Handball Performance Index: Data-based, transparent, fair!

Making the performance of handball players comparable - data-based and transparent. The Handball Performance Index (HPI) has been making this possible since the 2020/21 season. But how does the index created by DAIKIN HBL and Deutsche Kreditbank AG work and what exactly is it used for?

‘It's always a lot of fun to meet this group,’ enthuses Uwe Gensheimer about his work on the HPI Task Force. The enthusiasm of the long-time captain of the German national handball team is hardly surprising when you look at the composition of the expert commission: After all, with a large number of (ex-)professional handball players, the national coach and several Bundesliga coaches, top journalists and leading scientists, the task force put together by the HBL and DKB is not only prominently staffed, all members are also united by their love of handball.

‘All of our task force members contribute their expertise with great enthusiasm,’ says HBL Managing Director Frank Bohmann, describing the intrinsic motivation of the experts. ‘This shows how close-knit the handball family is and how important this HPI is.’

Since the HPI was launched in 2020, the task force has met at regular intervals to continuously develop the index and determine the performance of handball players even more precisely with the help of new technical possibilities. The diverse composition of the task force, with a wide variety of perspectives on the sport, leads to lively discussions.

The focus is always on the common goal of making the HPI even better. And this is having an effect, as Frank Bohmann explains: ‘The HPI is a real model for success and a central component of our digitalisation strategy - and it only works thanks to our dedicated experts and strong partners such as DKB.’

Former world-class left wing Dominik Klein is also heavily involved in the development of the Handball Performance Index: ‘The quality and expertise of the task force participants is exceptionally high, and the discussion and exchange is at a correspondingly high level. It is interesting to see how different the assessment of match effectiveness and efficiency actually is and which factors can and should play a role.’

Frank Bohmann, Managing Director of Handball-Bundesliga GmbH: ‘Our fan experience world touches and is an important part of everyday fan life. This is where we tell stories, visualise emotions and are in constant dialogue with our fans. Together with DKB, we present the outstanding performances of our players to our fans in a data-based, transparent, tangible and, above all, comparable way. I am sure that this innovative service will be utilised by players, clubs and especially our fans. For us, it is another logical step into the digital age, which we are taking together with our partner Deutsche Kreditbank.’

The following people are or have been part of the HPI Task Force:

Frank Bohmann (CEO of the Handball-Bundesliga GmbH)
Alfred Gislason (DHB-National coach)
Dr. Patrick Luig (DHB-National science coach)
Jutta Ehrmann-Wolf (DHB-Refereeing)
Dominik Klein (former HBL-Player)
Martin Strobel (former HBL-Player)
Carsten Lichtlein (Goalkeeper Coach MT Melsungen, HBL-Record player)
Uwe Gensheimer (former HBL-Player)
Lukas Stutzke (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf)
Dr. Rolf Brack (fromer HBL-Player & Sports scientist)
André Haber (Coach, HC Elbflorenz Dresden)
Klaus Gärtner (fromer Coach, Rhein-Neckar Löwen)
Markus Pütz (Coach, Bergischer HC)
Prof. Friedemann Schwenkreis (Professor of Business Informatics, Cooperative State University Baden-Württemberg)
Oliver Brosig (graduate statistician, PlayerScore)
Sven Beckedahl (Sport Bild)
Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld (Dyn Expert)
Claudio Riemschneider (Participation through fan survey)
Sandra Farmand (Deutsche Kreditbank AG)
Frank Leibmann (Handball-Bundesliga GmbH)
Daniel Koenen (Handball-Bundesliga GmbH)
Jan Pfisterer (former Kinexon GmbH)
Marc Hohenberg (Schwarz Gruppe)
Pascal Hens (former HBL-Player)
Benita Oberhofer (Kinexon GmbH)