Geelong research cracks the code for perfect AFL handball

NEW research by Deakin University has pinpointed the essentials for executing a flawless handball in AFL, offering ground-breaking insights for the 2024 season.

Dr Lyndell Bruce of Deakin’s Centre for Sport Research, part of the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), highlighted three crucial factors that predict a successful handball outcome with 87.7 per cent accuracy.

The success factors are the type of pressure the handballer and the receiver face, along with the handballer’s posture.

Handballs account for 40-50 per cent of all disposals in a match, meaning that if applied correctly, the outcome of a match could be altered.

“We found the lowest level of handball effectiveness is when the type of pressure on the handballer is physical, but when the pressure is open, such as when the player in possession of the ball is not being pressured or pursued by a defender, this is when handball effectiveness is highest,” Dr Bruce said.

“In some situations, there are not enough defenders available to apply physical pressure to the handballer and all the potential receivers of the handball.

“On these occasions, our results indicate the next-best strategy is to maintain physical pressure on the handball receiver but use open or implied pressure on the handballer.”

The research also noted the duration of possession, the handballing hand, and the direction of the handball do not markedly impact the outcome.

Analysis of 1342 handballs from the 2019 AFL season has provided a comprehensive insight into professional handball execution.

Dr Bruce, also the associate head of school, noted this understanding allowed for targeted training to improve both offensive and defensive handball strategies.

“Historically, less research has been conducted on the most effective way to handball. Much more research has instead been focused on kicking performance,” Dr Bruce said.

Supported by Deakin’s Centre for Sport Research within IPAN, the findings were published in the Journal of Sport Sciences.