Key data to be delivered by KINEXON for third EHF EURO in a row

The statistics provided by the cooperation between the EHF and KINEXON and sport and technology will elevate the handball experience for all stakeholders – from fans and teams to coaches and media representatives at the forthcoming EHF EURO 2024.

At the core of this is the integrated use of live data. This is the third edition of the Women’s EHF EURO at which KINEXON is collecting live statistics throughout the tournament. That means that we can look at the key data points from the previous two editions of the EHF EURO, and identify areas to look out for in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland.

Dazzling speeds on the court

The KINEXON technology tracks key data points such as the number of passes made by each player throughout the match, ball possession time for each player, the distance run during a match, the number of sprints recorded and the maximum speed reached by a player.

In 2020, only two players reached over 30 km/h: left wings Veronika Mala of Czechia (31.18 km/h) and Spain’s Jennifer Gútierrez (30.38 km/h). Another three were clocked at over 28 km/h, with Norway’s Sanna Solberg-Isaksen and Camilla Herrem and Romania’s Nicoleta Dinca also reaching top speeds.

Two years later, Polish left wing Mariola Wiertelak was the fastest at 31.57 km/h – the same speed achieved by France’s Dylan Nahi at the Men’s EHF EURO 2024. At the EHF EURO 2022, Wiertelak was the only player who topped 30 km/h; Spain’s Maitane Martinez was second at 29.02 km/h.

Mala will feature for Czechia in 2024, but Wiertelak is not nominated this time around. Can the Czech wing regain her sprinting crown?

Østergaard, over 69 sprints per match

As the game of handball has become faster, so has the importance of fast breaks increased, especially for powerhouses such as Denmark, France and Norway. They start with the defence, which forces turnovers, which, in turn, are feeding the fast breaks for the team which caused them.

Wing players dominate the lists of most sprints, and Danish right wing Trine Østergaard topped the rankings at both the EHF EURO 2020 and 2022. In 2020, Østergaard had 548 sprints, or an average of 69 per match, while in 2022, the same player led the rankings with 569 sprints, an uptick of two sprints per match.

In 2020, Østergaard was followed by teammate Lærke Nolsøe with 458 sprints, and Norway’s Camilla Herrem with 434 sprints. In 2022, Norway’s Sunniva Næs Andersen, with 507 sprints, was second, and Sweden’s Elin Hansson, with 491 sprints, ranked third. In both editions, the podium was filled with Scandinavian players.

A lot of time on the court

But who were the players who ran the most on the court during the previous two editions of the EHF EURO? Unsurprisingly the top-ranked players are those who played the most matches, and in both years, the top five includes four players who played eight games plus one who played seven.

Østergaard again tops the ranking, running 33.05km in 2020 and 35.26km in 2022. She played eight matches both years, clocking up 48 minutes and 52 seconds on average per match in 2020 and 52 minutes and 57 seconds in 2022.

In 2020, Østergaard was followed by Norwegian line player Kari Brattset Dale (29.35km) and Dutch line player Danick Snelder, who ran 28.61km in seven matches.

Two years later, the podium was completed by Montenegro’s right wing Jovanka Radicevic, who ran 34.04km, and her teammate, left back Durdina Jaukovic, who ran 33.19km. The only player in the top five who played only seven matches was Radicevic, rested in one match in the preliminary round.

Østergaard will once again play a key role at the EHF EURO, so keep an eye out for her sprints as Denmark take on Switzerland, Croatia and the Faroe Islands in Basel.

Backs pass the most

Having the largest number of passes does not necessarily mean that a player has a significant influence on the match. Rather, it signifies that the pace of the team is slower in attack, taking more time before they try to score. In 2020, the player with the largest number of passes was French centre back, Grace Zaadi Deuna, with 1,310 passes, 106 more than Croatian left back Larissa Kalaus.

The podium was completed by Russian centre back Daria Dmitrieva, who made 1,198 passes, seven more than fourth-ranked Lois Abbingh of the Netherlands. But while Zaadi Deuna made 164 passes per match and Dmitrieva made 170 passes per match, the player with the highest average number of passes per match was Romanian centre back Cristina Laslo with 197.

In 2022, left back Jaukovic made the largest number of passes, 1,373, 46 more than teammate Itana Grbic and 60 more than Norway’s Stine Oftedal. But the largest number of passes per match was made by German centre back Alina Grijseels with a whopping 205.

Possession or passes?

Is there a direct correlation between the number of passes and the time spent with the ball in possession? The answer is, mostly, yes, with Zaadi Deuna in 2020 and Jaukovic in 2022 leading the charts, just like in the passing rankings.

In 2020, Zaadi Deuna spent 44 minutes and 48 seconds with the ball in possession. Her maximum possession time was 8:17. Second in the standings was Oftedal, who passed less, but tried to create shots or clear chances for teammates. Oftedal was in possession of the ball for 43:53, but her maximum possession time was longer than Zaadi Deuna at 8:26.

In 2022, the longest possession times rose. Jaukovic spent 51:41 in possession, almost four minutes more than teammate Itana Grbic, at 47:44. Her maximum possession time in a single match was 10:15, and Grbic spent a maximum of 10:08 in possession.

Once again, Oftedal was on the podium, possessing the ball for a total time of 46:36 with a maximum time of 9 minutes. Zaadi Deuna was fourth, holding the ball for 43:26 in total, also with a maximum possession of 9 minutes.

While Oftedal is now retired, the rest of the leading passers and ball possessors are expected to take the court at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024, meaning we will be able to see whether they maintain their grip on the ball this time around.

More data will be available over the next weeks during the EHF EURO 2024, which will, once again, prove how valuable numbers are in analysing a team in modern handball.

Photos © Kolektiff Images, Miguel Pereira