Campeonato Parejas (Binakako Txapelketa) 1a and Promotion (November 22, 2019--April 5, 2020)
This is the premier professional Mano pairs Championship competition. There are 8 teams. It starts with a double round robin league. The format then changes from previous years. The top two teams go to a Semi-final League. There is a playoff" #3 v #6 and #4 v #5 to determine the other two teams in the Semi-final League (6 post league teams rather than 4). The SF League is a single round robin. The top two SF League finishers play in a Final on April 5, 2020. There is no 3rd place match this year.
ASPE player roster
Baikopilota player roster
This is the premier professional Mano pairs Championship competition. There are 8 teams. It starts with a double round robin league. The format then changes from previous years. The top two teams go to a Semi-final League. There is a playoff" #3 v #6 and #4 v #5 to determine the other two teams in the Semi-final League (6 post league teams rather than 4). The SF League is a single round robin. The top two SF League finishers play in a Final on April 5, 2020. There is no 3rd place match this year.
ASPE player roster
Baikopilota player roster
The teams (4 from each company A=ASPE; B=Baikopilota
A
Ezkudia-Martija
Altuna III-L. Galarza
Irribarria-Rezusta
Jaka-Zabaleta
B
Oliazola II-Urrutikoetxea
Bengoetxea VI-Marriezkurena
Artola-Imaz
Laso-Albisu
This year sees 3 interesting and perhaps controversial changes, 1 involving format, and 2 involving players.
MY ARTICLE: EXPANDING THE PLAYOFFS AND THE CURIOUS DECISION BY ASPE TO DROP LAST YEAR'S CHAMPION DELANTERO (FRONT), DANEL ELEZKANO, FROM THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION.
Complete Calendar (with complete results back to 2001 (baikopilota.eus)
Selected finalists going back to 1941 (Wikipedia)
Selected finalists going back to 1941 (Wikipedia)
Competition preview (baikopilota.eus)
Video highlights week by week (EITB)
Note that the results, statistics, match articles (when available), links to full match videos, and selected analysis for the BT/CP Promotion competition can be found below that for the 1a competition.
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Note that the matches are in reverse order as they were originally entered into the current results (right side of the blog) in reverse chronological order in order to have the most current results at the top. If you wish to follow this championship in chronological order, please read them from the bottom up.
The letters next to the players' names denote the company they play for (see above).
Source for all linescores and scoring, unless otherwise specifically stated, is the EITB telecast.
Time per point (see below) is calculated from the total time of the match. I can find no source that consistently keeps track of actual playing time for this competition.
I am experimenting with counting "saves," a variable that perhaps gives a bit of insight into the defensive side of BP sports. I define a save as an excellent play that keeps the point alive. It is, obviously, a subjective judgment, and yours may be different from mine. Saves include going on the apron (running or diving), going into the left wall, backs running far into the front court, fronts covering the back, direct off the front wall returns of very high shots, and backs going behind the 10 line, among others. As a subjective experiment in judgment, I hope to get those with much more knowledge than I interested in keeping the statistic. A save is like art. It may be difficult to define, but one "knows it when one sees it." I will also provide the number of saves as a percentage of the total balls in play.
For each week's results the weekly table, information about each match, and "leader boards" will be provided, in that order.
Note that the results, statistics, match articles (when available), links to full match videos, and selected analysis for the BT/CP Promotion competition can be found below that for the 1a competition.
-----------------------------------------
Note that the matches are in reverse order as they were originally entered into the current results (right side of the blog) in reverse chronological order in order to have the most current results at the top. If you wish to follow this championship in chronological order, please read them from the bottom up.
The letters next to the players' names denote the company they play for (see above).
Source for all linescores and scoring, unless otherwise specifically stated, is the EITB telecast.
Time per point (see below) is calculated from the total time of the match. I can find no source that consistently keeps track of actual playing time for this competition.
