Absolute size and proportionality characteristics of World Championship female basketball players

Abstract

In total, 168 players from 14 national teams were measured using 38 anthropometric dimensions before the Women's World Basketball Championships held in Australia in 1994. Measures of segment length, breadth and girth were recorded by a team of trained anthropometrists using standard protocols. The subjects were divided according to playing position and team performance so that univariate analyses of variance could be administered using absolute size and proportionality data as dependent variables. Clear differences in absolute size were found between guards, forwards and centres, but in terms of proportionality the latter two groups exhibited some similarities, particularly for measures of relative size in upper body dimensions. With guards displaying a different proportionality profile from either forwards or centres, the various roles of each position within the team were considered to rationalize the findings.