Comparison of Static and Dynamic Balance in Male Football and Basketball Players

Introduction. The aim of the present study was to compare static and dynamic balance among professional athletes in football and basketball. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 47 professional, male football and basketball players from Pro League in Iran participated. They were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 included 16 participants with history of grade 1 or 2 single ankle sprain within the past 6 months. Group 2 included 17 participants with recurrent ankle sprain. Group 3 included 14 participants without history of ankle sprain. Static and dynamic balance were measured by the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and modified Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), respectively. Results. For the single-leg stance on a firm surface, group 2 scored errors with a high mean value of 3.94 compared with the other 2 groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P = .03). Significant differences in BESS scores are observed on both surfaces across the tandem limb between groups 2 and 3. Conclusion. The measures from the SEBTs may not reflect the balance performance especially in well-trained athletes who have a better balance when performing sport-related skills. However, BESS includes static postures, and it may reflect postural deficits better than dynamic tests in the more experienced athlete.