Available Online at http://www.recentscientific.com International Journal of CODEN: IJRSFP (USA) Recent Scientific International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Research Vol. 10, Issue, 09(B), pp. 34607-34617, September, 2019 ISSN: 0976-3031 DOI: 10.24327/IJRSR Research Article QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF 2017 FIBA ZONE CHAMPIONSHIPS BASED ON A DISCRIMINANT REGRESSION MODEL Slobodan Simović*1, Filip Jovanović1, Jasmin Komić2, Bojan Matković3 and Zoran Pajić4 1University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Banja Luka, the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Economy, Banja Luka, the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina 3University of Zagreb, Faculty of Kinesiology, Zagreb, Croatia 4University of Belgrade, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Belgrade, Serbia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2019.1009.3933 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT This study attempts to ascertain whether there are differences or similarities in the way basketball is Article History: played across the world by observing four top-tier competitions on different continents. The results th Received 4 June, 2019 show that the 2017 continental zone championships are different in four variables. On the other th Received in revised form 25 July, 2019 hand, the field goals attempted variable proved to be the variable derived in all first iterations of the rd Accepted 23 August, 2019 absolute indicator model, but also in three continental championships in the relative model, Africa th Published online 28 September, 2019 being the exception. When it comes to the steals percentage of the efficiency variable, as a rule it showed a difference between the winning and losing teams only in the American championship. The very existence of the percentage of personal foul efficiency variable, which did show a difference, is Key Words: quite disputable, although the results of this study indicate that further research should attempt to Differences, loser, quantitative find an objective measurement method for this variable. information, variables, winner, zone basketball championships Copyright © Slobodan Simović et al, 2019, this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. INTRODUCTION order to provide interpretation of specific situations and issues encountered in sports practice. The number of studies In terms of the volume of scientific research, basketball is one employing quantitative analysis in basketball by using of the most analysed sports (Mikolajec et al, 2013). The statistical data gathered during a match has especially grown various analytical approaches expand the knowledge and define after the year 2000 (Kubatko et al, 2007). the maxims of the game of basketball, contributing to a better understanding of the game and to its continual development The transformation of events on the court into numbers (Selmanović, 2016). Basketball performance indicators are interpretable by the coach allows for targeted training and usually explored using biomechanical and notational analysis remedying deficiencies of both the individual players and the (Hughes and Bartlett, 2002; Sindik, 2015). team as a whole (Ciampolini et al, 2018). The advancement of technology and the need for a better and deeper understanding Notational analysis uses match data, techniques and tactics to of the technical-tactical player performance are making this derive information on the technical, tactical, physical and topic more and more interesting to academic circles (Gómez et psychological requirements of basketball (Hughes and Franks, al, 2013; Vilar et al, 2012). Discriminant analysis is used 2004). It is an objective way of recording performance particularly often to identify the game-related statistics which indicators, providing for a consistent quantification of key discriminate between winning and losing teams in a league or events, and subsequently, accurate and objective quantitative tournament. (Sampaio et al, 2013). and qualitative feedback (Sporiš et al, 2014). Ever since the early beginnings of notational analysis in basketball (Fay and Accordingly, various comparisons have been made between Messersmith, 1938), literature employed various methods of leagues and tournaments. There have been particularly many performance analysis (popularly known as match statistics), in comparisons of European and American leagues (primarily the *Corresponding author: Slobodan Simović University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Banja Luka, the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Slobodan Simović et al., Quantitative analysis of 2017 Fiba Zone Championships