Systematic development of handball offense concepts

Introduction

Dear reader

This is the second time Felix Linden (A-License and certified DHB young talents’ coach for competitive areas) gives insights into his understanding of diverse and focused handball training in the book series of handball-uebungen.de. Based on crossing of the center back and the pivot (circle) – which is part of almost every team’s repertoire in various forms – Felix Linden explains how you can create different game situations by using simple extensions and hence overcome defense systems with many variants. The individual training units deal with essential elements such as pulling apart a 6-0 defense system, authentic piston movements, pulling out a defense player, different shooting options, and decision-making. All training units focus on decision-making processes in particular. The training units comprise the standard playing structures with continuous playing options on both sides, variants with a second pivot and position switching as well as a variant for outnumbered game situations.

Within the last few years, several counteractive defense measures have been developed in order to interrupt the back position/pivot circle. Consequently, it is important to practice different situations with regard to the back position/pivot circle. The last chapter shows various defense measures and provides an idea of which variants should be played in each situation.

This book contains the following training units:

- Game concept – Crossing of the center back and the pivot – Part 1

- Game concept – Crossing of the center back and the pivot – Part 2

- Game concept – Crossing of the center back and the pivot plus second pivot from the wing position

- Game concept – Crossing of the center back and the pivot plus second pivot from the back position

- Crossing of the center back and the pivot in outnumbered situations

Difficulty levels of the training units:

Simple requirement (all youth and adult teams)

Intermediate requirement (youth teams under 15 years of age and adult teams)

Higher requirement (youth teams under 17 years of age and adult teams)

Highest requirement (competitive area)

Thanks go to the first ladies’ handball team and the male under-19 handball team of ATV Biesel for their active support during the training units.

Felix Linden will donate parts of the revenue to the charity “United Smile e.V.”. With his charity, Jens Dauben, a dentist and one of Felix Linden’s players, supports children and adults in remote regions of the world who do not have access to dental and medical standard care.

Publishing information

1st English edition released on 28 Aug 2018

German original edition released on 07 Jun 2018

Published by DV Concept

Editors: Felix Linden, Jörg Madinger

Design and layout: Jörg Madinger, Elke Lackner

Pictures: Gisbert Schlemmer

Proofreading and English translation: Nina-Maria Nahlenz

ISBN: 978-3-95641-218-9

This publication is listed in the catalogue of the German National Library. Please refer to http://dnb.de for bibliographic data.

The work and its components are protected by copyright. No reprinting, photomechanical reproduction, storing or processing in electronic systems without the publisher's written permission.

1. Training units

1.1 Game concept – Crossing of the center back and the pivot – Part 1

Description:

Following warm-up with two ball familiarization exercises, this training unit introduces crossing of the center back and the pivot as the basic action already during the goalkeeper warm-up shooting and a subsequent series of shots. Afterwards, the players practice how to make decisions when the ball is passed to the back position players. This is followed by a further small group exercise and eventually the final team exercise during which the players should directly implement a first variant when playing the initial pass.

Difficulty:

The training unit consists of the following key exercises:

- Warm-up/Stretching (individual exercise: 10 minutes/total time: 10 minutes)

- Ball familiarization (10/20)

- Ball familiarization (10/30)

- Goalkeeper warm-up shooting (10/40)

- Offense/Series of shots (15/55)

- Offense/Small groups (10/65)

- Offense/Small groups (15/80)

- Offense/Team (10/90)

Training unit total time: 90 Min.

Key:

Cone

Attacking player

Defense player

Ball box

Foam noodles (foam beams)

Upper part of a large vaulting box

Equipment required:

- 2 foam noodles (foam beams)

- 1 upper part of a large vaulting box

- 2 cones

- 2 ball boxes with sufficient number of handballs

No.: 1-1 Warm-up/Stretching (10/10)

Course:

- The players each have a ball and run along the lines on the court floor (A).

- While doing this, they perform different running moves as instructed by the coach:

→ Dribbling the ball with the right/left hand.

→ Dribbling the ball with the right/left hand alternately.

→ Sidestepping while dribbling the ball.

→ Hopping and handing over the ball from the right to the left hand (and back) above the head.

→ Running backward and moving the ball around the hips in circles (see figure).

- The coach whistles after a while and defines a target which the players must touch (e.g. goal post, center line (B), a corner of the playing field, a green line, something red (not worn by the player himself) etc.).

- The players sprint and try to fulfill the task as fast as possible.

- The last player must fulfill an extra task (10 quick jumping jacks, 10 push-ups etc.).

- Afterwards, the players perform stretching/mobilization exercises together.

No.: 1-2 Ball familiarization (10/20)

Setting:

- The players stand in a circle,

has a ball and stands in the center of the circle.

Course:

-

plays double passes with the players (A, B, C, and D).

- Before a player may receive a ball (A), he must clap his hands one time, then catch the ball, and pass it back again (B).

