Speed-accuracy trade-off in 7-meter throw in handball with real constraints: Goalkeeper and the level of expertise

Speed and accuracy are two of the determining factors in sports that involve launching a mobile object towards a target. This paper analyzes how speed and accuracy in a 7-meter throw in handball are affected, taking into account the player's experience, the opposition of a goalkeeper and with maximum accuracy being an aim. 24 players, divided according to their experience, participated in the study (N=14, cadet; N=10 juniors). The accuracy of 24 throws was recorded by filming them in 2D and subsequent digitization. The ball speed was recorded by mobile radar. The cadet players achieve more accuracy in the absence of a goalkeeper (p=.005) and the throws are faster when a goalkeeper is present (p=.001). In relation to the juniors, there are no differences between the two conditions. Between-groups, juniors achieve faster throws than cadets when no goalkeeper is present (p=.001). The level of competitiveness determines both accuracy and throwing speed, with and without opposition. The presence of a goalkeeper has a positive effect on throwing speed among cadet players.