I am experimenting with counting "saves," a variable that perhaps gives a bit of insight into the defensive side of BP sports. I define a save as an excellent play that keeps the point alive. It is, obviously, a subjective judgment, and yours may be different from mine. Saves include going on the apron (running or diving), going into the left wall, backs running far into the front court, fronts covering the back, direct off the front wall returns of very high shots, and backs going behind the 10 line, among others. As a subjective experiment in judgment, I hope to get those with much more knowledge than I interested in keeping the statistic. A save is like art. It may be difficult to define, but one "knows it when one sees it." I will also provide the number of saves as a percentage of the total balls in play.
For each week's results the weekly table, information about each match, and "leader boards" will be provided, in that order.
================================================
Week 1; Week 2; Week 3; Week 4; Week 5; Week 6; Week 7;
Week 8; Week 9; Week 10; Week 11; Week 12; Week 13; Week 14
Post-Season
================================================
Week 1; Week 2; Week 3; Week 4; Week 5; Week 6; Week 7;
Week 8; Week 9; Week 10; Week 11; Week 12; Week 13; Week 14
Post-Season
1A Semi-Final League W 1 and Promotion W 3
1A Semi-Final League W 3
Promotion FINAL
Promotion FINAL
1A FINAL
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League Table at the end of Week 1 (Match record, Net Points + or -; Consecutive Wins/Losses (under construction), Change in Table (green +; red -)
Jaka-Zabaleta (A) (1-0; +17)
Ezkurdia-Martija (A) (1-0; +5)
Artola-Imaz (B) (1-0; +4)
Oliazola II-Urrutikoetxea (B) (1-0; +1)
Bengotxea VI-Marriezkurena (B) (0-1; -1)
Laso-Albisu (B) (0-1; -4)
Altuna III-L. Galarza (A) (0-1; -5)
Irribarria-Rezusta (A) (0-1; -17)
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========================
Week 1 Statistical Summary
4 matches for all except saves, which are for 3 matches (the ones televised by EITB).
Total cumulative match score +70 (.470) -79(.530)
Total cumulative balls in play: 2645 (Avg.=661)
Non-error %: (BIP - errors)/BIP: .970
Saves: 122 (Avg. 41)
Save % (Saves/BIP for 3 matches [1901]): .064
Total cumulative time of matches: 295:12 (4 hours, 55 minutes 12 seconds)
Average time: 75 minutes
Average balls per point: 17.75
Average time per point: 1:59
========================
Week 1
November 25
Artola-Imaz (B) 22 Laso-Albisu (B) 18 (no full match video is available).
Highlights (EITB)
Condensed linescore (Deia), winners always listed 1st)
1-0; 1-1; 2-1; 2-2; 3-2; 3-3; 5-3; 5-5; 6-5; 6-9; 7-9; 7-10; 8-10; 8-11; 9-11; 9-13; 13-13, 13-15; 15-15; 15-18; 22-18
Scoring
Artola +7 -4; Imaz +1 -1
Laso +12(including 1 service ace) -7; Albisu +1 -7
Cumulative match scoring for 4 matches:
+70 (.470) -79 (.530)
Total match scoring for this match: +21 (.525) -19 (.475)
Balls in play: 743
Non error %: .974
Time of the match: 81:24
Average balls per point: 18.58
Average time per point: 2:02
Match article: (Deia) (article is no longer available)
Match article: (Mundo Deportivo)
Match article: (Pilotaren Txokoa)
It is unfortunate that there is no full match video for this match, as it must have been great to watch. No more than 4 points separated the teams to 15-18 for the losers. But then, suddenly, the winners ran off the last 7 points. Laso's net score was higher than Artola's but 14 L-A errors were too much to overcome.
It is unfortunate that there is no full match video for this match, as it must have been great to watch. No more than 4 points separated the teams to 15-18 for the losers. But then, suddenly, the winners ran off the last 7 points. Laso's net score was higher than Artola's but 14 L-A errors were too much to overcome.
