prof. Tone Gorsic
A NEW MODEL OF HANDBALL OFFENSE TECHNIQUE - DVD
will be available soon also with English narration. Here is text from DVD:
A new model of handball offense technique
Text in bold – description of demonstration and consecutive numbers of images;
text in italics – subtitles on the screen; speaker's / narrator's text.
INTRODUCTION
In handball, little attention is paid to technique. However, this is one aspect of the game with a lot of idle potential. Every activity of a player affects the result of the game. It matters how the players receive the ball, move with the ball, how they pass and how they shoot. Technique affects the quickness, power, accuracy, and combines harmoniously its various elements or aspects; furthermore, it also affects tactics, creating shot opportunities, and the success of the offense.
- Figure 4d is the background for the narrator's text
Based on years of experience and analysis on how to play in such way that every attacker will pose a threat in each moment, and that the defense players are constantly surprised, we have set up a model that will enable an even faster, more dangerous, and more creative game.
Coaches and players must become very familiar with the model. We are convinced that this video, although produced with meager funds, will be helpful. The young players – demonstrators, and clips from the matches of handball clubs from Celje provided valuable support. We feel sure they will not resent if clips featuring their moves will be shown as examples of errors or ineffective conduct; nobody is perfect and we all learn from our mistakes.
HOW WE PLAY –we have selected three examples of attacks (offense possessions), which demonstrate the typical weaknesses in the offense.
1-CPL vs. Koper junior team
Following are some errors or examples of ineffective conduct that can be seen regardless of the team's age category:
1- unnecessary bouncing of the ball,
2- skipping or hopping instead of running,
3- redundant and time-consuming swings when passing the ball,
4- rotation into lateral position,
5- short, inaccurate passes only to the adjacent player,
6- allowing the attack to be interrupted by the defense's fouls,
2- Mesnine vs. Krim,
Even topflight teams commit errors; in addition to too long and ineffective, or harmless attack build-up, they may also:
- swing unnecessarily when passing the ball,
- skip and hop instead of moving with long running steps,
- bounce the ball unnecessarily.
3.-Gudme vs. CPL-
Another ineffective and harmless attack build-up:
- the players are too far away from the defensive line which does not react
- the attack is being built up without making a move towards the goal
- skipping and hopping instead of running towards the goal
- lateral body position, with one hip and shoulder towards the goal, instead of frontal position, with chest against the goal.
HOW WE SHOULD PLAY IN THE OFFENSE
Four rules of the new model of offense technique
As early in the attack build-up stage, four rules of the new offense technique model should be observed:
- playing with the ball above the head, in offensive body stance;
- facing the goal frontally,
- moving with running steps, in sprint, up to the defense player
- accurate passing in the shoulder level.
4.- 6:6, 6+0 - Defense is on the 6-meter line; rush in medium sprint, from wing to wing;
As early in build-up stage, the offense should start exerting pressure on the defense by running steps, between two defense players, with the ball above the head, without bounding, facing the goal frontally, with accurate passes.
Some of the best players use the new model technique:
5.
1- ball above the head – Stefan Lövgren (left-back)
2- facing the goal as he organizes the play – David Spiler; this position also enables dribbling or running past the defenders both to the left or right,
3- long running steps to create an opportunity – Luka Dobelsek
4- accurate passes to any player are particularly characteristic of Lövgren
Attack with an extra player shows the weaknesses of the current technique and the knowledge of the new model!
6. Attack 6 on 5, Mesnine
Attack with an extra player (power play) can show very clearly the weaknesses of the current mode of offense. Even in a standard attack, every player should be a threat.
7. Attack 6 on 5, CPL: Kiel
Attack 6 on 5, without rushing and with a lot of bouncing / dribbling is seldom completed successfully.
8. Attack 6 on 5, pivot between 2-3; left wingman – plays wide to the left, center-back shoots or passes to the pivot (try line player), to the left wing, or to the right wing
Attack 6 on 5 is played most easily by extending the wing into the corner.
Each attacker should rush between two defenders in sprint, with the ball above the head, and either shoot from the line or pass to an open teammate.
8a- large court – Attack 6 on 5 from another perspective – center-back passing to the wing.
Active offense build-up is followed by a common combination or improvisation for a shot. Each player should attempt / fake a shot and then pass to the teammate in the best position.
9- Four attacks by the green:
The demo team has five attacks. They should attack while running, with the ball above the head. We can see that they play spontaneously without dribbling the ball. There are, however mistakes as well:
1- passes by shoving,
2- the wing passing with a circular swing,
3- rushing in the direction of the pass instead of goal,
4- the shooter rushes too early when swapping positions with a teammate in a cross-motion,
5- left-back omits the rush /.
