Analysis of the Variables Influencing Success in Elite Handball with Polar Coordinates

Abstract

In today’s elite handball, coaching staff seek to know as much as possible about all the details of their sport to gain an advantage by adapting their model of play or by looking for the opponent’s weak points. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse which variables can influence success in each phase of the match with polar coordinates. Observational methodology was used to analyse success or failure within the nature of handball by means of an ad hoc observation instrument designed and validated for this research. A total of 14 elite men’s handball matches from the 2019–2020 season were analysed. The relationships between success and failure of all behaviours were performed with polar coordinates. The results show that one of the keys to achieving victory in matches is centred on a high level of success in the defensive phase that allows the team to recover the ball and to be able to go on the counterattack to obtain a clear option for a goal. This research allows us to see how we can achieve success in the different phases of the game and improve team performance with these indicators. These results suggest that it is necessary for teams to train at a high pace of play, linking the different phases of the game in order to recover the ball in the defensive phase and attack in the shortest possible time against an unstructured defence to achieve success in the match and the final victory.