Throwing distance and competitive performance of Boccia players.
Masataka Kataoka, Kuniharu Okuda, Akira Iwata and 3 others
PMID 32982053WHAT IT FOUND
Higher-level Boccia players threw farther than lower-level players.
Certified players averaged 16.38 m, versus 10.67 m and 8.34 m. This links throwing distance with competition level, not proof training improves performance.
Key findings
01Certified players had a mean maximum throwing distance of 16.38 ± 5.17 m, compared with 10.67 ± 2.66 m and 8.34 ± 2.73 m in the other groups.
02Throwing distance differed significantly between Group I and Groups II and III, but not between Group II and Group III.
03Group I throwing distances were distributed over 10 m.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only compared players at different competition levels; it did not test a training programme, so it cannot show that increasing throwing distance improves performance. Players who kick the ball or use a ramp were excluded, so the findings do not apply to BC3 players or players who throw with their feet. Detailed athletic history and training frequency were not recorded. Throwing method was not standardised; players could use overarm or underarm throws. Accuracy was not measured, only distance.
Declared interests
The study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 17K01730. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that throwing-distance training will improve Boccia performance. This study only compared players of different competition levels and did not test a training programme, so it cannot show that increasing distance causes better results.