Team Handball Research Articles

Study on the Importance of Physical Training for Junior Female Handball Teams from Romania

The aim of this study is to bring to the fore the importance of physical training in the youth segment. Starting from the idea that physical training has an essential role in the training process of athletes, we conducted a sociological survey based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed written and online to a number of 56 coaches and theorists from the Physical Education faculties specializing in handball. The research methods used during this study were: the method of analyzing specialized and interdisciplinary literature, the pedagogical observation method, the survey method, the statistical-mathematical method, the graphic method, and the tabular method. The results highlighted the fact that the didactic strategies designed to plan the physical training represent a defining element in the training process of the athletes during their sports training.

Comparison of Motivation Levels of Outdoor and Indoor Athletes Studying Physical Education and Sports Training

Purpose: The fact that the sports branch that the athletes are interested in is included in the group of indoor and outdoor sports or team and individual sports can create differences in the motivation levels of the athletes. In this study, it was aimed to compare the motivation levels of team and individual athletes who do sports in Indoor and Outdoor.Method: The Sports-Specific Achievement Motivation Scale (SSAMS) developed by Willis (1982) was used to determine the motivation levels of the athletes in the study. The study consists of athletes who take part in Archery, Athletics, Judo, Tennis, Muaythai, Shooting (Weapon), Volleyball, Football, Basketball, Handball and Field hockey teams in Turkey. A total of 259 athletes, 170 men and 89 women, in these teams were included in the study.Findings: When we compared the motivation levels of individual and team athletes, a significant difference was found in the sub-dimensions of “motivation to show strength”, “motivation to approach success” and “avoiding failure” (p < 0.05). While a significant difference in the sub-dimensions of “motivation to show strength” and “motivation to approach success” was in favor of team athletes, “motivation to avoid failure” was found in favor of individual athletes (p < 0.05). Motivation levels of indoor and outdoor athletes. A significant difference was found in the motivation sub-dimensions of “motivation of strength” and “motivation of avoiding failure” of indoor and outdoor athletes (p < 0.05). It is seen that the significant difference is in favor of indoor athletes.Result: As a result; It has been determined that the sports branch differences that the athletes are interested in, the aims of their orientation to sports, the level of communication between the athletes studying physical education and sports training and the people who are in direct and constant communication, and the spatial differences in which the interested sports branch is performed can play an active role in the motivation levels of the athletes. The scarcity of studies on athletes in different branches doing sports in indoor and outdoor areas in the literature has shown that more studies are needed in this area.

Influence of Tactical and Situational Variables on Offensive Sequences During Elite European Handball Matches.

The main objective of this study was to analyze the influence of tactical and situational variables on offensive sequences during elite European handball matches. A sample of 55 games and 5.857 offensive sequences from the European Handball Federation Champions League, the selected teams were classified as the top eight teams in the league, were analyzed using X2 and logistic regression analyses. Results indicated that positional attacks [odds ratio (OR) = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.28–0.42; p < 0.001] and fast attacks (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.36–0.57; p < 0.001) decreased the probability of success for an offensive sequence by 66% and 54% when compared with counterattacks. Offensive sequences that start in the attacking zone seem to be less effective (~78%) than those that start from a situation of “ball in center.” Additionally, offensive sequences that finished in the defensive zone of the observed team were 3.19 times more effective than those that ended before the 9 m zone. We concluded that compared with offensive sequences where the shot is performed from the 9 m zone, the chances of an offensive sequence ending successfully are 3.65, 3.60, and 2.21 times higher, for offensive sequences where the shot is performed from 9 m, 6 m, and the defensive zone, respectively. On the other hand, many variables seem to impact the performance of handball teams. Nevertheless, a significant challenge remains, and more research needs to be conducted to analyze the obstacles that teams need to overcome while attacking in the most effective way possible.

Elite Players Invest Additional Time for Making Better Embodied Choices.

