Functional Joint Mobility in Young Athletes Practicing Bocce Raffa: Implications for the Performance Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17309/tmfv.2026.3.14Keywords:
Raffa specialty, joint mobility, youth athletes, flexibility, sport performanceAbstract
Objectives. Bocce is a precision sport that requires coordination and technical control. In the Raffa specialty, upper limb coordination and postural control are particularly important. Despite its widespread practice, research on the functional characteristics of youth players remains limited. This exploratory analytical pilot study aimed to examine joint mobility as a functional configuration within the movement system underlying the Raffa technical gesture.
Materials and Methods. Twenty-five athletes aged 14–18 years were assessed during regional training events organized by the Campania Bocce Committee. Joint mobility was evaluated using three field tests: the Shoulder Mobility Test, a scapulo-humeral mobility test with stick rotation, and a seated forward trunk flexion test. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and Pearson correlations were calculated. Bartlett’s test of sphericity and an exploratory Cronbach’s alpha were used to assess the integrative structure of mobility parameters.
Results. Significant differences emerged in scapulo-humeral mobility and spinal flexibility, whereas no differences were found in shoulder mobility. Correlation analyses revealed weak to moderate relationships among the variables. Bartlett’s test (χ²(3)=9.63, p=0.022) and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.65 supported the presence of an integrated mobility structure, indicating interdependence among segments.
Conclusions. Joint mobility acts as a non-linear, context-dependent resource, functioning as both a facilitator and a constraint depending on its integration within the movement system. Functional effectiveness in the Raffa gesture depends on the balance among shoulder, scapulo-humeral, and spinal components rather than on isolated maximal values. The study proposes a preliminary explanatory framework in which joint mobility mediates the relationship between movement amplitude and control.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Fabio Scamardella, Francesca Latino, Generoso Romano, Giovanni Tafuri, Mariam Maisuradze, Emma Saraiello
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