The aim of the study was to analyze positional differences in anthropometric characteristics of 48 Croatian selected female handball juniors (average age 18.43 years) who played in three positions: backs (B; n=19), wings (W; n=7) and pivots (P; n=6). Twenty-four anthropometric measures, defining the four latent morphological dimensions, were used. Globally, significant differences were revealed by means of ANOVA in 11 morphological measures (7 at p≤.01 and 4 at p≤.05) between the three groups of female juniors with no significant differences in longitudinal dimensions. Only one significant positional difference was found between pivots and backs (in the lower leg skinfold in favour of pivots suggesting a higher body fat percentage. Between wings and pivots no significant differences were found in longitudinal body dimensions; however, the measures of skeletal transversality, voluminosity and partially of fatty tissue (two variables) corroborated the fundamental difference between these two positions: pivotsʼ body built was more robust. No significant differences were found in longitudinal and almost all transversal measures between backs and wings; however, the differences in body voluminosity (all in favour of backs) were probably due to the selection process. In the juniorsʼ somatotype (3.72‒3.49‒2.32), endomorph and mesomorph components were predominant over the ectomorph component, in which the lowest values were obtained from the players in all the three positions. It is of outmost importance that handball practitioners should work on the reduction of players’ percentage of subcutaneous fatty tissue and on the enhancement of the portion of active muscle mass in their body composition by the implementation of quality sports training programmes and changes in dietary habits if better game performance and sports achievements of the Croatian junior female handball players are expected.

中文翻译：

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克罗地亚U18女子场地手球运动员人体测量特征的位置差异

这项研究的目的是分析48位克罗地亚女性手球少年（平均年龄18.43岁）的人体测量学特征在位置上的差异，他们在以下三个位置打球：后背（B; n = 19），侧翼（W; n = 7）枢轴（P; n = 6）。使用二十四个人体测量方法，定义了四个潜在的形态学维度。在全球范围内，三组女性初中在11种形态学指标（p≤.01处有7个，p≤.05处有4个）的方差分析中显示出显着差异，纵向尺寸没有显着差异。在枢轴和背部之间仅发现一个显着的位置差异（在小腿皮褶中，有利于枢轴表明较高的身体脂肪百分比。在机翼和枢轴之间，在纵向身体尺寸上没有发现显着差异；但是，骨骼横向，体积和部分脂肪组织（两个变量）的测量值证实了这两个位置之间的根本差异：枢轴的车身构造更坚固。在背部和侧翼之间的纵向和几乎所有横向测量中都没有发现显着差异。然而，身体体积的差异（都支持背部）可能是由于选择过程造成的。在初级体型中（3.72×3.49×2.32），内胚层和中胚层成分高于外胚层成分，在这三个位置中，最低值均来自参与者。