–2017) from the Brazilian national league (NBL), encompassing 1497 players' observations, achieving an accuracy of 70.81%. We classified players as versatile or specialist and observed the following: (i) the number of versatile players has grown over the nine seasons period (from 25.16% to 47.85%), with Small Forward and Power Forward players presenting the fastest growth in versatility; (ii) NBL teams had similar proportions of versatile and specialist players; (iii) for the best players in the NBL (All-Star game players), there was a trend toward a higher number of versatile players (58.33%) compared to specialist ones. In conclusion, the method was effective in indicating the players' degree of versatility and demonstrated a tendency of increasing versatility over the analyzed seasons. In practice, it may support the assessment of player's profile and contribute for coaches' strategic decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]