1. The first rule of the model: play in offensive stance – with the ball held above the head, with the arm (bent in the elbow)
10- Attack by three backs – According to the new model, the ball should be received and passed at the chest level, and held somewhat above the head, or even higher. There are no more low passes and playing under the belt level...
11. 4 steps out to guard the center-back (playmaker), who passes to the right-back, who in turn shoves the ball to the pivot –
Only in situations that enable an immediate pass, the ball is not raised but rather shoved on.
12.Lövgren – pass from the center-back to the right wing and a shot fro the offensive stance;
if the ball is held in offensive stance, the attack is the most dangerous – the ball can be passed to any player, even one standing far away; or a sudden shot can be taken.
13. Furlan: Kiel – bouncing the ball + shoving + inaccurate
The playmaker should above all be constantly ready for a shot or a pass to any of the five teammates, not only to the adjacent player. Bouncing the ball and inaccurate passes from below the wrist will only impede the attack.
In order to play according to the new model, the ball should immediately be caught "upwards", i.e. into the offensive stance!
14. CPL vs. Gudme,
Most players receive the ball, press it to the chest, drop it, and only then raise it into a swing. Too much time is wasted on a shot or a pass, and the ball is not constantly in play. Down, down...
15. Terzic – slowly,
passes with a circular swing are particularly slow and time-consuming,
16- Skutnik circular swing – only slowly,
in case of a circular swing, the ball is kept out of play unnecessarily; furthermore, the defender has more time to commit a foul.
17. Passes 3 on 3, left wing – left-back – center-back, at 10 meters, passing above the head, facing the goal, with skipping steps,
To play successfully according to the new mode, the ball must be caught and immediately transferred upwards, by the shortest route possible, into the offensive stance, by smooth uninterrupted motion (a single move). Thus, the ball will be kept in play the entire three seconds.
Defenders that practice rushing on to the attackers by running steps will force the attackers to catch the ball "upwards".
18.Lövgren: Catching the ball and raising it upwards immediately can also be seen form a master like Lövgren, which is followed by a quick shove-pass to Kavticnik,
19. Lövgren – as a result of playing in the offensive stance, our model will foster shots with a raised arm (arm above the head). The shot is more powerful when the whiplash effect is employed, by raising the elbow.
20. Players line up on the left-back position; after a pass from the center-back, they take a jump-shot after three steps over the defender.
A jump-shot with a raised arm should be practiced separately The player should try to receive the ball while on the right foot, transfer the ball above the head, and shoot with a whiplash effect after three steps.
Play without dribbling, with three long steps and the ball constantly in the offense stance!
21. Attack on 5+1, a drive of the left-back (right-back) with three steps and a jump-pass to the right- (left-) back who shoots;
If the ball is caught "Upwards", it is kept in play for the entire three seconds! And the three long steps will suffice for an attack on a 5+1 zone without having to dribble. A jump-pass will further extend the drive.
22.Lövgren, Lövgren efficiently disrupts the defensive formation with long jump-passes; in this case, he attracted four defenders and passed to the right-back.
23. Fast break - 3L receives the ball "upwards" and passes diagonally,
In fast break, the attacker should also raise the ball above the head immediately; three steps will give the player ample time to select the teammate on the diagonal side to pass the ball to.
There are numerous reasons to play in the offensive stance
An attacker that holds the ball above the head is more difficult to guard for the defender
24. 26 Stojanovic-
If the ball is held low, it forces the player to bounce it.
25 .- 27 Terzic at DZ – bounces the ball and allows himself to be fouled;
The defender easily stops him.
26. Drive of the right-back, after a pass by the right wing, with the ball held high, past 5, passing to center-back;
It is easier to avoid the foul when the ball is carried over the defender, without bouncing.
27. 6 on 5, Drive of the left-back between 1-2, slowly,
If the ball is held in the offensive stance, the attacker is more dangerous as he can approach the defender and stand within close range.
Passing fro offensive stance will lead to less interceptions and easy goals from fast breaks.
28. Terzic,
When the ball is passed from under the wrist, it is easier for the defender to anticipate and intercept it.
29. 37 Spiler interception-
30. Trivunđa interception-
If the ball was carried in the offensive stance, the pass would be more difficult to anticipate, it would not be "announced"; furthermore, the pass could have been redirected, e.g. to the wing.
Advantages of the offensive stance will be seized if the ball is held with forearm raised and palm open, all the time.
31.Center-back, in the offensive stance, loses the forward defender and passes to the right wing;
The arm should never be dropped in the offensive stance. If the ball is raised above the head, it can be passed to any distance, e.g. to the wing, and the foul is more easily avoided.
