Sources of perception in handball

Introduction and aim: Handball is influenced by interactions among players. In this context, decision making results from interactions of cognitive processes such as perception. This study proposed a descriptive analysis from a cross-sectional design and identified the perspective of coaches and players in relation to the sources of perception for decision-making and how these sources are emphasized in training sessions. Method: Data were collected through questionnaires for coaches (n=7) and players (n=19). Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used. Results and discussion: Regarding the offensive positions, differences in the coaches’ opinions were identified about the most relevant types of perception for center/right/left back (visual), wings (visual/proprioceptive) and pivots (visual/tactile/proprioceptive). Regarding the opinion of players, differences were also identified for the center/right/left back (visual/auditory), wings (auditory/proprioceptive) and pivots (visual/tactile/proprioceptive). Coaches opted for teaching strategies based on game context (specific situations and modified games) to work on types of perception. Conclusion: Coaches expose athletes to different stimuli and situations and the position occupied by players influences their perception and decision-making.