Influence of intellectual impairment (II) on basketball players ́ capacity to solve a game situation: towards evidence- based classificatio n systems in II -basketball

Abstract

Basketball for athletes with intellectual impairment (II) requires the development of evidence -based eligibility systems to guarantee that only athletes with significant limitations performing ba sketball participate in these competitions. In addition, this is needed to re -include II - basketball in the Paralympic program. To do this, it is required to investigate how II impacts on fundamental basketball activities. To address this need, the aim of t his study was to compare able - bodied (AB) and II -players ́ capacity to solve a game situation. A field test was designed ad hoc in which 38 elite II -players from France, Portugal, Australia and Japan who participated in the Global Games (2015) and 38 AB -bas ketball players competing in Spanish competitions, had to solve 8 standardized game situations. Results indicated that II -players spent significantly ( p ≤0.05) more time to decide (0.92±0.2s) than AB -players (0.63±0.1s) and to execute the solution (II: 3.01±0.4s; AB: 2.56±0.3s). Also, II -players made more rule infractions (II: 7.11±1.4; AB: 7.71±0.7), more feints (II: 1.37±1.4; AB: 0.3±0.6), more dribbles (II: 15.08±3.9; AB: 12.29±2.3) and they performed less successful solutions (II: 4.42±1.5; AB: 5.39±1.3). However, no differences were found in number of correct decisions made. Decision time, number of dribbles and situations in which they succeeded were the variables that best discriminated between II and AB -players. These results confirmed the negative influence of II on players ́ capacity to solve a basketball game situation. The calculated discriminant function let us establish the minimum scores from this test that indicates significant limitations on the capacity to solve a game situation. These scores are applicable to determine eligibility criteria in II - basketball worldwide.