Shots with arm raised high are more accurate
32. Players line up and shoot from sprint, into the goal post
When doing this shooting technique exercise, the players should swing high above the head even before rushing, in order to enable a correct sequence shoulder-elbow-wrist to hit the goal post.
Execution in the fast break is better of the ball is held above the head for as long as possible before the shot.
33.Open close-range shot from a fast break, players lined up at the center line
Immediately after the last bounce of the ball, it is raised above the head. It will be more difficult for the goalkeeper to anticipate the direction of the shot. A last moment swing is often a cause of a missed open close-range shot.
34. 4 on 4 CPL 96 – Even beginners will find it easier to play with the ball above the head. Initially, they should raise it with both hands; the ball will be thrown more correctly is the arm is raised high. The coach should encourage them by shouting "up!"
2. Moving by running steps, in sprint, up to the defender, instead of skipping or hopping, makes the offense more efficient
35.Mesnine,
Even top-class players often move by skipping, hopping, and short rushes which forces them into redundant bouncing of the ball.
36. CPL 93, 6 on 6 vs. 6+0;
Running motion is more simple and faster than hopping and skipping. As early as in the attack build-up, the attackers should attempt to disrupt the defense formation by three running steps, plus the fourth – a leap.
37. 28 Gorenje- Attackers who execute their moves by three long and fast steps are more difficult to stop or guard, their shot is more powerful.
38.Gorenje- Hopping or skipping, bouncing the ball, and shot passes will interrupt the attack.
39. Dobelsek – it is easier to beat the defender when running, especially if the defender stands parallel.
40. Skutnik - a move by a leap on the left foot (left-left) is slower and the change of direction is less convincing,
41. Son – too bad we only see a rush with running steps when a player decides to penetrate or shoot.
42.Diko – a jump-shot from sprint, all offensive activities should involve running, not just the shots.
Run towards the goal, in sprint, up to the defender; do not interrupt a threatening attack – that is the basic task of every attacker!
43. Kozlina,
Everyone should (with the ball in swing), ready for a shot, rush towards the goal and shoot or pass to an open teammate, not only the adjacent player. "Rush, no rush..."
If the ball is received on the right foot, it is easier to play with three steps, without bouncing the ball.
44. Players are at 10 meters from the goal, throwing the ball into the air, catching it on the right foot, taking three steps and faking a jump-shot!
After receiving the ball on the right foot, the player will stand on the take-off foot (left) twice: left – right – left. This should suffice for a game without bouncing the ball.
45. Pia- a rush and a pass – a rush for a shot from the ground or a pass involves three long running steps; when passing, there is only rotation in the hips.
The attackers should receive the ball in sprint; however, they often start too early ; the attacker looking to receive the ball should start running when eye-contact is established with the player in possession of the ball.
46. CPL - starting too early when rushing towards the goal is one of the most common problems of attackers.
47. CPL – The attacker looking to receive the ball starts running while the player in possession of the ball (the passer) is still rushing; the time required for the ball to travel from one player to the other is disregarded, and the attacker has to stop in front of the defender after receiving the ball.
48. Gorenje
49. The coach holds the center-back's hips -
Timing for a full-speed start should be practiced separately. The player should only start the run when the teammate (the passer) establishes eye contact, not earlier!
3. The attackers should face the goal, frontally, as often as possible
50.Spiler – if the attacker is facing the goal with feet and chest, he can control the motion and position of all other players – this applies particularly to the center-back.
51.Spiler- this position also enables penetration in both directions.
52.CPL:Gudme- hops and skips during a sideway (hip-first) rush of the left-back or right-back are considerably slower and shorter then running steps; furthermore, the player is loosing view over a part of the court.
53. 3 on 3 passes – slowly -
To play by facing the goal, the ball should be received and passed only by rotation in the hips; the feet should constantly face the goal.
54. Klancar - wrong:
The center-back rotates the feet and the torso in the direction of the pass, thus loosing view over the teammates.
55. Klancar rushes to the left, then passes to the pivot –
Even in drives and rushes, the player should remain in a frontal position in order to maintain the view of the court and be able to pass in the opposite direction, if required.
4. The ball should be passed from one player to the next in the level of the shoulders – it matters how and where we pass.
56. The attackers should receive the ball in the shoulder level, then transfer it above the head and pass it again at the same height. This way, the ball will have a straight and shortest possible path!
57. Terzic- circular swing,
Shots and passes by a circular swing are time-consuming and inaccurate.
58.- Skutnik-
If the ball travels on a circular path, it is not released on time and the pass is either too high or too low.
