V originále
Basketball is a team sport and thus passing in basketball is a very important offensive skill – it can lead, simply put, to assist or to turnover. The precise pass can create an advantage for the offensive team; for example, it can lead to an open shooting position. On the other hand, the inaccurate pass may create a disadvantage for the offensive team and can help the defending team. The aim of this study was to identify factors which may affect the passing skills in competitive games of women’s basketball. 10 female semi-professional basketball players of the 2nd division senior team participated in this study. They were, in average, 20.4±2.8 years old, with a body height of 178.5±5.2, and body weight of 65.4±5.7. Passing skills were assessed during 5 competitive games. During all games, the heart rate and its development were monitored by the telemetric device. 451 overall passes were evaluated in detail and they were categorized as accurate and inaccurate. Based on the previous research the four factors, which could be the main influence on the effectiveness (intensity of load, defensive pressure, ball possession duration, and game periods), were set as independent variables. Passing effectiveness was set as a dependent variable. Each of four factors was categorized (independent variables). Intensity of load was divided into 3 categories (<85%, 85-95%, and >95% of HRmax); defensive pressure had 3 categories (low, medium, and high); ball possession duration was divided also into 3 categories (0-8 s, 9-16 s, and 17-24 s); and game periods had 4 categories (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th). The influence of independent variables on dependent variable was expressed by binary logistic regression. Method of backward stepwise selection was used to find the best model. Only one regression coefficient included in the final model was statistically significant – the defensive pressure of the opponent. In conclusion, the chances for the bad pass are higher when the level of defensive pressure increased. Coaches should include these findings into team practices.