Morphological differences of elite Croatian female handball players according to their game position (original) (raw)
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European Journal of Human Movement, 2021
The purpose of the study was to compare physical characteristics and performance values between different playing positions in professional female team handball. Twenty-nine female handball players were categorized as centers (n=6), pivots (n=9), wings (n=8) or goalkeepers (n=16). Measurement of physical characteristics including body height and mass, body mass index; knee muscle strength, scores on the lower limb vertical power (vPower), lower and upper limb performance and trunk extension endurance were determined and compared across playing positions. The goalkeepers had higher knee strength as compared to pivots, wings, and centers (p<.001, ηp2>.20). Pivot players achieved higher vPower than wings, centers, and goalkeepers (p=.011, ηp2=.759). In addition, goalkeepers and wings achieved higher vPower than centers (p<.001, ηp2=.759). No significant differences were observed in trunk extension endurance and upper limb performance results according to playing positions (p>.05, ηp2<.20). The pivots and wings had better lower limb performance than goalkeepers and centers (p<.001, ηp2=.682-.701). The present study concludes that depending on their play positions, there are differences in terms of physical characteristics, knee muscle strength, vertical power, and lower extremity performance in elite female handball players. These results could help improve coaches' knowledge of elite female teams in the particular in the country where the study was conducted and in others of similar characteristics.
Position-Specific Anthropometric Profiles: 2011 Women's 19 European Handball Championship
The purpose of the cross-sectional study was to determine and compare anthropometric profiles in top level female handball players aged 17-19 years from the aspect of national teams and individual playing positions. The research sample consisted of 207 players of 13 national teams (except Norway, Sweden and Austria) that participated in the 2011 Women's 19 European Handball Championship (W19 ECh) in Netherlands. At the time of the championship, the players were 17 to 19 years old. The players were divided into position-related groups: GKs – goalkeepers: n = 35, Ws -wings: n = 53, CBs -center backs: n = 30, Bs -backs: n = 58 and PVs -pivots: n = 31. Anthropometric measurements were carried out during the championship. We measured the following anthropometric parameters: parameters of longitudinal dimension: body height, arm span (D-D) body mass parameters of transversal dimension: biacromial breadth (shoulder width, A-A) palm breadth (palm) biepicondylar breadth of the humerus (H...
Collegium antropologicum, 2009
We aimed to establish the main morphological characteristics of Slovenian junior and senior national handball team players. Morphological characteristics for various player subgroups (goalkeepers, wings, back players and pivots) were also determined so as to establish whether they had distinct profiles. The subjects were 78 handball players who were members of the Slovenian junior and senior national team in the period from 2000 to 2007. A standardised anthropometric protocol was used to assess the subjects' morphological characteristics. The measurements included 23 different anthropometric measures. Data were processed with the SPSS computer programme. First, basic statistical characteristics of anthropometric measures were obtained for all subjects together and then for each group separately. Somatotypes were determined using Heath-Carter's method. Endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic components were calculated by computer on the basis of formulas. In order to determi...
European Journal of Human Movement, 2021
The purpose of the study was to compare physical characteristics and performance values between different playing positions in professional female team handball. Twenty-nine female handball players were categorized as centers (n=6), pivots (n=9), wings (n=8) or goalkeepers (n=16). Measurement of physical characteristics including body height and mass, body mass index; knee muscle strength, scores on the lower limb vertical power (vPower), lower and upper limb performance and trunk extension endurance were determined and compared across playing positions. The goalkeepers had higher knee strength as compared to pivots, wings, and centers (p<.001, ηp2>.20). Pivot players achieved higher vPower than wings, centers, and goalkeepers (p=.011, ηp2=.759). In addition, goalkeepers and wings achieved higher vPower than centers (p<.001, ηp2=.759). No significant differences were observed in trunk extension endurance and upper limb performance results according to playing positions (p>.05, ηp2<.20). The pivots and wings had better lower limb performance than goalkeepers and centers (p<.001, ηp2=.682-.701). The present study concludes that depending on their play positions, there are differences in terms of physical characteristics, knee muscle strength, vertical power, and lower extremity performance in elite female handball players. These results could help improve coaches' knowledge of elite female teams in the particular in the country where the study was conducted and in others of similar characteristics.
Female handball is a sport which has seen an accelerated development over the last decade. While anthropometric and physical characteristics have been studied for male sports team, in female handball, studies are scarce. The aim of this study was twofold: firstly, to describe anthropometric characteristics, throwing velocity, hand grip and muscular power of the lower limbs in female handball players, and secondly, to identify possible differences in these parameters in terms of individual playing positions (center, back, wing, pivot and goalkeeper). A total of 130 Spanish female elite handball players participated in the study (25.74 ± 4.84 years; 14.92 ± 4.88 years of playing experience). Anthropometric assessment was performed by all subjects following the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) protocols. Furthermore, all subjects performed a vertical jump test (Squat Jump and Countermovement Jump). Hand grip and throwing velocity in several situations were also assessed. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and a Tukey post hoc test were used to study differences among individual playing positions. Wings were less heavy, shorter and showed less arm span, than goalkeepers, backs and pivots. (p≤0.001).
