Search

In modern handball, one of the important performance indicators is the effectiveness of the attack, especially the running-in of wingers as line players which has not been explored adequately. The purpose of the study was to analyze the movements of wingers in the organized attack when they run in. Fifty-eight matches were analyzed from the 2022 EHF European Men’s Handball Championship. A total of 491 attacks were recorded and 45 variables were analyzed in which wingers ran in as second pivots and the outcome was a throw. For the statistical analysis, descriptive and inductive statistics were used. The results showed that the average time of the running-in was 12.11 ± 9.28 s, the left wing ran in more often (60.1%) and wingers tended to move outside the defense formation (72.5%). Wingers ran in without the ball in possession (81.1%), moved toward defenders 2 and 5 and stood next to defenders, and occasionally blocked, slid or left their position. The defense’s central zone was preferred by players to make a throw. Correspondence analysis showed that wingers finally returned to their initial position regardless of the evolution of the attack. Their role was to block a specific defender or disorganize the defense, for one defender to be isolated so that one attacking player could execute a shot from the central area. Conclusively, wingers play an important role, especially in run-in actions, at the completion of an attack, and in the final throw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance profiles of teams performance highlight areas of weaknesses and strengths for coaches to inform their decision-making on how to spend their limited training time with athletes. This study used a stepwise discriminative analysis approach comparing one successful team’s (TEAM) performances through five consecutive seasons against a) other top four teams (TOP4) and b) teams with a final rank between 5th and eight (LOW) in a semi-professional league. The predictive model created was used to set forth a performance profile for the selected team. A total of 95 matches of the TEAM’s matches from the last five seasons are in the analysis. The objective was to create a performance profile with relevant performance indicators selected based on the discriminant analysis results of the selected TEAM and discuss its practical applicability. For matches against other TOP4 teams, the predictive model created consisted of three variables; legal stops, blocked shots and 9 m shots, classifying 72.6% correctly. The LOW ranked teams model had six variables and correctly classified 94.4% of cases (assists, blocked shots, legal stops, the goalkeeper saved shots, 2-minute exclusion, and shot efficiency). The selected variables are presented in Table 4, with medians and a 95% confidence interval of the median as a team performance profile. The profile provides the coaches with two models containing values that can serve as a reference for this team’s performance. The profile of this TEAM’s performances during the last five seasons generally aligns with the variables associated with success in other studies in female handball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study are to analyze handball game-related statistics in balanced games (0-2 goal difference at minute 50) in the final 10 minutes regarding the final outcome of winning or losing. i) Analyse statistical differences between winners and losers in male and female top Icelandic handball leagues and ii) calculate a discriminating model for performance variables for both male and female top Icelandic handball leagues. The game-related statistics from the final 10 minutes of 127 games from two seasons (85 male and 42 female) with a goal difference of two or fewer at minute 50 were analyzed. The internal consistency and reliability ranged from good to excellent for the games of both sexes. Differences between winning or losing for each sex were determined using the unpaired t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, and Cohens d for effect sizes was calculated. The results for males include four variables with large effect sizes and six with significant differences. The discriminatory model selected technical fouls and goalkeeper blocked shots from 9 m to classify 40.4% correctly (Wilks' lambda 0.005, and canonical correlation of 0.997). For females, findings align with previous research underscoring the importance of 9 m shots at goal at this level. However, they differ somewhat from full game statistics at the elite level with no difference in red cards and 7 m shots. Coaches should pay particular attention in tactical preparation to shots outside 9 m - both offensively and defensively in balanced games in the final 10 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 2 physical exercise programs carried out during working hours in an office work environment on health-related parameters of employees. Material and Methods: The participants included 47 healthy office worker volunteers (aged 45±11.95 years, 27% males) who formed 3 groups: circuit training (CT), brisk walk (BW), and control (C) groups. The interventions lasted 12 weeks with a weekly frequency of three 30-minute sessions in the middle of the workday. All employees were evaluated with a multicomponent battery test which included: anthropometric and body composition measurements, a cardiorespiratory fitness test, lipid profile, blood pressure, and mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress). Basic descriptive statistics were calculated. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to summarize changes in the variables studied after the application of the physical exercise programs. Results: Generally, both exercise programs (CT and BW) maintained the body weight and body mass index while reducing body fat mass (a group × time interaction; 4.864 = F = 6.524, 0.001 = p = 0.015), although the CT intervention also showed relevant (inter-group) reductions in the waist-hip ratio (F = 11.311, p = 0.007) and increased skeletal muscle mass (F = 15.062, p = 0.003). Both exercise programs (CT and BW) improved the cardiorespiratory fitness test scores (a group × time interaction; F = 18.054, p < 0.001). There were no changes in the lipid profile or blood pressure after the interventions, but there was an improvement in mental health (4.760 = F = 8.087, 0.008 = p = 0.037). Conclusions: The findings suggest that both types of programs could be implemented in the employees' daily routine in order to improve their overall health. Nevertheless, studies with larger samples are necessary before the conclusions can be generalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were (i) to determine whether there is a relationship between the relative age effect (RAE) and the final classification of the teams, player's positions, number of goals scored, and shooting effectiveness, and (ii) to determine whether there are differences in the number of goals scored and shooting effectiveness depending on the final classification and player's positions. The study subjects were 380 players who took part in the 2018 Women's Youth World Handball Championship. The independent variables were the relative age effect and the number of goals and shooting effectiveness of each type of shot. The dependent variables were the player's position and the team's final classification. To investigate the relationship between the RAE and the team's final classification, player's position, goals scored, and shooting effectiveness, contingency tables were drawn up and subjected to a chi-squared test. The dependence of the differences in goals and shooting effectiveness on the team's final classification and the player's position was studied by means of an ANOVA with a Tukey post hoc test. For the sample overall, there was no RAE, only an association between the classification and the year of birth, with more players born in the senior year in the teams ranked from 1st to 8th place than in those classified from 9th to 24th place. The teams classified from 1st to 4th had more significant numbers of several variables. There were differences in goals and shooting effectiveness, depending on the player's position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were: (i) to analyse anthropometric parameters, physical fitness, and throwing velocity of youth elite male handball players of different ages; and (ii) to develop a multivariate model that explains throwing velocity. Fifty-three male handball players (17.99±1.68 years old), members of the Icelandic national teams, participated in the study. The participants were classified into the U21 (n=12), U19 (n=17), and U17 (n=24) national teams. All were evaluated by basic anthropometry (body height, body mass, body mass index), physical fitness tests (counter movement jump, medicine ball throw, hand dynamometry, 10 m and 30 m sprint, Yo-Yo IR2 test) and ball velocity after various handball throws at goal (a 7-m throw, a 9-m ground shot after a three-step run-up, and a 9-m jump shot after a three-step approach). A one-way analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post-hoc test was used to establish the differences between the teams. Multiple linear regression was used to predict speed of the ball from each of the three shots taken for each team. There were no differences between the U21 and U19 teams except for the medicine ball throw, but the U19 team scored better than the U17 team in almost all variables. Ball speed after a handball shot was predicted (between 22% and 70% of accuracy) with only one or two physical fitness variables in each model medicine ball throw (in four models), counter movement jump (in two models), and 10 m sprint (in two models), being the variables that were most selective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]