Expert athletes are determined to make faster and better decisions, as revealed in several simple heuristic studies using verbal reports or micro-movement responses. However, heuristic decision-making experiments that require motor responses, also being considered as the embodied-choice experiments, are still underrepresented. Furthermore, it is less understood how decision time and confidence depend on the type of embodied choices players make. To scrutinize the decision-making processes (i.e., decision time, decision confidence), this study investigated the embodied choices of male athletes with different expertise in a close-to-real-life environment; 22 elite (Mage = 17.59 yrs., SD = 3.67), and 22 amateur (Mage = 20.71 yrs., SD = 8.54) team handball players performed a sport-specific embodied-choice test. Attack sequences (n = 32) were shown to the players, who had to choose between four provided options by giving a respective sport-specific motor response. We analyzed the frequencies of specific choices and the best choice, as well as the respective decision time and decision confidence. Elite and amateur players differed in the frequencies of specific choices (i.e., forward/tackling; passive blocking), and elite players made the best choice more often. Slower decision times of elite players were revealed in specific choices and in best choices, the confidence of decisions was rated equally high by both player groups. Indications are provided that elite players make better choices rather slower, instead of faster. We suppose this is due to specific sensorimotor interactions and speed-accuracy-tradeoffs in favor of accuracy in elite players. Our findings extend expert decision-making research by using an embodied-choice paradigm, highlighting considerations of decision time and confidence in future experiments.

Specific Game-Based Performance in Elite Male Adolescent Team Handball Players.

In elite team handball, talent identification and selection of the best young players is a fundamental process in several national federations and clubs; however, literature addressing the specific game-based performance in team handball is almost nonexistent. Consequently, the aim of the study was to assess and compare the team-handball-specific game-based performance of elite male team handball players of different ages. Twelve under-23, 10 under-19, 10 under-17, and 10 under-15 elite male players performed the team-handball game-based performance test. During testing, oxygen uptake, heart rate, sprinting time in defense, offense, fast breaks, and fast retreats, as well as ball velocity and jump height in the jump shot, were measured. Significant differences (P < .05) between under-23, under-19, under-17, and under-15 players were found for absolute peak oxygen uptake, defense, offense and fast break time, ball velocity, and jump height in the game-based performance test, as well as in body weight and height. The results revealed that with increasing age, elite male team handball players are heavier and taller (body weight and height); faster (team-handball offense, defense, and fast break); jump higher and throw faster (in the team-handball jump shot); and perform better aerobically (absolute peak oxygen uptake). The better performance in the under-23 and under-19 players compared with male adult players competing in a lower National Federation league (not on top-elite level) demonstrates that highly specific game-based physical performance determines the potential for developing young male team handball players for competition at the top level.

Relationship of Vertical Jump Performance and Ankle Joint Range of Motion: Effect of Knee Joint Angle and Handedness in Young Adult Handball Players.

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of the ankle joint range of motion (ROM) on the vertical jump (VJ) performance of adult handball players. The active (ACT) and passive (PAS) ankle joint ROM of 12 male members of the U21 National Handball Team with the knee joint at 0°, 40°, and 90° flexion (0° = fully extended knee) was evaluated using a video analysis measuring method. Participants also performed maximum VJ with (CMJ) and without (SQJ) countermovement, as well as with (AS) and without (NAS) an arm swing. Statistical analyses included 2 × 2 × 3 MANOVA, 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation. Results reveal that PAS-ROM was larger (p < 0.05) in all knee joint flexion angles. ROM was smaller (p < 0.05) by approximately 10° at 0° compared to 90° knee flexion. No lateral effects on ROM due to the handedness of the players were observed. AS and CM resulted in increased jump height (p < 0.05). Finally, ACT-ROM when the knee joint was flexed at 40° was highly correlated (r ≥ 0.66, p < 0.05) with VJ performance except for CMJ-AS. In conclusion, the differences in the bi-articular gastrocnemius muscle flexibility due to the alteration of the angular position of the examined joints affected the ability to generate impulse during the VJ tests.

