Brattset Dale’s game: “It's also about trusting what you know and reacting”

The MVP of the 2021 World Championship, All-star Team line player at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and best defender of the EHF Champions League Women 2021/22 — Kari Brattset Dale’s list of individual awards reflect the true all-rounder she is on court. Brattset Dale has won every trophy there is to win in handball, contributing as a core member of the Györi Audi ETO KC squad since 2018 and of the Norway national team. Right now, she holds three titles to her name — EHF Champions League, Olympic and EHF EURO champion. 

Brattset Dale has never played a position other than line player. She recalls being placed on the line mainly because she was new in the team she joined and was too tall to be a wing. “She won't make so much damage there,” laughs Brattset Dale, explaining the thinking that led her to the position she has mastered. 

The idea of Brattset Dale’s causing no damage on the line falls under quite a different light now — her opponents might say precisely the opposite. 

“I like when it's a lot of things happening, and I can screen and I can maybe turn and run to another space,” says Brattset Dale. “In both Norway and Györ, I think they're really good at taking advantage of what we can do, both for scoring ourselves and also for us to help the team. I like when I can trick the defender to go one way, then go the other direction and get the ball, or trick them and go on the other side and screen for someone else to go through. These sorts of things are probably my favourite.”

Without giving too much away, how does a line player go about tricking defenders in a small space, without the ball, while everyone is mainly looking at the flow of offence building in the other positions?  

“It's body movements. It can also be just sort of showing that you're preparing for one screen but then you're preparing to run the other way instead — trying to make them move a little so you can move the opposite,” says Brattset Dale. “So, mostly body movements, but it can also be just standing in one position just so they think you will do something, but then you do something else.”  

As the line player, Brattset Dale takes her direction in attack primarily from the centre back. But what she will do in a given attack naturally begins in the preparation stages for a match, where the opponents are analysed and specific tactics agreed upon. Then somewhere between the team tactics and the call from the playmaker, Brattset Dale must also consider what works for each of the backs on court and how she can best help create an advantage for her side. 

“I will look at the playmaker. They will probably show something — what they want to do for the team. And then I know, of course, my purpose in every play we have with the team. Maybe I also can look at the back players — we can give each other some signs if we want to do something more like two-by-two. And then, of course, when they start attack, we see how the defenders react. Sometimes we have certain known things we will do if they lift with number three. If they lift the number two, then we act differently,” says Brattset Dale. 

“This we just know from before — that we adapt to what they are doing. If we can manage to do what we want to, it's cool, and if it will not work, we also want to live in the moment and be spontaneous and take the initiative if we are a little stuck, to create something else.” 

When it comes to high-pressure moments, Brattset Dale says it is important to stick with what works. 

“We have as a rule in the team when it's this decisive moment, it’s important not to become too creative — to make sure that we do something everyone knows and to keep with the system, so we don't have any stupid misunderstandings and make a technical fault because of this. So then maybe you don't take that extra chance to go in a space when it's not agreed on — then maybe it's better to stick to the agreed stuff.” 

Shooting from each position on court is different. From the line, a shot is often made on the back of a tussle with the defence with perhaps less time for consideration of where to send the ball, and every line player handles it differently. Some will be almost horizontal on most shots. Others stay upright. Staying tall is one thing Brattset Dale is working on right now. 

“In some situations, you don't have so many choices — you can be left very horizontal. For sure you can see a big difference between pivots. Someone throws themselves down no matter and someone is really good to find balance. I think for the goalkeeper, it's probably harder if you can vary it and do different things — to shoot in different speeds. You can shoot early or late in your jump and surprise them maybe. 

“I also have a thing that I normally fall when I don't have to, so I try to be better at the jumping up and use my time to trick the goalkeeper or to find a good solution.

“I'm working on getting a good height in my shooting position — that I can get my arm up and get a good look on the goalkeeper. Something I'm working on this year is to give myself a little bit more time in front of the goalkeeper. And, together with the team, to find a good balance between the screenings and running in the spaces to create also for other players.” 

At the other end of the court, Brattset Dale plays in the core of the defence as part of the middle block. What goes through her mind as the opponents begin to build their attack? 

“A lot of thoughts, but at the same time, trying to be in the moment. You have a lot of information from what you have prepared to do, so it's also about trusting what you know and reacting on what they are doing. When they are putting up their play, you try to recognise what they might want to do. We try to stop them from doing their favourite things, and make them finish in a not so good situation for them — not where they want to but in a worse situation. 

“In the play in general, I try to look who has the ball — are they secure or not? Have they bounced or not? Can I put pressure on the path or should rather stay flat? Should I block or should I go out and touch? All these things — kind of analysing very fast and trying to act in the moment.” 

Having made her national team debut in 2016 and played her first international club competition in the same season, 2015/16, Brattset Dale has witnessed the evolution of top-level attack over the last eight years from a prime position. 

“We are adjusting all the time and attack is evolving all the time, but also the defence has to evolve with it. We can feel like the trends also in the attack system. I think some years ago it was a lot of this isolating number three, then it was a lot of pressure on the one-by-one and my position. You can see now that it's adapting a little more. The pivot is coming more back — not just isolating but it's more movements also to make the defenders flat and not prepared. You can feel that it's developing all the time, and the defence has to adjust them and keep up.” 

Considering her nationality, Brattset Dale had plenty of role models to look up to close to home — and those are precisely who she names as being the biggest inspiration. 

“I was watching the Norwegian pivots for sure. Watching Marit Malm Frafjord and Heidi Løke, how they were playing. Also on the men's side, I was watching Bjarte Myrhol for the Norwegian national team. I tried to take inspiration from them.”

Løke is one of the most decorated players in handball, so it is little surprise that she was a role model for Brattset Dale. However, the two are different kinds of line players, which brings to light how inspiration from another involves taking certain parts and not necessarily others. 

“I didn't try to play like her, but I tried to take what she's really good at and also to put this into my game. She's really good to go in spaces and she has an amazing ability to catch the ball in a different position. This is something I really admired from her, and I also tried to put in my game. Even though I'm more screening and doing different stuff, I also try to move in the spaces sometimes — not only being static and staying, so I try to take something from her.” 

Photos © Kovács Anikó/Győri Audi ETO KC; kolektiff images