ABSTRACT
In these individual sports not only is performance easily assessed in the competitive environment but also it is highly related to individual characteristics. These factors may include anthropometric dimensions (e.g. body mass, body size, body composition, body surface area, relative segmental lengths), physiological factors (e.g. muscle strength and power, anaerobic capacity, aerobic capacity or endurance, aerobic power as refl ected in the maximal oxygen uptake) and biomechanical variables (e.g. mechanical advantage, mechanical effi ciency) and so on. In sports in which complex skills and intricate team-work are required, the link between individual characteristics and performance capability is not a parsimonious relationship. The relevance of kinanthropometry is obvious in games, such as basketball and volleyball, where stature provides an advantage, but is less apparent in fi eld hockey and association football where there can be a great degree of variability between individuals within one team (Reilly 2000a).