The "Empty-Goal" Rule Change from the Perspective of International-Level Team Handball Goalkeepers.

The 2016 “empty-goal” rule change in team handball allowed for swift goalkeeper-player substitutions, which opened the door to a variety of tactical solutions that could not be implemented prior to the change. This change is one of many rule changes that have taken place in ball games in general and in handball in particular that were aimed to improve the competition and make gameplay more interesting. Previous literature shows that more often than not, such rule changes have led to unforeseen and undesired effects on players’ and teams’ behavior and performance. The aim of the current study was to consider the empty-goal rule from the goalkeeper’s perspective, as their offense–defense game routine was drastically transformed following the introduction of this new rule. Results of a survey among 95 professional goalkeepers, 80 of whom participated in international matches, revealed that the keepers’ level of confidence in empty-goal situations is moderate to high, that empty goal is rarely practiced more than once a week, and that less experienced goalkeepers are more positive regarding this rule change. Additionally, we found that the amount of empty-goal practice is positively related to the approval of the empty-goal rule among goalkeepers.

Comparison of Shoulder Kinematics and Muscle Activation of Female Elite Handball Players With and Without Pain-An Explorative Cross-Sectional Study.

Non-traumatic shoulder injuries are common in team handball. However, many athletes continue to throw, despite pain in the shoulder. This study investigated upper body kinematics and muscle activation while throwing in female elite handball players with and without shoulder pain. Thirty female elite team handball players, 15 with pain (age 22.2 ± 2.9 yrs.) and 15 without pain (age 20.4 ± 2.6 yrs.) performed five standing throws in which joint kinematics and muscle activity were measured in the following muscles: pectoralis major, infraspinatus, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, and upper-, middle-, and lower trapezius. The main findings revealed that peak joint angles and angular velocities were not different between groups; however, group differences were observed in earlier timing of position and longer time spent in maximal shoulder extension and external shoulder rotation in the pain group compared with the no pain group. The pain group also revealed a significant lower muscle peak activity in the serratus anterior during the cocking phase compared to the no pain group. After the cocking phase and at ball release, the groups had similar activation. In conclusion, the present study showed group differences in appearance and time spent in maximal humerus extension and external rotation and a different serratus anterior muscle peak activity between elite handball players playing with and without shoulder pain, which are identified as possible mechanisms of adaptation to avoid pain.

A unified theory for bivariate scores in possessive ball-sports: The case of handball

We present a unified theory that posits three fundamental models as necessary and sufficient for modelling the bivariate scores in possessive ball-sports. These models provide the basis for perhaps more complicated models that can be used for prediction, experimentation, and explanation. First is the Poisson-match, for when goals are rare, or when goals are frequent but the restart after a goal is contested. Second is the binomial-match, for when goals are frequent and the restart uses the alternating rule. Third is the Markov-match, for when the restart uses the catch-up rule. We describe in detail the new model amongst these, the Markov-match, which is complementary to rather than competing with the binomial-match. The Markov-match is a bivariate generalisation of the Markov-binomial distribution. Its structure (catch-up restart) induces a larger correlation between the scores of competitors than does the binomial-match (alternating restart) but slightly more tied outcomes. The Markov-match is illustrated using handball, a high-scoring sport. In our analysis the time-varying strengths of 45 international handball teams are estimated. This poses some mathematical and computational problems, and in particular we describe how to shrink the strength-estimates of teams that play fewer games in tournaments because they are weaker. For the handball results, the Markov-match gives a better fit to data than the Poisson-match.

