The Throw Effectiveness in The Last Minutes of Handball Close Games and The Factors That Influence It

This paper examines the throw effectiveness in the last 10 minutes of close games (50-60th), during the season 2018-2019 of the Greek Men’s Handball Championship “Handball Premier”. The research observed all the matches from the 2018-2019 Greek Men’s Handball championship. 61% of the total attacks ended with a throw with 56% of them ending as a goal, while the rest 39% of the total attacks ended with a turnover or a 2- minute Suspension/Penalty. During the last ten minutes (50-60th), there was both an increase in the shots that came from the 6m area (22% to 26%) and the percentage of suspensions and penalties, while the percentage of the fast breaks declined by 4% (17% to 13%). In conclusion, whereas the total effectiveness of throws increased in the last 10 minutes (50-60th), the number of the fast breaks and the defensive effectiveness decreased resulting in more suspensions for the defensive team.