Handball player in East Hesse: New season, new balls - a challenge!

Handball player in East Hesse: New season, new balls - a challenge!

The new handball season brings with it a significant change of control for the athletes in East Hesse: from the 2024/2025 season, players have to get used to smaller and lighter balls. This measure was decided by the IHF World Handball Association two years ago and now also has an impact on the local clubs.

A fundamental change in handball

The decision to introduce smaller balls takes place in the context of a differentiation between the use of adhesive or resin. If the players play with resin, they can use the previous ball sizes. The new, lighter balls are used in games without a resin. This regulation is intended to make the ball guide easier and promote the technical skills of the players. In particular, technical movements such as the rotary should be easier to use.

Reactions from the region

The handball players in East Hesse, especially the team of coach Adrian Schild, are faced with the challenge of adapting to these new circumstances. The goalkeeper of the HSG Grossenlüder/Hainzell, Alexander Stradtmann, comments: "It is a challenge that we have to face." The first training sessions with the new balls have already taken place, with players having different experiences. While field players may see an advantage, goalkeepers report difficulties because the balls come faster and are more difficult to catch.

challenges and concerns

There are also mixed feelings in the Hünfelder SV with regard to the new regulation. Konstantin Neuhann, handball department head and former goalkeeper, notices the differences that the new balls cause in training. He shows understanding of the need to adapt, but also notes that the changeover is considered unnecessarily complicated without a transition period. Neuhann is considering that the number of gates in the games could increase, but also sees the challenge of getting used to the new game conditions.

Criticism of the manufacturer's dominance

Another point of the discussion concerns the manufacturers of hand bales. Neuhann criticizes the market conditions in which the manufacturer Molten has almost a monopoly on the new balls. "The limited selection also has an impact on the procurement costs. For the top models, you have to invest over 100 euros," he explains. This could be an additional hurdle for the clubs, especially with regard to the financial framework.

The future of handball in East Hesse

The upcoming changes not only require adjustments in training, but also an open discussion within the handball community in East Hesse. The change of rule contains both opportunities and challenges, and it remains to be seen how it will affect the games and performance of the teams in the long term. Handball is faced with an exciting but also challenging time.