Are taller basketball players really more successful when shooting?

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01601
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Nakadake Makoto 順天堂大学, スポーツ健康科学部, 先任准教授 (60622165)
• Research Collaborator: KITO Tomonori
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: バスケットボール / シュート成功確率 / 長身者の有利性 / リングの高さ / シュートの距離

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study used official game records to investigate the correlation between height and shot success rate (SSR) in basketball. It was found that taller players had a higher SSR for two-point shots. However, there was no positive correlation among height and SSR for three-point shots and free throws. Next, the male collegiate basketball players experimented with SSR after changing the distance to the rim. It was not found that tall players had a higher SSR. Then, SSR was investigated after changing the height of the rim. It was not found that SSR was the highest for the lowest rim height.
The above suggests that while tall basketball players are at an advantage during games for two-point shots, being tall does not entail a high overall SSR.

Free Research Field

バスケットボール