59. Spiler- zeit lupe (slow-motion)
Long passes are executed with the sequence: shoulder-elbow-wrist, rather than by bending the elbow and rotating the wrist downwards. In the latter case, the pass is often too low and difficult to catch.
The ball will be thrown correctly if it is caught, held, and carried correct ball-throwing technique depends on catching, holding, and carrying the ball.
60.CPL 96, Shows the ball, indicates letter "A" when the arms are pressed towards the chest
IN order to throw the ball correctly, it should first be caught correctly – i.e. sideways, with the thumbs forming a letter A. This way, the ball will remain in an open palm, immediately after the swing backwards.
61.Koper Left-back passes to the left-wing and center-back
If the ball is caught too far ahead, it is then normally thrown with a closed palm, closing it on release; as a result, the pass is too low.
First, short passes should be practiced – for easier catching only be opening the palms
62. Coach and Pia, short passes forward and to the side:
For short passes, it suffices to open the palm and extend the arm towards the teammate. The elbow should be bent to form an angle of 90° or more, but not less! When passing to the left, the lass should start from above the head as well.
On each rush or drive in the offense, the player should be ready to shoot; this way, the attackers will be a real threat.
63. Pia- sharp pass after a three-step drive,
When driving towards the goal / defender, the ball should not be carried in front of the body, as seen with our player. Catching the ball should be linked with the offensive stance in order to keep the ball in play for three seconds and to make the shot or pass faster.
When passing, the fingers should stroke the ball gently by sliding under it. Thus, the ball will be given a back spin which will make it easier to catch.
64.Lövgren- if the ball has a back spin, even long passes can be sharp / straight.
65. CPL 96-
Beginners have considerable problems with giving the ball the backspin / stroking it on release. If the palm is open, i.e. turned upwards, fingers will slide under the ball more easily; in this case, the ball will be given the backspin and when thrown vertically, it will fall back above their heads; otherwise it will be thrown forward. The ball will be easier for the teammate to catch if it has some backspin.
When faking a pass, a short move of the shoulder will suffice
66. Pia swings forth and back, and passes – with fake passes and shots, a long fake swing takes too much time, and the ball is out of play for a while.
68. Pia passes ad shoots after a fake with the shoulder only;
It suffices to fake the shot with a short move of the shoulder, which is how the shot or a pass actually begins.
It matters how and where we pass to the teammate!
69. Lövgren- Kavticnik,
The player should be constantly aware of where and how to pass to the teammate. The pas should find the teammate at the shoulder level. When the teammate receiving the ball intends to drive towards the goal, the pass should be directed ahead of the player (in the direction of the drive); for a shot, a pass slightly behind the player is best; a pass slightly more to the back would have been better.
70.Terzic- Spiler – Do not pass to a player that is closely guarded and not open for a pass,
Exercise
Attacks with an extra attacker 3 on 2, 5 on 4, and 6 on 5, are the basic exercise for the offense technique model.
71. CPL 96, attack 5 on 4; in a 5 on 4 attack, shot should be taken after a maximum of four passes. Particular attention should be paid to three elements: timely start of the drive towards the goal – "when eye-contact is established with the player in possession of the ball"; catching the ball "upwards" – three running steps, driving between two defenders. Each player should attempt to shoot from the line. The defenders must play with maximum commitment.
72. CPL 93- Attack 6 on 5 is a test of the technique skills. If the attack is performed correctly, shot must be taken after four passes.
Throughout the game, the coach should insist on playing with running motion, raising the ball above the head immediately after catching it, and accurate and correct passes. As a result, dribbling will be omitted spontaneously.
73. Full-court game CPL 90-2005 – If the players hop and skip, and the ball is caught to the chest, the ball should be taken away from them. Encourage them by shouting "Up!"the player dropped the ball...
Conclusion
Doers it matter how we attack?
By hopping and skipping, or running? With the ball in front of the torso or above the head? Turned laterally / sideways or frontally, facing the goal? By passing into the feet or at the shoulder level?
74.Attack- The merits of "the new model" are constantly proven in the game, in all age groups! The game is faster, more dangerous, more creative, with fewer errors. The key is to raise the ball above the head immediately after catching it – only then will the full potential of the model be put to use. There has not been a player that would play entirely by the new model; the coaches should set the three role-models as examples to raise players that master all four key elements of the model. Even seasoned players can learn how to play in full sprint, with the ball above the head; all it takes is persistence and commitment.
Whoever starts to employ the model first, will have an advantage!
We sincerely thank everyone who took part and helped in the production of this video.
We most of all, love handball!
