Georgios Karamousalidis1, Ioannis Kounatidis1, Ioannis Tsimpouris1, Yiannis Michailidis1, Athanasios Kourtis-Doulkeridis1, Panagiotis Foteinakis2
1Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Physical Education & Sport Science, Thessaloniki, Greece
2Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Komotini, Greece
Determinants of Three-Point Shooting Performance in the EuroBasket U21 Championship
Sport Mont 2026, 24(3), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/smj.261016
Abstract
This study aimed to conduct a detailed analysis of offensive strategies and tactics, as well as the temporal and spatial factors that affect the accuracy of the three-point shot in young U21 athletes who participated in the EuroBasket Cham- pionship in the summer of 2025. The research sample consisted of 822 three-point attempts from 16 games (round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final). The games were analysed using the SportScout STA v.3.2 program. The cate- gorised variables studied were the result of the game and the shot, the level of pressure from the closest defender, the form of the shot, ball movement (Ball Reversals) and entry into the paint (Paint Touches), the area from which the shot was taken, the time period of shot execution, and the range of dribbles and passes that preceded it. The statistical pack- age SPSS 29 was used for statistical analysis with a significance level of p<0.05. The results showed that the overall three-point shooting accuracy was 28.1%. The winning teams had higher shooting accuracy and attempted more three- point shots during the 35 minutes of the game, excluding the final 5 minutes, while paint touches (41.3%) and one ball reversal with a paint touch (37.5%) were associated with higher shooting success. A medium level of defensive contest was associated with the highest shooting accuracy. The Binary Logistic Regression revealed that the variables could not predict victory (win) or defeat (loss). The results contribute to a greater investigation of the three-point shooting skill and could be useful for all coaches in determining their offensive strategy.
Keywords
basketball, three-point shot, contest, ball reversal, paint touch, Eurobasket U21
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