Handball Practice 15 - Training of decision-making processes for back position players

In modern team handball, the back position players are under high pressure regarding decision-making processes. In fixed positional play, their decisions are often crucial with regard to success or failure of an attack. In order to make the right decision within a fraction of a second, the players must repeatedly do exercises that provide them with several options so that they can practice taking quick decisions. Which shooting variant is ideal? Should I play a 1-on-1 attack and shoot at the goal myself or should I pass the ball to get one of my teammates in a good shooting position? Should I initiate a crossing or do a parallel piston movement once my teammate leaps into action – which option would be most successful? How quick and how often players make the right decision often makes the difference and is a decisive factor regarding success or failure of an attack and the final score.

The six training units in this book provide multiple situations for back position players in which they have to take a decision. The first training unit deals with choosing a shooting variant and the right timing of a shot. In the subsequent training units, the players practice identifying the defense players’ movements and choosing the corresponding option depending on these movements. The players who are not in ball possession should also learn how to read the game, identify gaps, and make use of them in an ideal way. This will gradually result in a more diverse offensive play.

This book contains the following training units:
Training of stem shot variants for back position players – decision-making
This training unit focuses on improving stem shots. Following warm-up, the players repeat different stem shot variants during the ball familiarization phase. After a shooting competition and the goalkeeper warm-up shooting, the players practice these shooting variants by playing against an inactive defense player before they practice making stem shot decisions by playing against a more active defense player. In a series of shots and another individual offense exercise, the players subsequently practice the different stem shot variants in various situations similar to the real game. Finally, they implement the shooting variants in a 3-on-3 game.

Training of the decision-making behavior for back position players
This training unit focuses on improving the decision-making behavior of the back position players. Following warm-up and a short game, the players repeatedly practice shooting feints to their throwing hand and to their non-throwing hand side, which will be combined with a reaction exercise later on during the goalkeeper warm-up shooting phase. In the subsequent individual offense exercise, the players practice their decision-making behavior depending on the respective defense player’s position. In two small group exercises, passing decisions will be added, implemented and subsequently combined with the movements the players practiced before.

Training of decision-making processes for back position players
This training unit focuses on the decision-making processes of the back position players. Following warm-up and a team ball variant with several tasks to be fulfilled, the players practice different situations similar to the real game in small group exercises in which the players should choose passing the ball to one of their teammates or break through, depending on the defense players’ movements. A closing game with an outnumbered defense completes this training unit.

Dynamic piston movement with decision-making – breaking through, crossing, or passing
This training unit focuses on improving the decision-making processes during dynamic piston and crossing movements. Which is the right time to start? Which direction should I run to? In which situations should I shoot? Following the warm-up phase and a short game, the players start practicing the running movements during the ball familiarization and the goalkeeper warm-up shooting phases. With a series of shots, the players are requested to quickly make a decision right before the shot. The subsequent three offense exercises deal with 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 actions during which the players should practice breaking through dynamically, with and without a crossing.


Training of the decision-making process after shifting and crossing for back position players
This training unit focuses on the decision-making processes of the back position players. Following warm-up with a short game and the goalkeeper warm-up shooting, there will be an individual exercise in which the players practice identifying gaps opening up in the defense line and breaking through. During two more exercises with short crossing movements, the players practice to opt for a breakthrough or a pass. In a closing game, the players subsequently implement what they practiced before.

Practicing and implementing crossing movements with continued playing options
This training unit focuses on improving the crossing movements. Following warm-up and a short game, the players already start practicing the crossing movements during the ball familiarization and the goalkeeper warm-up shooting phases. In the subsequent small group exercises, the players practice crossing movements of the back position and the wing players and crossing movements of the back position players in a 2-on-1 and 2-on-2 game. The players finally implement what they practiced before in a 4-on-4 game.