November 24
Irribarria-Rezusta (A) 5 (EITB--match begins at 1:05:13)
Highlights (EITB)
Condensed linescore (EITB) (winners always listed 1st)
2-0; 2-1; 3-1; 3-2; 10-2; 10-3; 16-3; 16-4; 17-4; 17-5; 22-5
Scoring (EITB)
Jaka +9 (8 without the ball hitting the floor) -2; Zabaleta +0 -2
Irribarria +1 -5; Rezusta +0 -8
Cumulative scoring for 3 matches:
+49 (.450) -60 (.550)
Total match scoring for this match: +10 (.370) -17 (.630)
Saves: 6: Jaka 2; Zabaleta 0; Irribarria 2; Rezusta 2 (My judgments. Yours may be different). Saves are a measure of defensive play, as saving a point can help win a point that might have been lost. They denote extraordinary effort to keep the point alive. There are several types of save, but suffice it to say that you'll know one when you see it.
Balls in play: 308: Jaka 79; Zabaleta 83; Irribarria 66; Rezusta 80
Non-error %: .945
Time of the match: 41:11
Average balls per point: 11.41
Average time per point: 1:31
Note: this is using total time of the match as the numerator. No information available at this time for actual playing time.
Only Erik Jaka knows how much pressure he was under in this match. He knew his performance, given the circumstances (i.e. being the player who replaced one of last year's champions), would be viewed "under a microscope." He had no control over his circumstances, only over his play. He was dominant, taking the attack to two of the best players on the circuit, smashing the pelota in the air (8 of his 9 winners, over 10% of the time he touched the pelota). He had the only positive net score in the match, a very persuasive +7. His play was at the center of 7, 6, and 5 point runs that dismantled his opponents. To be sure, I-R had a very poor "day at the office" with +1 -13 between them. But that takes nothing away from Jaka's performance, which was an emphatic statement to the doubters that he can be a dominant force in this competition. It was all over in a little more than 40 minutes.
Only Erik Jaka knows how much pressure he was under in this match. He knew his performance, given the circumstances (i.e. being the player who replaced one of last year's champions), would be viewed "under a microscope." He had no control over his circumstances, only over his play. He was dominant, taking the attack to two of the best players on the circuit, smashing the pelota in the air (8 of his 9 winners, over 10% of the time he touched the pelota). He had the only positive net score in the match, a very persuasive +7. His play was at the center of 7, 6, and 5 point runs that dismantled his opponents. To be sure, I-R had a very poor "day at the office" with +1 -13 between them. But that takes nothing away from Jaka's performance, which was an emphatic statement to the doubters that he can be a dominant force in this competition. It was all over in a little more than 40 minutes.
November 23
Bengoetxea VI-Aretxabaleta (substituting for Mariezkurrena II) (B) 21 (EITB--match begins at: 1:09:47)
Selected linescore (Deia) (winners always listed first)
3-0; 3-1; 4-1; 4-3; 7-3; 7-6; 8-6; 8-7; 10-7; 10-8; 11-8; 11-11; 12-11; 12-13; 13-13; 13-14; 15-14; 15-17; 16-17; 16-18; 18-18; 18-20; 19-20; 19-21; 22-21
Scoring (EITB):
Oliazola II +6(including 1 service ace) -4; Urrutikoetxea +3 -6
Bengoetxea VI +9 -9; Aretxabaleta +2 -4
Cumulative total scoring for 2 matches:
+39 (.476) -43 (.524)
Total scoring for this match: +20 (.465) -23 (.535)
Saves: 64: Oliazola II 33 (including 4 in the back); Urrutikoetxea 9; Bengoetxea VI 11; Artexabaleta 12
Saves: 64: Oliazola II 33 (including 4 in the back); Urrutikoetxea 9; Bengoetxea VI 11; Artexabaleta 12
Balls in play: 937: Oliazola II 186; Urrutikoetxea 222; Bengoetxea VI 211; Aretxabaleta 258
Non-error %: .975
Time of the match: 99:21
Average balls per point: 21.79
Average time per point: 2:19. Note: this is using total time of the match as the numerator. No information available at this time for actual playing time.
