Male team handball players covered a total distance of 3,627 ± 568 m (group means ± SD) per match with a total effective playing time of 53.9 ± 5.9 minutes, while full-time (60 minutes playing time) male handball players covered 3,945 ± 538 m. The mean speed was 6.40 ± 1.01 km ⋅ h -1 (Michalsik et al., 2013;.Mean heart rate and relative workload during male match play were 163 ± 5 beats ⋅ min -1 and 70.9 ± 6.0% of VO 2max , respectively. Post-match blood lactate concentration was 4.8 ± 1.9 mmol ⋅ L −1 (range: 2.8-10.8 mmol ⋅ L -1 ) (Michalsik et al., 2015b). Players showed 36.9 ± 13.1 (group mean ± SD) high-intense technical playing actions per match with a mean total effective playing time of 53.9 ± 5.9 minutes. In attack, each player performed 6.0 ± 5.2 fast breaks, received 34.5 ± 21.3 tackles in total, and in defense performed 3.7 ± 3.5 blockings, 3.9 ± 3.0 claspings, and 5.8 ± 3.6 hard tackles (Michalsik et al., 2015a).Background: Effective training depends on knowledge of a sport's requirements. Small-sided games (SSG) are a spontaneous form of specific training, where exercise intensity can be manipulated mainly by modifying external factors. In SSG the players develop technical and tactical skills in the similar situations, such as during a match and can also develop their physical skills. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the distance covered and physiological response of altering the number of youth male players during small-sided team handball games with modified rules. Methods: The subjects consisted of 12 male youth team handball players (age 16.6 ± 0.5 years) playing the first league for youth male players in the Czech Republic. The study was conducted during six weeks (one training session per week). Only three SSG were played in each training session. The SSG were played, first with five players on each side (5 vs. 5), then four (4 vs. 4), then three (3 vs. 3). Each game was four minutes long, followed by three minutes of passive rest. Results: The players covered the greatest distance (520.6 ± 61.4 m) in the SSG 3 vs. 3. There was a difference in the distance covered between players in the 3 vs. 3 SSG and the other SSG (4 vs. 4 and 5 vs. 5) (p = .041 and p = .043, respectively). In individual speed zones a difference occurred only in the first and third speed zone and always among the 3 vs. 3 and 5 vs. 5 SSG (p = .034 and p = .044), respectively. The highest average intensity (87.9 ± 4.8% HR max ) was in 3 vs. 3 SSG. Loading of the players in 5 vs. 5 was lower compared to 4 vs. 4 (p = .035) and 3 vs. 3 (p < .001). There was a difference in zone load intensity (> 90% HR max ) between 3 vs. 3 and 5 vs. 5 SSG (p = .041). Conclusions: These results indicate that changing the number of players during SSG with modified rules in youth team handball may be used to manipulate the physiological response during youth team handball training.

The glenohumeral joint is a ball-and-socket joint with three degrees of freedom; these features give the joint an unstable axis of rotation because the joint has a small cross-sectional area (Andrade, Fleury, de Lira, Dubas, & da Silva, 2010). Coordinated action from the shoulder muscle complex is vital to efficient performance and reducing the risk of injury (Andrade et al., 2010; Yildiz et al., 2006). Previous studies divided handball throwing into three motions: cocking, acceleration, and followthrough (Wagner, Buchecker, von Duvillard, & Müller, 2010; Wagner, Pfusterschmied, von Duvillard, & Müller, 2011). Concerning the cocking phase, the shoulder internal rotators (IR) benefit from a stretch-shortening cycle in an eccentric motion followed by concentric muscle contraction, which directly affects the throwing velocity in the acceleration phase. In the follow-through phase, the role of external rotators becomes more crucial; these muscles must provide the shoulder joint with sufficient protection to prevent injury. Many studies have employed various methods for quantifying upper limb muscle quality to investigate

Introduction. The present study deals with the effect of the duration of small-sided games (SSGs) with a floater player on the external (covered distance) and internal (heart rate) load of the elite female players. Material and methods. The research group consisted of nine professional elite female team handball field players (age 22.8 ± 4.5 years) playing in the first international league for female players in the Czech Republic. Their height was 170.4 ± 6.4 cm, weight 67.7 ± 9.2 kg, and maximal heart rate 200.2 ± 3.3 beats∙min-1. The duration of the SSGs was 4 (SSG4) minutes, 5 (SSG5) minutes, and 6 (SSG6) minutes. Results. The highest heart rate value of 177.2 ± 9.9 beats / minute resp. 88.5 ± 4.4% HRmax was measured in SSG5. The lowest mean heart rate values were measured at SSG6 of 172.01 ± 15.7 beats / min resp. 85.9 ± 6.8% HRmax. Most time 38 resp. 34% of the drill time, players were in the 85-90% HRmax load intensity zone of SSG4 and SSG5. There was a statistically significant difference in load intensity zones of 80-85% HRmax and ≥ 95% HRmax between SSG5 and SSG6 and p = .008 (η2 p = 0.22) and .013 (η2 p = 0.26), respectively. In the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) evaluation, there was a statistically significant difference in SSG6 and SSG4 p = .003 (η2 p = 0.27) and between SSG6 and SSG5 p = .004 (η2 p = 0.25). The total longest distance in SSG6 was 786.8 ± 41.9 m, but in the one-minute drill the longest average distance in SSG4 was 136.2 ± 21.1 metres per minute. Conclusions . SSGs with a floater are a suitable means for training technical and tactical activities in handball with an overlap into fitness training in women’s handball. According to our results, the intensity of the load will not decrease if we increase the game time to six minutes and also the covered distance will not decrease during the game.