Influence of Ball Weight on Shot Accuracy and Efficacy among 9-11-year-old Male Basketball Players

The goal of the study was to analyse with which ball the 9-11-year-old participants achieved higher shot accuracy and efficacy during real basketball games. The participants were 54 children from six basketball teams. Three situations were established in which the participants played four games with each of the following balls: (a) a regulation ball (485 g, 69-71 cm), (b) a lighter ball (440 g, 69-71 cm), and (c) a heavier ball (540 g, 69-71 cm). A group of six experts delimited and defined the variables: (a) accuracy: the score obtained according to whether the ball hit the backboard and the rim at each shot; and (b) efficacy: the number of points that the participants achieved at each shot. Four observers were trained, and the reliability obtained was higher than .95. The properties of the ball that were controlled were: (a) weight, (b) circumference, and (c) bounce height. Two collaborators recorded the games and the four observers recorded the data. Accuracy and efficacy were higher with the 440-g ball in comparison to the regulation ball (accuracy: U=215448.5, p=.000, and efficacy: U=212377, p=.001), and to the 540-g ball (accuracy: U=198869, p=.000, and efficacy: U=223932, p=.002).