The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the major professional basketball league in the United States. Home-court advantage (HA) and home win percentage (HW) have been identified as decisive factors in determining the final outcome of a game. This study analyzes a total of 24 regular seasons, with two main objectives: (i) comparing HA and HW within the two conferences and (ii) examining the influence of team ability on HA and HW. HA (%) was calculated as (total home wins/total wins) × 100, and HW (%) as (total home wins/total home games) × 100. Teams were categorized into four different groups based on their season win percentage using cluster analyses. Regarding the first aim, we used an Independent Samples T-test and Mann–Whitney to assess differences between conferences. Subsequently, we evaluated the second objective using one-way ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis. The results indicated no significant differences in HA within conferences. However, Western teams tended to have a higher HW than Eastern teams. The analyses revealed significantly higher HA in contender teams compared to the rest of the team abilities (p < 0.001). High–medium-ability teams also showed a significantly higher HA (p < 0.001) compared to low-ability teams. However, non-significant differences were found between the remaining groups for HA. Regarding HW, we observed significantly higher values in the contender teams compared to the teams with other ability levels (p < 0.001). Additionally, the high–medium-ability teams also exhibited significantly higher HW values (p < 0.001) when compared to the medium–low- and low-ability teams. Furthermore, the medium–low-ability teams showed significantly higher HW values (p < 0.001) when compared to the low-ability teams. Those findings suggest that team ability influences HA and HW in the NBA, where contender teams have significantly higher HW and HA values compared to the teams with other team ability levels. Understanding these dynamics provides valuable insights for team strategies, particularly during playoff stages where home-court advantage can be critical for success.

Background/Objectives: Adolescents with Down syndrome often present limitations in physical fitness and psychosocial well-being, which can affect their health and social inclusion. Adapted physical activity programs, such as martial arts, may offer multidimensional benefits. This study aimed to analyze the effects of an adapted judo intervention on physical fitness and psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was applied with 43 adolescents diagnosed with Down syndrome, allocated to a control group (n = 19) and an intervention group (n = 24). Participants in the intervention group completed a 24-week adapted judo program. Physical fitness was assessed through standardized tests for strength, balance, and flexibility, while psychosocial well-being was evaluated using validated questionnaires on self-esteem and social interaction. Pre- and post-intervention comparisons were conducted using appropriate statistical analyses. Results: Participants showed significant improvements in physical fitness components, particularly in muscular strength and balance (p < 0.05). Flexibility also increased, although to a lesser extent. Psychosocial measures revealed enhanced self-esteem and greater perceived social interaction, indicating positive effects beyond physical health. Conclusions: Adapted judo appears to be an effective multidimensional intervention for adolescents with Down syndrome, promoting both physical and psychosocial benefits. These findings support the inclusion of adapted martial arts in physical education and therapeutic programs aimed at fostering health and social participation in this population.

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo investigar la magnitud de la ventaja de jugar en casa (en inglés, HA) y del porcentaje de victorias como local (en inglés, HW), y comparar ambas métricas entre las diferentes categorías de edad (U14, U16 y U18) y los niveles de habilidad de los equipos en el baloncesto femenino de formación. Se recopilaron datos de la Federación de Baloncesto de Madrid a lo largo de cinco temporadas (2018–2019 a 2023–2024), analizando un total de 545 equipos distribuidos en tres categorías de edad: 178 equipos U14, 183 equipos U16 y 184 equipos U18. Se excluyeron los partidos sin espectadores y la temporada 2020–2021. Los equipos fueron clasificados por habilidad mediante un análisis de clústeres en dos pasos en cinco grupos: Fundacionales, en Desarrollo, Competitivos, de Alto Rendimiento y de Élite. La habilidad del equipo impactó significativamente tanto en HA como en HW (p < .001). Los equipos Fundacionales mostraron valores significativamente más bajos de HA (50.0 %) y HW (10.0 %) en comparación con los grupos de mayor habilidad, mientras que los equipos de Élite alcanzaron los valores más altos de HW (88.8 %). Entre categorías, se observaron diferencias significativas en HA, con valores que aumentaron de U14 (50.0 %) a U16 (53.9 %) y U18 (54.2 %), lo que indica un incremento pequeño pero consistente con la edad, mientras que no se encontraron diferencias significativas en HW. La habilidad del equipo, más que la categoría de edad, se identificó como el principal factor que influye en HA y HW. Los equipos Fundacionales mostraron los valores más bajos de HA y HW, los equipos en Desarrollo alcanzaron la mayor HA y los equipos de Élite lograron la mayor HW. Estos hallazgos indican que la habilidad del equipo desempeña un papel decisivo en los dos resultados de rendimiento estudiados, mientras que la categoría de edad tiene solo una influencia limitada.

