Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyse the variables that influence attacking play in high performance handball from an ecological standpoint to evaluate the various offensive tactical systems in positional attack and counterattack taking into account the scoreboard, the type of defence, numerical symmetry, the end zone and the type of completion. Using observational methodology and a system of ad hoc observation (SOCTO) entered in Lince software, a sample of 19 games from the men’s final stages of the 2011 World Championships, 2012 European Championships and 2012 Olympic Games were recorded. The descriptive analysis and contingency analysis using was was supplemented with an analysis of T-patterns. Our findings confirm the nonlinear self-organisation of dynamic attacking play in men’s high performance handball founded on the use of basic tactical means against open defence systems and complex tactical means against closed defence systems, the latter being the most used in numerical equality in the first sequence of positional attack from the middle zone between 6 and 9 metres and ending in a free throw to the attacking team.