The Mediating Role of Jacobson Relaxation Techniques in the Relationship Between Anxiety and Performance of Female Handball Players

"One of the most discussed relationships in sport psychology is the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport performance. The issues addressed in this paper refer to the affective state of female competitive players and its link to the effectiveness/achievement of their long-term game. Objectives: The current work aimed to study how a high degree of anxiety affects the playing efficiency of the SCM Gloria Buzău handball team and to what extent the level of anxiety and, implicitly, of performance, can be modified in a beneficial way, by using the Jacobson technique. Methods and means. To carry out this study, the SAS-2 questionnaire, a multidimensional instrument that measures cognitive and somatic characteristics related to anxiety, was applied in the context of practicing performance sports. To analyse the data obtained, the SPSS Statistics V.20 analysis software was used, thus performing a multiple regression analysis, with anxiety as a predictor and efficiency as a criterion. In order to capture the effect of the Johnson method on the athletes’ performance, a two-way mixed ANOVA analysis of the 2x2 type was used. Results. Following this analysis, the following aspects can be noted: efficiency and anxiety correlate strongly, in the opposite direction, with a negative correlation coefficient between the two variables, r = -0.902. This correlation has high statistical significance (sig&lt;0.001). We observed that there is a strong, positive correlation between the level of control of emotions acquired as a result of therapy and the level of performance in the game, r=0.96, the result being statistically significant, sig&lt;0.001. Conclusions. The hypothesis on how a certain relaxation technique, applied in a consistent manner over a sufficient period of time, leads to an improvement in the quality of the athletes’ game was confirmed. Thus, following Jacobson relaxation techniques applied on female handball players, an increase in performance level was observed in both anxious and low-anxious individuals. Keywords: anxiety, performance, handball, Jacobson method "

Analysis of the associations between salivary cortisol-, alpha-amylase-, and testosterone-responsiveness with the physical contact nature of team handball: a preliminary analysis.

This study evaluated endocrine responsiveness (ER) to physical stress (contact vs. non-contact nature of play) during team handball matches, according to the playing positions, thereby contextualizing the contact nature of the handball match. The participants were ten male team handball players (24.1±3.17 years, 188.2±6.42 cm, 94.6±9.6 kg) divided into two groups: contact playing positions (CPP) and non-contact playing positions (NCPP). To evaluate the ER, the salivary cortisol (C), testosterone (T), and alpha-amylase (AA) concentrations were assessed before the game, during the halftime break, and after the match. Moreover, playing time (PT) and the number of contacts (NC) were counted post-match by video analysis. To determine possible differences between PT and the NC in the first and second halves of the match, a paired-sample t-test was used. The differences among ER-measures were calculated by the magnitude-based Cohen's effect size. Possible associations between NC and ER were analyzed by comparing CPP and NCPP in C, T, and AA. The CPP group performed significantly more physical contacts, while there was no difference in playing time between the groups. A stronger C response was evidenced in players with a longer playing time. During the game, the C response was directly determined by physical contact, with CPP players showing a stronger C response than NCPP players. This study provided evidence of the importance of contact actions during matches and training sessions, as a parameter of calculating training loads and preparing strategies for recovery and injury prevention. Further studies examining larger samples are warranted.

Evaluation and comparative analysis of the results of a vertical jump between young basketball and handball players

Background and Study Aim. Team sports, basketball and handball, as well as their competitions, are very popular throughout the world. The aim of this research was evaluation and comparative analysis of the results of a vertical jump between young basketball and handball players.&#x0D; Material and Methods. A group of 37 participants took part in the research: 21 basketball players from the basketball club OKK ''Novi Pazar'' (age: 15.5 ± 0.5) from Novi Pazar formed the first subgroup and 16 handball players from the handball club RK ''Železničar 1949'' (age: 25.4 ± 5.8; body height = 193.5 ± 7.5 cm; body weight = 94.0 ± 7.4 kg; body mass index = 25.03 ± 2.38 kg/m2) from Niš formed the second subgroup. Explosive power of the vertical jumps was assessed by the following tests: countermovement jump, countermovement jump/arm swing, squat jump. Participants had at least 5 years of training experience and held similar acute training histories prior to study commencement, completing 4 weeks of baseline conditioning during the general preparatory phase. Participants were free of injury, illness and disease as determined by a team physician prior to study participation.&#x0D; Results. The results of the independent samples t-test show that there were no significant differences (p &gt; 0.05) between basketball and handball players in all vertical jump tests.&#x0D; Conclusions. This article contains new information about vertical jumps of young male basketball and elite male handball players that could be extremely useful for coaches. Also, these findings suggest that basketball coaches may benefit from talents’ identification in young basketball players.