The purpose of this study was to research on the extent of home court advantage (HA) and the percentage of home wins (HW), and to compare both metrics between different age categories (U14, U16 and U18) and the levels of ability in female youth basketball teams. Data were gathered from the Madrid Basketball Federation over five seasons (2018–2019 through 2023–2024), analyzing a total 545 teams over three age categories: 178 U14 teams, 183 U16 teams and 184 U18 teams. Games without audience and the 2020–2021 season were not taken into account. Through a two-step cluster analysis, teams were classified according to ability into five groups: Foundational, Development, Competitive, High Performance, and Élite. The team’s ability had significant impact both on HA and HW (p < 0.001). Foundational teams showed significantly lower values of HA (50.0%) and HW (10.0%) when compared to groups of greater ability, whereas Élite teams reached the highest HW values (88.8%). Across categories, significant differences were observed in HA, with values increasing from U14 (50.0%) to U16 (53.9%) and U18 (54.2%), which indicates a small increase consistent with age, whereas no significant differences were found in HW. The team’s ability, rather than the age category, was identified as the major factor impacting HA and HW. Foundational teams showed the lowest HA and HW values; Development teams reached the highest HA, and Élite teams achieved the highest HW. These findings indicate that the team’s ability plays a decisive role in the two performance results under study, whereas age category has only a limited influence.

Purpose: The main aim of this study was to compare the average and peak values of heart rate [HR], oxygen consumption [VO₂], and respiratory rate [RR] of professional basketball players between practices and competition. Methods: Data was collected from professional basketball players competing in the First Spanish professional basketball league during five pre-season games and twenty practices using a 9-axis motion sensor. The data collected included internal workload variables recorded as averages (i.e., value per minute considering the entire game) and peak values (i.e., greatest 1 min window): average heart rate (HR), peak HR, average oxygen consumption (VO2), peak VO2, average Respiratory rate (RR) and Peak RR. Results: Higher average VO2 values were observed during training sessions compared to games (F = 4.20, ES = −0.40, trivial). Nevertheless, no significant differences were found between games and training sessions for the remaining average variables. Considering peak demands, all variables were higher during games than during training sessions including peak HR (ES = 1.07, moderate), peak VO2 (ES = 1.14, moderate), and peak RR (ES = 1.02, moderate). Conclusions: In this sample of professional basketball players, competition elicited substantially greater peak HR, VO₂, and RR values than training sessions, whereas average physiological responses were largely comparable between contexts. These findings suggest that monitoring both average and peak physiological responses may provide a more comprehensive understanding of training representativeness relative to competition.

This study investigates the home-court advantage (HA) and home win percentage (HW) in women’s professional basketball across 14 leagues spanning four continents over three seasons (2021–2024). This study is an observational descriptive analysis based on open access match results. Using data from 12,178 games, we analyzed HA and HW, accounting for team ability and geographical variations. The findings indicate significant differences in HA across continents, with Europe and South America showing higher HA compared to Oceania and Asia. However, HW did not vary significantly between continents. When examining team ability, no significant interaction effects were identified, although trends suggested that low-ability teams rely more heavily on HA, consistent with previous research. A more detailed league-level analysis revealed notable variability, with leagues in the United States of America (USA), Australia, and several Asian leagues showing lower HA compared to those in Mexico and Europe. Factors like travel demands, geographical region, and fan attendance were identified as key determinants. For instance, leagues with extensive travel requirements, particularly in Asia and Oceania, demonstrated lower HA, consistent with studies showing that travel negatively impacts performance. Additionally, reduced fan attendance in women’s basketball may further diminish HA.