Score goal in handball matches and its relationship with throwing speed

Abstract

Performance in handball comes from a complex combination of specific skills. Throwing speed is considered the most relevant action of a team’s offensive game. The main objectives of this investigation were two, firstly, to determine if there are differences between the throwing speed in training and the throwing speed in competition, and secondly, to determine the anthropometric and conditional variables that have the greatest influence on the effective speed during a competition. The 14 junior players of the Portuguese national team who participated in the Junior World Championship were assessed through a countermovement jump test, their anthropometric variables were measured, they were assessed by dynamometry, and their maximum throwing speeds in training without a goalkeeper, with a goalkeeper. And during the eight games played in the championship were the maximum recorded speed of the throws that resulted in goals was selected for each player. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to compare the effect of player interaction (no interaction, interaction with goalkeeper, interaction with all other players in competition) on ball velocity. Approximately 77% of the effective speed (the speed at which a player scores a goal during a match) was explained by the speed of throws in support from 9 metres, with no goalkeeper, and the circumference of the flexed arm. The players did not achieve their maximum throwing speed during the competition. The throwing speed during competition was strongly correlated with the flexed arm girth and throwing speed without the goalkeeper in training (factors that can be modified by training).