Abstract

"La Pilota Valenciana" is a traditional sport native from the region of Valencia (Spain). In a modality of it, two teams hit a ball with the hand to pass it above a net. The balls are made by highly skilled craftsmen and there are neither technical criteria for quality control nor design criteria for developing new products. At present, the decision about the suitability of a ball for the game is made on the base of manufacturers and players subjective opinion. This paper presents the research done to establish which mechanical properties of balls correlate with players' perception to generate design and evaluation criteria. The results showed several significant correlations between some mechanical properties as the coefficient of restitution and users opinion. For example, hardness correlated positively with the perception of injury risk. The results of this study establish the necessary knowledge and methodology to advance in the quality control and design of balls for the "pilota valenciana", which is very necessary to ensure the future of this traditional game. Verf.-Referat