The primary purpose of our research is the analysis of the European championships for women from 2002 to 2022, where we determine the differences between the national teams and the development trends in modern handball.
In total, 41 different countries participated in all 11 championships, which means 176 appearances and a total of 264 matches (on average, eight matches per championship). At the same time, Slovenia played 33 matches in eight championships with an average of 4,13 matches per championship. We included 52 game variables in the analysis. We used the SPSS software package (tests of normality distribution, Mann-Whitney test) for statistical processing in determining the differences between the representatives. In addition, we also used the SPSS software package to determine trends and development tendencies (regression analysis).
The results generally show differences between the higher and lower-ranked national teams, with the main differences being in the success of the game with fewer players and in the goalkeeper's activities. Above all, the differences in defending shots after penetration and shots from 9 meters stand out. There were no significant differences in defensive activities. For the national team of Slovenia, we note with a 95% probability that there are statistically significant differences compared to the highest-ranked national teams, especially in the variables related to counterattacks and the goalkkkeper efficiency in shots defending. The results of the regression analysis show the highest correlation between the number of counterattacks (0.955) and the number of shots from the counterattack (0.939). The most significant positive trends throughout the European championships from 2002 to 2022 are shown by the success of attacks with one player less and the success of counterattacks. In recent championships, the performance of wing forwards and the aspect of the performance of shots from a distance have also increased. In addition to the scientific aspect, the task brings an important practical message to Slovenian women's handball that it is worth introducing a faster playing model with more counterattacks.
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