1 NEED AND PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE SIZE OF HANDBALL´S BALL IN WOMEN SUPPORTED BY A SCIENTIFIC STUDY: “THE BALL COVERAGE INDEX” Juan F. Oliver Coronado (1) and Patricia I. Sosa González (1) (1) Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Seville, Seville (Spain). Member of the Union University Handball T eachers SUMMARY The present study collected and analyzed data from 1612 handball players (779 women and 833 men) from 13-14 up to more than 18 years old. We collected data of 3 linear measurements of players’ s dominant hand, and using a new formula we obtained the "ball coverage index" which indicates the % of ball that a hand is able to cover. Finally, we propose, in a scientific way, the measure of ball that should have each age category in order to be proportional between men and women Key Words: team handball, women handball, size of ball, hand’s measurement, ball coverage index 1. INTRODUCTION The intention of this study is to analyze and determine if the game official balls according to the article 3: the ball, of the Rules of the game (International Handball Federation, 2011), are proportionate, among men and women, depending on the measure of their hands, and more specifically, whether our findings on what we have called "ball coverage index, Porras, Oliver and Sosa" 1 of the dominant hand, is proportional between women and men in the same age category. Different authors (Antón, 1990; Bárcenas, 1976; Bárcenas & Román, 1991; Enríquez & Falkowski, 1982; Oliver & Sosa, 1996; Torres, 1991) indicate the importance of adapting the ball properly to perform subsequent actions such as pass or shoot, with guarantees of success. Llorente and Díez (1996) remark that is very important to adapt correctly the ball in the introduction of handball at school. From the earliest references (Bayer, 1978, 1983; Czerwinski, 1977, 1984; Firan & Massano, 1973; Ghermanescu, 1979; Goluch, 1982; Marz, 1967; Müller & Baier, 1975; Singer, 1978; Taborsky, 1993; Vick, 1979) have been highlighted the importance of adapting the ball with safety. Furthermore, numerous studies exist, cited by Molina (2010), where are measured different segments of the body, including hands, with the aim of players detection (Antón, 1990; Ávila, 1997; Cercel, 1980, 1990; Czerwinski, Rouba, & Aguilá, 1993; Laguna y Torrescusa, 2000; Román, 1994; Trosse, 1984, 1993). But despite the importance of this topic, were found only studies of the authors (Oliver, 2000; Oliver & Sosa, 2011a, 2011b) that deal the relation between the measures of handball players' hands with the measures of the balls of different age categories, men and women. 2. OBJECTIVES The main objective of this study is to find the coverage index of the dominant hand of handball players, men and women, and to analyze the relationship or proportion of that coverage index among sports categories: infantile, cadet, junior and senior, according to sex. So, we can understand and analyze whether the official size of handball balls by age category, male and 1 Ball coverage index, of Porras, Oliver and Sosa, is a new term, coined by the authors, in recognition of those who devised the procedure for calculating this index.