Self-organization in male and female high level handball

Abstract

The analysis of players and sports teams tries to reveal different performance nuances, and the understanding of the main attractors of the game is shown as a fundamental aspect for the structuring of training in team sports. This work aimed to analyze the handball’s self-organization and to compare male and female teams. Thirty-eight matches (19 of each gender) of the 2019 Handball World Championships were analyzed. T-test, ANOVA, and chi-square test were used to data analysis. No differences were found between genders and it was also revealed that there is a tendency of the attacks ending with a throw (> 55%, P < 001), followed by goal (> 34%, p < .001) for both genders. It was also noted the occurrence of defensive violations (> 25%, p < .001). The throws and goalkeepers’ saves are important in the handball games results, and that there is no difference between female and male handball games considering it self-organization.