Polar coordinate analysis in the study of positional attacks in beach handball

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between the various behaviours of the positional attack of beach handball in male and female categories. With a sample of 150 international players (men, n = 90), HOISAN software package was used to analyse 24 observations of matches played at the European Beach Handball Championship. We used observational methodology, specifically a nomothetic/point/multidimensional study design. The data obtained were subjected to a polar coordinate analysis from the perspective of genuine retrospectivity. Seven focal behaviours – related to how the attack ends and the player who finishes it – were chosen. The results revealed differences by gender. In the women’s category, positional attacks tended to focus on inflight shots; the plays were elaborate and relied on the player in the role of “specialist” for successful execution. In the men’s category, in contrast, attacks tended to end with a spin shot when the observed team was trailing in the score and when the opposing team used an open defence; the men’s teams also relied more on the pivot to create open spaces. The differences shown suggest intervening in each category with a specific orientation to lead to improvements in the performance of each of them.