Match article (Mundo Deportivo)
Match article (Deia)
This was a match for the ages, one that took an age, and left spectators exhausted. A simple glance at the linescore tells the story. an hour and 40 minute struggle that consumed 937 balls. 3 players hit the pelota over 200 times, the substitute Aretxabaleta almost 260 times. Aretxabaleta had a blood stain on his knee and Bengoetxea had to leave 3 times for treatment on his legs near the end of the match. Aretxabaleta served the last pelota B-A served in the match.
In the end, it was a few simple errors on what should have been "gimmes" by Bengoetxea VI that made the difference. But those things happen to the best of players. That is not the memory this fan took from this match. What I saw was the amazing, sustained effort by 3 veteran players, two of whom are on the other side of 35, to play such a match while the playing of it must have felt like putting their hands into a meat grinder. As a fan who has never played "handball" with anything harder than hard rubber on a 60 foot by 20 foot court, I cannot begin to imagine what participating in this match must have felt like. The toughness and pain threshold that this modality demands is almost unfathomable to me. And this was only Match 1 :)
This was a match for the ages, one that took an age, and left spectators exhausted. A simple glance at the linescore tells the story. an hour and 40 minute struggle that consumed 937 balls. 3 players hit the pelota over 200 times, the substitute Aretxabaleta almost 260 times. Aretxabaleta had a blood stain on his knee and Bengoetxea had to leave 3 times for treatment on his legs near the end of the match. Aretxabaleta served the last pelota B-A served in the match.
In the end, it was a few simple errors on what should have been "gimmes" by Bengoetxea VI that made the difference. But those things happen to the best of players. That is not the memory this fan took from this match. What I saw was the amazing, sustained effort by 3 veteran players, two of whom are on the other side of 35, to play such a match while the playing of it must have felt like putting their hands into a meat grinder. As a fan who has never played "handball" with anything harder than hard rubber on a 60 foot by 20 foot court, I cannot begin to imagine what participating in this match must have felt like. The toughness and pain threshold that this modality demands is almost unfathomable to me. And this was only Match 1 :)
November 22
Altuna III-L. Galarza (A) 17 (EITB--match begins at 1:01:51)
Match highlights (EITB)
Selected linescore (Deia) (winners always listed first)
0-1; 1-4; 4-5; 5-5; 5-6; 6-7; 7-7; 7-8; 8-10; 9-11; 11-11; 13-12; 13-13; 14-14; 20-15; 21-15; 22-17
Scoring (EITB)
Ezkurdia +7 -4; Martija +1 -2
Altuna III +11 -8; L. Galarza +0 -6
Total scoring for the match: +19 (.487) -20 (.513)
Saves: 52: Ezkurdia 21; Martija 14; Altuna III 10; L. Galarza 7
Balls in play: 657: Ezkurdia 169; Martija 162; Altuna 178; L. Galarza 148
Non-error %: .970
Time of the match: 73:16
Average balls per point: 16.85
Average time per point: 1:53 (Note: this is using total time of the match as the numerator. No information available at this time for actual playing time).
Match article: (Deia)
Match article: (Navarra.com)
Ezkurdia was the star of this match. Not so much for his +7 and +3 net as for his (by my count) 21 saves, that, in the end, frustrated one of the best offensive players in the modality, causing him to make errors, which made the difference. Ezkurdia is a big front man, but his anticipation and quickness getting to the apron or left wall to save Altuna III winners won this match. Diving on the floor or crashing into an uncompromising left wall are not easy and not pain free. And they show up on no one's scorecard that I know of. But if you add his plays that made a difference, you get 28 out of the 169 times he hit the pelota, more than 16.5%. And when the going was the toughest, at 14-14, he was right in the middle of a 6-1 run that put the match in the "W" column.
