Analysis of tactical-technical sports training tasks based on two macrocycles: a successful case of a professional Brazilian women's handball team

Introduction: The analysis of training tasks is an important tool for improving the teaching-learning-training process and tactical-technical performance in team sports, including handball. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze tactical–technical sport training tasks across two macrocycles, following a successful case from a professional Brazilian women’s handball team. Methodology: One coach and 18 athletes from a professional handball squad participated in the sample. Ninety training sessions were recorded and coded using the Sistema Integral para el Análisis de las Tareas de Entrenamiento. A total of 490 tasks were analyzed. The first macrocycle covered the preparation for the Super Globe, whereas the second encompassed the preparation for the Brazilian National Handball League. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (relative percentage frequency) and inferential statistics (chi-square test, contingency coefficient, and adjusted residuals) in SPSS software. Discussion: The results showed that, within the training sessions, more time was allocated to tasks involving Collective Tactical–Technical Offensive Behaviors, Group Tactical–Technical Offensive Behaviors, and Group Tactical–Technical Offensive Gestures, developing Complex Application Exercises in situations with opposition, numerical equality tasks, and categories 5 (5v5 or more) and 2 (2v1, 1v1, 2v0, 3v0, 4v0, 5v0, 6v0). Conclusions: The tasks also presented significant associations between pedagogical variables (type of content and level of opposition) and external load variables (degree of opposition and cognitive involvement), in relation to the training mesocycles throughout the competitive season. Overall, the findings indicated that the training process followed a pattern that prioritized tactical components, followed by technical skills.