The purpose of this study is to define every subsample with precision, to give an overview of the importance of the differences between different team players, as well as to point to the closeness along with the remoteness between them, and finally, to determine latent anthropologic characteristics which, when in interaction, contribute to significant differences and better comprehension of the specifics of every mentioned sport. Sixty-seven males were enrolled in the study, divided into four groups: twenty-five soccer players, fifteen handball players, thirteen basketball players and fourteen volleyball players. All subjects were assessed for the anthropometric measures required for the calculation of body composition variables, using the standardized procedures recommended by the established literature. Data was analysed using SPSS and the descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean (SD) for each variable, while the ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc tests were carried out to detect the effects of each type of sport, distinct features that have been identified by calculating the discrimination coefficient have determined the specifics of the subsamples, and their grouping was demonstrated by calculating Mahalanobis distance. The results showed that a significant difference was found for body height, body weight, muscle contents of body, fat contents of body, residue mass, ideal body mass and lean body mass. There is no significant difference in the body mass index and bone contents of body. It was confirmed that there is a clearly defined line between the players in different sports and it is possible to determine the characteristics of players of each sport. The results also indicate that the least amount of differences appears between volleyball and basketball, and that the sports that are most apart are volleyball and handball. Therefore, these findings may give coaches from the region a more precise top soccer, handball, basketball and volleyball player profile, and suggest them to follow recent selection process methods and be more careful during talent identification.
KEY WORDS: Morphological Characteristics; Body Composition; Different Sports; Junior.
