Integral Parameters of Individual Competitive Activity of Highly Qualified Handball Players

Abstract

Sports statistics have become an indispensable tool for the effective evaluation of team and player performance. It provides coaches with precise information about matches, allowing them to develop and assess performance indicators that enhance tactical decisions and training processes.
Purpose. To determine the integral parameters characterizing the individual competitive activity of highly qualified handball players by playing positions using the author’s software "Information Support System" ("InfoHandball" v.1.3 and "StatsHBall").
Material and Methods. Monitoring was conducted for 191 matches of Super League teams in the Ukrainian Handball Championship, as well as matches of Ukrainian teams during their participation in European cup tournaments from 2014 to 2022. The performance indicators of 20 handball players were analyzed, 18 of whom are members of the Ukrainian national team. Among them, 3 players occupy the position of left wing, 4 – right wing, 4 – line player, 3 – left back, 3 – right back, and 3 – center back. In the analysis of game actions, tools such as "Statistical Report", "Throw Map", "Game Development" and the file format (*.hbm) ("Handball-Match") were used, enabling the generation of general and thematic reports on the technical and tactical performance indicators of qualified handball teams in competitive processes.
Results. The average calculated efficiency coefficient of positive competitive actions of the Ukrainian national team during the competition period is 55.56%. The efficiency coefficient of technical and tactical actions in competitive activity of qualified handball players across different positions ranges from 46.9% ("right back", 2nd line) to 62.24% ("left wing", 1st line). Analysis and expert interpretation of technical and tactical indicators in the competitive process of qualified handball players show that, in terms of the absolute indicator of competitive performance efficiency, the highest calculated value was recorded among players in the "right back" position – 55.43 units, with an average team indicator of 44.89 units. In terms of relative efficiency indicators, the highest value was recorded for players in the "left back" position – 0.73 units, compared to the team average of 0.50 units. Regarding the number of goals scored, a clear trend was observed: the highest indicators were among "left back" players, average results among "left wing" and "pivot" players, and minimally sufficient results among other positions ("right wing", "right back", "center back"). According to the express assessment of competitive performance, the weakest link was identified as the activity of line players. The integral index of competitive performance for the line player position equals 0.88±0.12. The average integral absolute indicator of competitive performance of line players in the Super League is 35.75%, which is 3.4% lower than the average overall value for all playing positions in the Super League.
Conclusions. The results of the conducted study, using the "Information Support System" ("InfoHandball" v.1.3 and "StatsHBall"), include the obtained statistical and integral parameters characterizing the individual competitive activity of Super League players across offensive lines and playing positions. Thus, the integral efficiency coefficient of positive competitive actions by position equals: left wing – 65.77±4.18%, right wing – 61.87±5.25%, line player – 61.45±5.28%, left back – 55.28±4.48%, right back – 44.57±1.68%, center back – 54.19±3.15%; first offensive line – 62.02±2.44%, second offensive line – 52.68±2.04%. The average team integral efficiency coefficient equals 56.85±1.85%.