Coaches’ opinions about teaching defensive skills for youth handball teams

Purpose It can be observed that coaching in youth sports may be based on technique development, while it is inspired by high-performance sports. As it is observed a lack of research that addressed the coaching process with youth handball teams in the Brazilian context, this study aimed to analyze what is expected for the defensive phase and how it is taught. Methods We interviewed 22 handball coaches from the U-12, U-14, U-16, and U-18 teams addressing the teaching of defensive skills when facing different offensive systems and the approaches used in the training sessions. The interviews were analyzed using the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) method. Results and discussion The coaches’ discourses revealed an increasing expectation due to players’ experience, but with stimulation of high-level sport since the youngest teams. The discourses also emphasized the use of traditional approaches and game-based approaches to apply the learned skill in the game context, independently of the age group. It was noted that the expectations of the coaches about players’ technical-tactical development and the approaches are controversial, especially when comparing the specific skills with the use of the traditional approach in the younger teams (U-12 and U-14 teams). It is suggested that more attention must be paid when choosing the defensive skills to be taught for youth players, and the chosen teaching approaches must promote a reflexive environment to learners.

A Comparison of Sprint Mechanical Parameters Measured With Timing Gates and a Laser Gun.

The aim of the study was to compare sprint mechanical parameters measured with timing gates and a laser gun. Thirty-four female team handball players (age: 17.0 ± 2.3 years, height: 1.70 ± 0.07 m, body mass: 66.7 ± 9.7 kg) performed three 30 m sprints in which the times were measured at 5, 10, 20 and 30 m with timing gates (accuracy 0.01 s) together with the distance over time by a laser gun. The main findings were that with a correction of +0.21 s (timing gates) the times and sprint mechanical properties calculated with the spreadsheet of Morin between timing gates and laser gun were not different. But when peak velocity was derived directly from the laser gun (MusclelabTM system) this was significantly higher than maximal velocity (vmax), and lower than the theoretical maximal velocity (v0) calculated with the spreadsheet. It was concluded that a correction of +0.21 s should be used to get correct mechanical properties when measuring with timing gates compared with laser gun measurements on an indoor court.

The Birthplace Effect in 14-18-Year-Old Athletes Participating in Competitive Individual and Team Sports.

The birthplace (the place where an athlete was born) effect (BPE) has been found to be one of the environmental variables associated with early talent development and the achievement of a high level of proficiency in sport. The purpose of the current study is twofold: (1) to calculate the BPE in 14–18-year-old athletes who participated in individual and team sports and (2) examine how coaches perceived this effect. The participants were 1397 athletes (390 females and 1007 males) who competed in 5 individual (gymnastics, judo, swimming, tennis, and track and field) and 5 team (basketball, soccer, team handball, volleyball, and water polo) sports, as well as 147 coaches who provided their preliminary thoughts about the BPE. Data analyses revealed that although the BPE was not found to be associated with cities of a similar size, it was observed that growing up in cities of small and medium sizes was more beneficial than growing up in towns or cities of other sizes. Most of the coaches believed that certain characteristics of the place or city where the athlete grew up (e.g., proximity to sport facilities) could contribute positively to the athlete’s development. We discuss how the BPE data can aid policymakers in developing a sport policy associated with early phases of talent development.

Cocreating injury prevention training for youth team handball: bridging theory and practice

Although it is advocated that end-users are engaged in developing evidence-based injury prevention training to enhance the implementation, this rarely happens. The ‘Implementing injury Prevention training ROutines in TEams and...