ANTHROPOMETRIC FEATURES AND BALANCE AMONG ELITE HANDBALL PLAYERS
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the balance and body fat values of a team playing in the Turkish Handball Super League and to compare them with the international values and also to contribute the national norm to develop for the handball players. Methods: Male players from a team playing in the Turkish Handball Super League as experimental group (n=12) and university students as control group (n=12) participated in the study. The relationship among static balance, body fat percentage and some anthropometric parameters of subjects whose average age was = 29.3±4.1 years for experimental group and = 23.2±2.1 years for control group was investigated. The statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05. Results: The sport age, height and weight values of the handball players were significantly higher than the values of university students. The body fat percentage of handball players (13.3±3.1) was also higher than of the university students (12.2±2.1). As the balance values of handball players (8.2±3.1) were better than the values of control group (8.9±7.5) on the right foot, the values of control group (6.0±2.6) were better than of elite handball players (7.4±2.3) on the left foot. Conclusion: As a result, even if it could be found some differences between the elite handball players and the control group among the static balance values, body fat percentage and anthropometric parameters, these differences weren't statistically significant. The physical and anthropometric features of elite handball players showed similarities with the other international players.
Journal of Human Kinetics, 2013
Identifying the anthropometric measures of successful and less successful handball players may be helpful in developing a talent identification and development model, allowing for the determination of key physical capacities required for elite performance. The purpose of the study was to describe the anthropometric characteristics, including age, standing stature, body mass and body mass index (BMI) in handball players who participated in the 2013 Men's Handball World Championships. Secondly, the objective was to identify the possible differences in these parameters in terms of individual playing positions (goalkeeper, back, center back, wing, line player). Rosters with handball player's age, standing stature, and body mass were obtained from the International Handball Federation website. The research material included 409 handball players (24 teams). National teams were organized by their ranks and sub-grouped using their continents and playing positions. The results of the...
Applied Sciences
Anthropometric characteristics and physical performance are closely related to the game demands of each playing position. This study aimed to first examine the differences between playing positions in anthropometric characteristics and physical performance with special emphasis on the isokinetic strength of elite male handball players, and secondly to examine the correlations of the latter variables with ball velocity. Anthropometric characteristics, maximal isokinetic strength, sprinting and vertical jumping performance, and ball velocity in the set shot and jump shot were obtained from 93 elite handball players (age 22 ± 5 years, height 184 ± 8 cm, and weight 84 ± 14 kg) pre-season. Wing players were shorter compared to other players, and pivots were the heaviest. Wings had the fastest 20 m sprints, and, along with backcourt players, jumped higher, had better maximal knee isometric strength, and achieved the highest ball velocity compared to pivots and goalkeepers, respectively. T...
Position Specific Morphological Characteristics of Top-level Male Macedonian Handball Players
The Anthropologist, 2017
The research was realized on a sample of 133 top handball senior players with the main objective to analyze the anthropometric characteristics and somatotype components in terms of the position at which they play in the team. Within the statistical analysis the basic descriptive parameters are being calculated and a univariate analysis of variance and post-hoc analysis are applied. A general mesomorphic athletic is obtained with obvious longitudinal dimensionality of the skeleton, even compared to the bone and muscle tissue and slightly higher values of fat and endomorphic component especially for goalkeepers and the pivot. The external lateral players and the goalkeepers are characterized by dominant pronounced longitudinal dimensionality, bone composition and voluminosity. The wing players have lower longitudinal dimensionality, while the central players are characterized with pronounced voluminosity and somewhat larger amounts of fat tissue.
Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics
Purpose: In team sports, the varied levels of physical demand associated with different field positions are reflected in the morphofunctional features of the players. The aim of this work was to recognize how the playing position in the team depends on the anthropometric profiles and the strength level of professional handball players. Methods: A body mass, stature, lower and upper extremity length, circumferences and skinfolds were measured in the male professional athletes. The body composition was analysed using a bioelectrical impedance method. Additionally, hand grip and back strength were measured. A statistical analysis was carried out using routinely statistic methods and principal component analysis. Results: Pivot players usually have the most athletic figure in terms of size and weight and relatively short legs. The backs are characterized by the android body type and low subcutaneous fat content, and a large mass of body cells. The backs and pivots have the same strength of back and hand grip. Goalkeepers have relatively long upper and lower limbs and high back and hand grip strength. The wingers are usually slender, have medium length limbs, low body fat percentage, significant extracellular mass and the lowest muscle strength. Conclusions: The results of the multivariate analysis were a notable and valuable addition to the study of morphological and strength differences in a group quite homogeneous like a handball team. The principal component analysis allowed for a reduction of the multidimensional structure to three variables describing body massiveness, strength, and the length and height aspect of the body.