Ezkurdia was the star of this match. Not so much for his +7 and +3 net as for his (by my count) 21 saves, that, in the end, frustrated one of the best offensive players in the modality, causing him to make errors, which made the difference. Ezkurdia is a big front man, but his anticipation and quickness getting to the apron or left wall to save Altuna III winners won this match. Diving on the floor or crashing into an uncompromising left wall are not easy and not pain free. And they show up on no one's scorecard that I know of. But if you add his plays that made a difference, you get 28 out of the 169 times he hit the pelota, more than 16.5%. And when the going was the toughest, at 14-14, he was right in the middle of a 6-1 run that put the match in the "W" column.
Leader board through Round 1 (4 matches)
*=Substitute
Delanteros (fronts)
Jaka (A) +9 -2 (+7)
Laso (B) +12 -7 (+5)
Altuna III (A) +11 -8 (+3)
Artola (B) +7 -4 (+3)
Ezkurdia (A) +7 -4 (+3)
Oliazola II (B) +6 -4 (+2)
Bengoetxea VI (B) +9 -9 (0)
Irribarria (A) +1 -5 (-4)
Zagueros (backs)
Imaz (B) +1 -1 (0)
Martija (A) +1 -2 (-1)
Zabaleta (A) +0 -2 (-2)
Aretxabaleta* (B) +2 -4 (-2)
Urrutikoetxea (B) +3 -6 (-3)
L. Galarza (A) +0 -6 (-6)
Albisu (B) +1 -7 (-6)
Rezusta (A) +0 -8 (-8)
Saves: 3 matches only. Note: I could only count saves for the matches that were televised. Each player's number of saves will be accompanied by the number of matches I have data for.
N.A.=not available
Delanteros (fronts) (number of matches is the number of matches for which data is available
Oliazola II (B) 1--33
Ezkurdia (A) 1--21
Bengoetxea VI (B) 1--11
Altuna III (A) 1--10
Jaka (A) 1---2
Irribarria (A) 1---2
Artola (B) 0--N.A.
Laso (B) 0--N.A.
Zagueros (backs)
Martija (A) 1--14
Aretxabaleta (A) 1--12
Urrutikoetxea (B) 1---9
L. Galarza (A) 1---7
Rezusta (A) 1---2
Zabaleta (A) 1---0
Imaz (B) 0--N.A.
Albisu (B) 0--N.A
Saves: 3 matches only. Note: I could only count saves for the matches that were televised. Each player's number of saves will be accompanied by the number of matches I have data for.
N.A.=not available
Delanteros (fronts) (number of matches is the number of matches for which data is available
Oliazola II (B) 1--33
Ezkurdia (A) 1--21
Bengoetxea VI (B) 1--11
Altuna III (A) 1--10
Jaka (A) 1---2
Irribarria (A) 1---2
Artola (B) 0--N.A.
Laso (B) 0--N.A.
Zagueros (backs)
Martija (A) 1--14
Aretxabaleta (A) 1--12
Urrutikoetxea (B) 1---9
L. Galarza (A) 1---7
Rezusta (A) 1---2
Zabaleta (A) 1---0
Imaz (B) 0--N.A.
Albisu (B) 0--N.A
+++++
Campeonato Parejas Promocion (November 22, 2019--March 28, 2020)
This is the Premier Promotion Professional Mano Championship. There are 8 teams. It begins with a double round robin league. The top 4 teams move on to a single round robin Semi-final League. The top 2 finishers play a Final on March 28, 2020.
