Aim. — Boccia is a precision sport that requires excellent coordination and control of movements.
Eligible impairments for this sport such as ataxia, hypertonia and athetosis cause
limitations in a player’s coordination. The aim of this study was to investigate whether different
throwing distances might have an impact on kinematics and accuracy across repeated
throws.
Method. — Five players belonging to the Spanish Boccia team, all with international experience,
participated in this study. Participants were asked to throw ten times to three distances: short
(1.5 m), medium (5 m), long (9 m), and throw at maximum speed. Twelve markers were placed
on different anatomic points of the players and a comprehensive analysis of 3D-kinematics was
designed to obtain the angles of the elbow flexion-extension, trunk inclination, the speed and
the throwing time.
Results. — Positive correlations were found between throwing speed and accuracy for medium
distances, and negative correlations regarding long distances.
Conclusion. — The degree of spasticity and trunk control might affect performance in this sport.
