What is it about?

It examines whether disciplined behaviour during World Handball Championships relates to competitive performance and analyses how men’s and women’s teams differ in their fair-play patterns across multiple tournaments (2007–2023). The study uses official match statistics to compare sanctions such as suspensions and cards, showing that men accumulate more penalties and that higher-ranked teams generally display more controlled behaviour.

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Why is it important?

Because it shows how ethical and disciplined behaviour contributes to performance in elite sport, and reveals clear gender-based patterns that coaches and federations should consider when designing training, education, and fair-play initiatives. Understanding these differences helps improve competitive behaviour, emotional regulation, and the overall quality of the sport. Because it shows how ethical and disciplined behaviour contributes to performance in elite sport, and reveals clear gender-based patterns that coaches and federations should consider when designing training, education, and fair-play initiatives. Understanding these differences helps improve competitive behaviour, emotional regulation, and the overall quality of the sport.

Perspectives

Future research should explore why these gender differences emerge by incorporating contextual factors such as match situations, tactical decisions, and refereeing tendencies. Combining quantitative data with interviews or observational analyses could clarify how emotional regulation, team culture, and coaching strategies influence fair-play behaviour. This broader approach may help design more effective interventions to promote ethical conduct and optimise performance in both men’s and women’s handball.

Manuel Gómez-López
University of Murcia

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Gender differences in fair play behaviours in elite handball, Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, November 2025, Asociacion Espanola de Analisis del Rendimiento Deportivo,
DOI: 10.55860/89hsqe34.
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