Complete Calendar (with complete results back to 2002 (baikopilota.eus)
Competition preview (baikopilota.eus)
The teams (4 from each company: A=ASPE; B=Baikopilota
A
Egiguren V-Erostarbe
Salaberria-Garmendia
Elordi-O. Etxebarria
Zabala-Ruiz
B
Pena II-Aranguren
Alberdi-Salaverri
Agirre-Eskiroz
Arteaga II-Urreta
Week 1 Table
Elordi-O. Etxeberria (A) (1-0 +11)
Agirre-Ezkiroz (B) (1-0; +9)
Egiguren V-Erostarbe (A) (1-0; +8)
Pena II-Arenguren (B) (1-0; +7)
Alberdi-Salaverri ((B) (0-1; -7)
Salaberria-Garmendia (A) (0-1; -8)
Salaberria-Garmendia (A) (0-1; -8)
Arteaga II-Urreta (B) (0-1; -9)
Zabala-Ruiz (A) (0-1; -11)
Week 1
November 24
Dario (substituting for Zabala)-Ruiz (A) 11 (EITB--match begins at 0:00)
Condensed linescore (EITB)
5-0; 5-2; 7-2; 7-3; 10-3; 10-6; 11-6; 11-7; 14-7; 14-8; 15-8; 15-9; 16-9; 16-10; 21-10; 21-11; 22-11
Scoring (EITB)
Elordi +8(including 2 service aces) -3; O. Etxeberria +1 -0
Dario +7 -3; Ruiz +0 -10
(scoring adds to 22-10)
Cumulative scoring (3 matches): +53 (.515) -50 (.485)
Total score for the match:
+16 (.500) -16 (.500)
Saves: Elordi 2; Dario 6; O.Etxeberria 1; Ruiz 1
Balls in play: 344: Elordi 94; O. Etxeberria 84; Dario 69; Ruiz 97
Time of the match: 45:07
Average number of balls per point: 10.42
Average time per point: 1:12
November 23
Arteaga II-Urretabizkaia II (B) 13 (EITB--match begins at 0:00)
Selected linescore (Pilotaren Txokoa) (winners always listed 1st)
6-11; 8-11; 22-13
Selected linescore (Pilotaren Txokoa) (winners always listed 1st)
6-11; 8-11; 22-13
Scoring: (EITB)
Agirre +11(including 3 service aces) -6; Eskiroz +3 -3
Arteaga II +2 -2; Urretabizkaia +2 -6
Cumulative match score (2 matches): +37 (.521) -34 (.479)
Total match score: +18 (.514) -17 (.486)
Balls in play: 527: Agirre 136; Eskiroz 132; Arteaga II 112; Urretabizkaia 147
Non-error %: .968
Time of the match: 61:38
Average balls per point: 15.06
Average time per point: 1:46
+++++
Cantelejo (1)
Pena II-Aranguren (B) 22
Alberdi-Erasun (substituting for Salaverri ) (B) 15
(Pelota Mano Twitter)
I have found no other information about this match.
November 22
Salaberria-Garmendia (A) 14 (EITB--match begins at 0:00)
Selected linescore: (winners always listed 1st).
3-3; 5-5; 7-5; 9-8; 12-10; 14-11; 16-12; 17-13; 20-13; 20-14; 22-14
Scoring (EITB)
Egiguren V +12 -4; Erostarbe +1 -4
Salaberria +5 -7; Garmendia +1 -2
Total match score: +19 (.528) -17 (.472)
Balls in play: 566: Egiguren V 141; Erostarbe 146; Salaberria 122; Garmendia 157
Non-error %: .969
Time of the match: 63:39
Average balls per point: 15.72
Average time per point: 1:46
Leader board through Round 1 (3 matches only)
*=Substitute
*=Substitute
Delanteros (fronts)
Egiguren V (A) +12 -4 (+8)
Agirre (B) +11 -6 (+5)
Elordi (A) +8 -3 (+5)
Dario* (A) +7 -3 (+4)
Arteaga II +2 -2 (0)
Salaberria (A) +5 -7 (-2)
Pena II (B) N.A.
Alberdi (B) N.A.
Zagueros (backs)
O. Etxeberria (A) +1 -0 (+1)
Garmendia (A) +1 -2 (-1)
Eskiroz (B) +3 -3 (0)
Erostarbe (A) +1 -4 (-3)
Urretabizkaia (B) +2 -6 (-4)
Ruiz (A) +0 -10 (-10)
Aranguren (B) N.A.
Erasun (B) N.A.
