Handball Player Roles and Tactical Formations

Offensive Player Roles

Ends (Wingers)

Ends are glued to the band and occupy space closest to the 6m line. They tend to be nimble and quick.

Pivots

Your work is one of the toughest. You are in constant infighting in the center of defense to blast holes through which you can throw to your teammates or where a pass can be made.

Lateral and Central Players

These players have practically the same mission: ferrying the ball from side to side to find a hole through which a shot or pass can be executed.

Defensive Player Roles

Defensive Ends (Wingers)

Your main mission is to hinder the game of the opposing ends and try to cut off their circulation and passes.

Defensive Central Sides and Centers

They are the tallest players on the team, tasked with protecting the goalkeeper from opposing shooters.

Advanced Defenders

In 5-1 or 3-2-1 defense systems, this defender anticipates an offensive play to neutralize an especially dangerous attacker or to hinder the opponent's ball circulation.

Goalkeeper

The goalkeeper is the last defender and the first attacker. Must be located approximately half a yard from the goal with his legs and arms flexed slightly.

Tactical Offensive and Defensive Systems

Defensive Systems

• 6-0 Defensive System: It is the most basic and easy defensive system.
• Defensive System 5-1: Used when the team has one player noted for his shot.

Offensive Systems

• Offensive System 3-3: Fairly used against 6-0 defenses.
• Offensive System 2-4: In this system, one side player accompanies a pivot when trying to create spaces in the rival defensive line.

Offensive Movements

Progressions Successive

Movements that advocate setting up yourself and, if possible, your marked teammate to find a space.

Come and Go (Give and Go)

They are like the walls in soccer.

Crosses

Occur when an attacker occupies the space that his teammate has created by moving behind him.

Blockade

Action where an attacker interrupts the movement of an opposing teammate so that he gets a free space where to shoot or pass.

Defensive Movements

Scales (Shifts)

Journeys to synchronize the entire defense (right and left) to prevent open spaces where the ball is.

Change Opponent (Switching)

This is another defensive solution, involving blocking an intersection of the attackers.

Landslides (Sliding)

The action performed by crossing defensive intersections before the attackers, resulting in each defender marking the opponent who remained in that area.

Counterblockade

To counter an attackers' blockade, the defense executes a blockade checking the attacker who made the initial blockade, and his partner follows the change of opponent, allowing the attacker to move off with his marking assignment.