"Yeah, I Mean, You're Going to Handball, so You Want to Use Balls as Much as Possible at Training": End-Users' Perspectives of Injury Prevention Training for Youth Handball Players.

Young handball players experience high injury rates. Specific injury prevention programs reduce injury rates but are not well implemented into youth players’ training. The ‘Implementing injury Prevention training ROutines in TEams and Clubs in youth Team handball (I-PROTECT)’ project addresses this challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate how youth handball coaches and players experienced the recently developed I-PROTECT GO pilot program, by focusing on barriers and facilitators. Three focus group interviews were conducted with coaches and players, and their answers were analyzed using a general inductive approach. The participants appreciated the program and found it useful for their context. The participants’ statements about facilitators and barriers centered around the categories of resources, exercises, program design, and learning. Facilitators that emerged were motivating exercises (e.g., handball-specific), a helpful set-up (e.g., variation), having a clear purpose of exercises, the possibility to fulfil basic psychological needs while training, receiving instructions and feedback, and having role models. Barriers that emerged were limited space and material, difficulties with exercises, an unhelpful set-up (e.g., too repetitive), and undisciplined training. It is important to address perceived barriers and facilitators among coaches and players when developing injury prevention training programs to enhance the uptake of such training.

Multicomponent stretching and rubber band strengthening exercises do not reduce overuse shoulder injuries: a cluster randomised controlled trial with 579 handball athletes

ObjectivesHandball is associated with a high risk of overuse shoulder injury. This study investigated if an injury prevention programme effectively reduces overuse injury to the throwing shoulder of handball athletes.Methods61...

ARE THERE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HANDEDNESS, COMPETITIVE RESULTS AND MOTIVATION IN WHEEL GYMNASTS?

Handedness is a performance-influencing factor in many competitive sports. In female team handball, psychological factors such as motivation have been connected to handedness. It should be researched whether this is also the case in wheel gymnastics and whether motivation is related to performance or handedness. For this purpose, 203 German wheel gymnasts were studied. There are significant differences in motivational aspects between gymnasts of different handedness within the straight line discipline. No differences were found in the all-around. There were not enough cases of gymnasts competing in spiral or vault only. When comparing the prevalence of different types of handedness in the general population to those among wheel gymnasts, no specific evaluation could be conducted for male gymnasts due to too few cases, although it should be noted that all 13 male participants were right-handed. When comparing the percentages of the left-handed and ambidextrous among female gymnasts to those in the general female population, it is evident that there is a higher percentage of ambidexters and left-handers among wheel gymnasts than in the general female population. There are differences in the percentages of female gymnasts of different handedness competing in straight line and all-around. There are correlations between percentage of handedness and competitive results when considering quintiles of competitive results (e. g. r = 0.949 and p ≤ 0.014 for technical difficulty in left-handed athletes). Our results suggest that it might be necessary to consider handedness when it comes to individual coaching and selection.

Evaluation of the Jumping Training Program for the Development of Explosive Force in Handball Players

The complex approach represented by the physical training and especially by the explosive force, in the case of a handball team must be approached with professionalism, especially during the training period by customizing the training program for each athlete. During the study we found that this concept of muscle training in explosive force is not fully understood, the forms of response showed that it does not appear in training programs insofar as it can have a significant influence, implicitly neither coaches considers it a priority to increase the share of these software packages. Correlated with the low share of explosive force training is the players' perception of future confrontations, the forms of response to these requests do not include strategies for solving field tasks by using procedures or technical elements that require explosive force, so their tasks have been partially or inefficiently fulfilled. The research showed that jumping on soft surfaces (sand, mattresses) in training lessons for the development of explosive force of the lower limbs are included for 27,29% of subjects and more often included for 0%, this result being only one of the eight sets. The need to work and introduce the training program in the favorable periods of the explosive force training programs for handball players is part of the complex process of achieving sportsmanship and obtaining the desired results in future confrontations.