IN-CONTEXT OBSERVATION OF ACTION LEVELS IN HANDBALL

The main aim of this research was to design a recording instrument that allows us to describe and to determine relationships among three action levels in handball (team play, collective play and individual play), relating them to the competition context and taking their effectiveness into account. Following observational methodology guidelines, a combined system of field formats and a category system was chosen, using an ideographic, punctual and multidimensional research design. Dartfish TeamPro V.4.5 software was used as recording instrument to analyse seven matches of the senior category and seven matches of the U14 category, generating concurrent and event-based data. Bivariate descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used for the relationship analysis. The results confirmed the association between playing systems and collective actions, both offensive and defensive, as well as the difficulty to establish significant relationships between attack and defence.