Development tendency of European male handball in the Olympic cycle of 2008-2016 and result growth perspectives of the russian team

The article presents analysis results of one of the development tendencies of modern men's handball - increasing in the best international teams and club teams of tall outfield players (body length of more than 187 cm), entailing enhancing the effectiveness of attack actions. Determination of the effectiveness of attack actions among 50 most successful players of different roles during five European championships, held in the period from 2008 to 2016, revealed the following: when the share of tall outfield players in the national team was 50 % of the total, attack effectiveness has reached 38-40 %, when the number of tall outfield players didn't exceed 25 %, attack effectiveness didn't exceed 30 %. The tendency of including of tall outfield players is shown in the best club teams of the European countries -leaders of the world handball. Their share of outfield players is from 40-42 % (Hungary and France teams) till 60-70 % (teams of Poland and Germany) averaging 53 % in the group, that is, more than half. Among top six men's club teams of Russian Handball Championship in 2016, this indicator is 19,7 %, which is 2,7 times less than in the best European clubs. The observed lag is one of the reasons of featureless game of the Russians at international tournaments. Targeted training of tall outfield players in the Russian handball clubs will help to increase their attacking potential and competitiveness in the international arena.