The master’s thesis focuses on the video analysis of attacking activities against set defenses at the 2024 European Handball Championship for men. The main goal of the thesis was to identify key offensive patterns that contributed to the teams' success.
We analyzed footage from Slovenia’s matches, the semifinals, the match for 3rd place, and the final, recording all team, collective, and individual attacking activities. For statistical analysis, the data was entered into separate tables for three groups: Slovenia, their opponents, and other matches (semifinals, match for 3rd place, and the final). At the end, we also aggregated the activities of all teams into a collective statistic for all matches. We focused on the most tactically complex and typical activities for specific national teams. Additionally, we edited the video clips, cut them, and provided access to them using QR codes. For all the activities presented, we drew diagrams and added descriptions of the plays.
The research showed that the analyzed teams most frequently employed 1-on-1 plays against the third defensive player from the left or right side in individual actions. In 2-on-2 play with a pivot, the central back most often took the lead. Regarding collective activities, based on the outcome of the play, the most frequent were crossing of the backcourt players. The most typical plays executed by the national teams, based on the type of activity, were illustrated. Among the observed teams, Slovenia was the most successful in 7-on-6 situations without a goalkeeper. Slovenia also showcased some unique combinations and innovations in playing with a numerical advantage. Playing in a 5-on-6 numerical disadvantage appeared only six times in the ob-served matches.
The purpose of the master’s thesis was to present the modern style of play in the attacking phase against set defenses, highlighting the typical and tactically complex combinations as well as the technically refined individual execution of offensive elements.
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