Biomechanical analysis of netball players in different positions: A comparative study

This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical variables among players in different positions to understand the impact of playing position on performance. Thirty healthy netball players (age: x̄ = 20.2 years) voluntarily participated in the study. The players were categorised into attacking, midfield and defensive playing positions. The jump-landing tasks adopted for the study were single leg drop landing left (SLL), single leg drop landing right (SLR) and drop vertical jump (DVJ). The following magnitude of force components were extracted for the study: peak resultant force (PRF), vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), mediolateral ground reaction force (MGRF), anteroposterior ground reaction force (AGRF). The joint angles (initial contact and peak angles) were extracted with sensors placed on the upper back, lower back, pelvis, thigh, shank and foot, using the motion analysis software. Attacking players exhibited higher body height and body weight compared to midfield and defence players (p < 0.05). However, midfield players significantly had lower BMI compared to the other playing positions (p < 0.05). Furthermore, significant differences were observed in ground reaction forces (PRF, VGRF, MGRF, and AGRF) and kinematic variables (hip flexion, hip abduction, knee flexion, knee abduction, ankle dorsiflexion, and ankle abduction) during landing tasks across the different positions (p < 0.05). Attacking players demonstrated superior performance in terms of ground reaction forces and hip flexion and abduction, indicating their potential for explosive movements and agility. In conclusion, this comparative analysis sheds light on the biomechanical differences among players in different positions in netball.