DOI: https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs211592619 ORIGINAL ARTICLE P J M H S Vol. 15, NO.9, SEP 2021 2619 The Comparison of Selected Physical and Physiological Parameters of Elite Basketball Players According to their Playing Positions ALI EMRE EROL 1 , ŞEYDA ÇELİK KARAHANÇER 1 , SEMA ÖZDEN 1 , HÜRMÜZ KOÇ 2 1 Cyprus International University, School of Physical Education and Sports, KKTC 2 Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, TC ABSTRACT Background: This research was conducted to compare the physical and physiological parameters of elite basketball players according to their playing positions and to contribute to the literature. Methods: Eighteen elite basketball players who regularly train and compete in the national team participated in the research voluntarily. Participants were grouped as guard, forward and center according to the pitch positions. Vertical jump and sprint tests were used to evaluate the anaerobic performance of the participants. The Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test was applied to evaluate the aerobic performances. In addition, hemogram analyzes of the blood samples of the participants were made and hematocrit and hemoglobin parameters related to aerobic performance were examined. Kruskal Wallis-H and Mann Whitney U tests were used for statistical analyses. Results: The analyzes show that the guards had higher vertical jump, yo-yo and VO2max averages compared to the centers, and a significantly lower 30 m running average. It was determined that the forward players had higher anaerobic power than the guards, and yo-yo running and VO2max averages were significantly higher than the center players. Conclusion: In conclusion, it is thought that the difference between guard, forward and center players who voluntarily participated in the study is due to the physical characteristics of the basketball players and the different training programs applied to the players playing in different positions. Keywords: Basketball Player, Playing Position, Physical Characteristics, Physiological Characteristics INTRODUCTION While creating a research in the world of science, it is aimed to reveal a scientific fact with different methods by applying a known method to a new domain or a new method to a new domain. Quantitative and qualitative studies come to the fore in this regard. This research is a normative study that uses quantitative research method to analyze the numerical values of physical and physiological measurements. Basketball, which has thousands of players and millions of spectators in the world and in our country, has become a part of life as one of the most important sports branches. The most important goal in the world of sports is to achieve success. The aim of all athletes is to win the competition in which they participate. In order to achieve this goal, the elements that make up the sportive performance of the athletes 3, 16 should increased to a higher level. Basketball is a team game where some players can play in more than one position due to its structure 34 . In basketball, it is important for the players playing in each position to show high performance in order to win the match. Studies show that the most important factor over victory is the accurate shooting 11, 14, 21 . In basketball, the positions of the players in the game are expressed according to their positions on the field. Generally, basketball teams have three main positions: forward, guard, and center. Considering the basketball game structure, the guards do not need to be very tall because they are playmakers. As for forward and center players, it is natural that they are preferred over taller players, as they engage in under the crucible or rebound fights a lot 18 . The main purpose of basketball players playing in different zones and portions is to score points and win with accurate shots on the basket 25 . From this point of view, the most important factor in establishing superiority in basketball competition and winning the game is the skill and the percentage of shooting 21 . For this reason, the first step towards increasing the quality of training time in the basketball is the intense application of shooting techniques from different zones, with the method in which the athlete is most successful 10 . Considering the duration of the matches and the necessity of playing quickly and accurately in basketball, it is known that basic motoric features such as strength, speed, endurance, mobility and coordination are important for both defense and offense, as well as tactics for the players In addition to these features, it is a fact that compound motoric features such as quick strength and continuity in strength are required. Other variables that complement these characteristics in success are the aerobic and anaerobic capacity of the athletes 28, 9, 30 . Considering that basketball is a game played very quickly over four periods in front of a large spectators on a small court, it is a fact that basketball players must be at the highest level in terms of aerobic and anaerobic power. In the literature, it was concluded that anaerobic power parameters are important factors for basketball performance 26 . Although studies on basketball players generally emphasize anaerobic capacity, it is very difficult to consider anaerobic and aerobic systems independently of each other during training. These elements, which are independent as physiological systems, are interrelated during activity. Aerobic power is the amount of oxygen that a person can use per unit time, and the higher it is, the higher the aerobic capacity of the person. The quality and level of long-term exercises are closely related to VO2max. Aerobic power is the most important factor affecting performance in endurance sports. There is a high dependence between maximal aerobic capacity and the ability to sustain a