- If a player misses to clap, or if a player fails to catch the ball, he must sprint to the center line (E)

and back (F).

-

may also feint a pass (G) and pass to another player instead (H).

- If a player claps even though he does not get the ball, he must also sprint to the center line (J).

Variant:

- Instead of

, one of the players undertakes the task in the center.

- For large groups, divide the players into two smaller groups.

(or the player in the center) should try to fool the players standing in the circle as often as possible.

No.: 1-3 Ball familiarization (10/30)

Setting:

- Define the running path with cones.

Course:

-

bounces the ball against the gym wall (A) and afterwards runs around the remote cone (B).

-

catches (D) the ball bouncing back from the wall (C), immediately throws it against the wall as well (E), and also runs around the cone.

-

catches the ball bouncing back from the wall (F), and so on.

Position the cone in such a way that the players can start the next round shortly after they ran around the cone and do not have to wait before catching the ball. For larger groups, divide the players into several groups.

The players should bounce the ball against the wall in different variants:

- Bounce it against the wall directly and catch it directly.

- Bounce it against the wall indirectly (bounce pass) and catch it indirectly (after it bounced on the floor one time).

- Bounce it against the wall indirectly and catch it directly.

No.: 1-4 Goalkeeper warm-up shooting (10/40)

Setting:

- Define the starting position of the pivot as well as the shooting corridor with two foam noodles (foam beams).

Course:

-

plays the initial pass to

(A), makes a slight piston movement to the right, and receives a return pass (B).

-

clearly moves to the left (C) (he may bounce the ball one time with the hand that is not in direction of the defense).

-

starts from the pivot position, crosses behind

(D), and receives a pass.

-

moves far to the right and passes the ball into the parallel running path of

(E), who runs along the beam on the right side and eventually shoots at the right side of the goal as instructed (hands, top, bottom) (F).

- The goalkeeper starts from the center of the goal and tries to save the shot (G).

-

starts the next course with

as the pivot and

as the shooting player.

- After the shot,

turns around and alternately touches the goalposts and the cross bar three times with the right hand with his back turned to the goal. Afterwards, he runs to the left side, touches the left goalpost (H), turns around, immediately sprints to

, and touches the ball presented (J). Subsequently,

moves back to the center of the goal in order to save the next shot.

-

lines up for the pivot position after the crossing (K),

moves to the right back position, and the shooting players line up for the center back position, each holding a ball.

The intermediate task for

should be fulfilled in such a way that there is no waiting time between the shots, neither for the goalkeeper nor for the shooting players.

The players should repeat the course on the other side as well and shoot from the left back position.

No.: 1-5 Offense/Series of shots (15/55)

Setting:

- Define the starting position of the pivot as well as the shooting corridor for the pivot with two foam noodles (foam beams).

- Position the upper part of a large vaulting box as shown in the figure for the shot from the right back position.

Course:

-

plays the initial pass to

(A), makes a slight piston movement to the right, and receives a return pass (B).

-

clearly moves to the left (C) (he may bounce the ball one time with the hand that is not in direction of the defense).

-

starts as the pivot, crosses behind

(D), and receives a pass.

-

moves far to the right and passes the ball into the parallel running path of

(E), who steps onto the upper part of the vaulting box and makes a jump shot at the goal (see figure 2) (F).

- After the pass,

immediately moves to the pivot position (G) and places a screen next to the foam beam.

-

makes a piston movement towards the goal immediately after the shot of

(H), and plays a pass around the upper part of the vaulting box into the space at the 6-meter zone (J).

-

catches the ball (K) and shoots from the pivot position (L).

-

immediately starts the subsequent course with

as the pivot and

as the shooting player, who moves backward immediately after he played the pass (M).

-

lines up for the pivot position (N),

moves to the right back position, and the shooting players on the right back position line up for the center back position, each holding a ball.

The shooting back position players must time their running movement in such a way that they make their last step allowed onto the upper part of the vaulting box and do a jump shot without reducing their speed.

The players should repeat the course on the other side as well and shoot from the left back position.

No.: 1-6 Offense/Small groups (10/65)

Setting:

- Define the playing field for the 3-on-2 game with foam beams.

Course:

-

plays the initial pass to

(A), makes a slight piston movement to the right, and receives a return pass (B).

-

clearly moves to the left (C) (he may bounce the ball one time with the hand that is not in direction of the defense).

-

starts as the pivot, crosses behind

(D), and receives a pass.

- If there is a large gap next to

,

may approach the goal directly (E).

- Usually,

passes the ball into the parallel piston move of

(F).

-

approaches the defense at full speed and initially tries to break through (G).

- If

closes the gap (H),

passes the ball to the wing player

(J), and

shoots at the goal (K). Alternatively,

may pass the ball back to the pivot

(not shown in the figure), if

closes the gap.