Based on A Discriminant Regression Model NBA), to draw conclusions on the differences and similarities License” is defined in Chapter 8: Statistics (pp. 48-49) of the between the two playing styles (Mavridis et al, 2009; “FIBA Internal Regulations: Book 3, Players and Officials” Milanović et al, 2014; Paulauskas et al, 2018; Selmanović et (2017). It is exactly because the whole process of data al, 2017), as well as some other basketball competitions (Crum, gathering has been stipulated by FIBA that the data gathered in 2013). At the same time, one should always bear in mind the such a manner is considered reliable in basketball research problems in comparing different competition systems, as well (Garcia et al, 2013; Paulauskaset al, 2018). Also, previous as differences in game rules (Lukšić, 2001). similar studies which used FIBA data confirmed their high reliability (Ibáñez et al, 2018; Gómez et al, 2018; Sampaio et Comparisons of national team competitions under the al, 2010). Federation of International Basketball Associations are getting increasingly interesting to authors. The reasons are primarily Gilles Celeux and Valérie Robert pointed out that “Basketball the same game rules and similar competition systems, where is a wonderful sport for statistics. After each game, a box score the differences are mainly in the number of competing teams. is made available. This box score provides for each player and Lately there has been a number of papers studying the each team, quantitative information about 15 variables” (2015, differences among continental championships. This topic was p. 51). It is in this paper as well that these variables consisted particularly studied by Japanese scientist Haruhiko Madarame, of the manifest variables taken from the FIBA official website, who examined the differences between winning and losing where the data is stored (“2017 FIBA Afrobasket”, 2017; teams at the men’s FIBA Asia Championships and EuroBasket “2017 FIBA AmeriCup”, 2017; “2017 FIBA Asia Cup”, 2017; (Madarame, 2017), the differences in rebounds in women’s “2017 FIBA Eurobasket”, 2017): PST - total points, A2 - 2 continental championships in Asia and Europe (Madarame, points attempted, M2 - 2 points made, A3 - 3 points attempted, 2018a), four continental championships for women in 2017 M3 - 3 points made, AFG - field goals attempted, MFG - field (Madarame, 2018b) and, in two papers, differences among four goals made, AFT - free throws, MFT - free throws made, OR - continental championships for U18 women in 2016 offensive rebounds, DR - defensive rebounds, TOTR - total (Madarame, 2018c, 2018d). Also, Ibáñez Sergio Joséet al. rebounds, AS - assists, PF - personal fouls, TO - turnovers, ST (2018) examined “the performance indicators differentiating - steals, and BS - blocked shots. between five continental championships in 2015” (p. 44). It is Alongside these absolute variables, this paper included the worth noting that senior continental championships are following variables with relative values: 2PTS% - two-point analysed in only two papers (Madarame, 2018b; Ibáñez et al, percentage (M2/A2)*100, 3PTS% - three-point percentage 2018), and that the second paper dealt with male basketball (M3/A3)*100, FG% - field goals percentage players in 2015, where the authors had a problem in that “... (MFG/AFG)*100, FT% - free throws percentage FIBA Oceania championship was eliminated from the final (MFT/AFT)*100, OR% - efficiency percentage of offensive sample... (only two teams take part and they play a two game rebounds in relation to field points missed {OR/(FGA- home-and-away playoff)” (Ibáñez et al, 2018, p. 44). FGM)+[(FTA-FTM)=2]}*100, DR% - efficiency percentage of The aim of this study is to ascertain the differences and defence rebounds in relation to field points missed by opponent similarities in the way basketball is played around the world, {DR/(FGAopp-FGMopp)+[(FTAopp-FTMopp)=2]}*100, establishing whether the points difference in a match in these AS% - percentage of assist efficiency (AS/MFG)*100, PCTPF competitions is a function of the differences of quantitatively - percentage of personal foul efficiency (PF/BP)*100, TO% - represented recorded absolute and relative indicators of turnover percentage of inefficiency (TO/BP)*100, ST% - steals situational efficiency of the game of basketball. percentage of efficiency (ST/BPopp)*100; BS% - block percentage of efficiency (BS/ BPopp)*100, and TBP - team MATERIALS AND METHODS ball possession AFG + 0.5 x FTA - ORB + TO. The sample of entities in this paper consisted of games played during the 2017 FIBA continental championships. Table 1 provides the basic information on these competitions. Table 1 Basic information on the 2017 FIBA