Empty goal: It’s influence on the 2019 world men’s handball championship

Abstract

This research aims to determine the influence that the new regulation has on the development of the game. This rule allows the replacement of the goalkeeper by a field player (playing empty goal). Using an ad hoc observation instrument, all the attacks made in the matches corresponding to the final phase of the World Men’s Handball Championship held in 2019 were registered. After a descriptive analysis, the polar coordinates technique was applied to specify the behaviour patterns emerging in a situation of 6 vs. 6, depending on whether or not the resource of the empty goal is used. The results indicate that the new regulation is used primarily in numerical inferiority, causing different behaviours in the phases of attack and defensive balance. Finally, it should be noted that knowing the new trends of the game can help optimise learning programmes and sports performance.