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 HBL and Deutsche Kreditbank AG work and what exactly is it used for?
General information
Calculation
Task-Force
The Handball Performance Index, which was introduced for all players in the HBL in the 2020/21 season, serves as a transparent and comparable performance assessment of all players. Based on various statistics, a specific index can be assigned to each professional handball player.
 

HPI points as a basis for calculation

 
A basic distinction is made between HPI points and the HPI. The HPI points form the basis for calculating the HPI. The neutral starting value before the start of the game is 100 HPI points for all players. Based on this, positive actions on the pitch (e.g. goals, assists, saves) lead to plus points, negative actions (e.g. technical errors, missed throws) to minus points. The number of points per action is based on the save and shot probabilities since 2020/2021.

The following game actions are included in the calculation:

The tables provide an overview of the different game actions and which HPI points they mean. The points ultimately form the basis for calculating the HPI.

The calculation of the HPI

 
Until the 2021/22 season, the HPI was calculated only from the sum of a player’s positive and negative actions. The HPI was therefore “open-ended” in both directions and represented a total of accumulated points. Since the start of the 2021–22 season, this score has been mapped to a new scale using a linear projection.
As a result of the linear projection, HPI values have generally fallen within a scale of 50–100 since then. Until the 2023–24 season, the framework for this calculation was always based on the all-time minimum and maximum values achieved by a player since the introduction of the HPI. Each position (wing, backcourt, goalkeeper, and pivot) has its own minimum and maximum values.
Starting with the 2024/25 season, these individual minimum and maximum values were replaced. Going forward, the average of the weakest and best 1% of all HPI scores achieved served as the basis for the calculation.
For the 2026/27 season, this logic was adjusted once again—minimally but noticeably—by shifting from the average to the median. This made the index less sensitive to extreme outliers, whether high or low, thereby improving comparability across the different positions.
 
Current formula for calculating the HPI:
(Total points - Median of the lowest 1%) × 50 / (Median of the highest 1% - Median of the lowest 1%) + 50 = HPI