Team Handball (indoors) Field Handball (outdoors) Not the one you play against a wall!

Ancient Handball? The games that were precursors of handball can only said to be distantly related to it in terms of their structure and rules of play. Nonetheless, the games of "Urania" played by the Ancient Greeks (and described by Homer in the Odyssey) and "Harpaston" played by the Romans (and described by the Roman doctor Claudius Galenus in 130 to 200 A.D.) all contained certain features that can be described as ancient forms of handball.

History of Team Handball The team handball game as we know it today was formed by the end of the 19th century in northern Europe, primarily Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden. Holger Nielsen drew up the rules for modern handball (håndbold) in 1898 (and published them in 1906). Men's field handball was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin at the special request of Adolf Hitler.

History of Team Handball Cont… Women's team handball was added as an Olympic discipline at the 1976 Summer Olympics. As of February 2007, the International Handball Federation reports to have 159 member federations representing approximately 1,130,000 teams and a total of 31 million players, trainers, officials and referees .

What is Team Handball? Combines elements of soccer and basketball and is similar to waterpolo on land. The fast-paced play of 7- or 11-person teams has as its object the hurling of a cantaloupe-sized ball into a goal. Players may run or dribble with the ball, but most advancement comes from passing. Fouls result in free throws and penalty throws.

Fast Paced Action!

Playing Surface Team Handball can be played both indoors and outdoors. Typically indoor plays with 7 players and plays on a court about the size of a basketball court. The outdoor version of the game is called Field Handball and is played on grass on a field about the size of a football field. There are 11 players on each team.

                                                

The Goals The goals are 9 feet wide and 6 feet tall. Goal Line: the goals are surrounded by a near-semicircular line that is generally six meters (6m) away from the goal. Free Throw Line: there is also a dashed near-semicircular line that is nine meters (9m) away from the goal.

Game play A standard match duration consists of two periods of 30 minutes each during which each team may call one time out. The game is quite fast and includes body and contact as the defenders try to stop the attackers from approaching the goal. Only frontal contact by the defenders is allowed. When a defender stops an attacker with his or her arms instead of his or her torso, the play is stopped and restarted from the spot of the infraction or on the Free Throw Line (9m), with the attacking team in possession.

Game play cont… Penalties are given to players, in progressive format, if the contact between the players is particularly rough, the referees may award a 9m free throw to the attacking team, or if the infraction was during a clear scoring opportunity, a 7m penalty shot is given.

Game play cont… Ball movement and possession is similar to basketball. If the attacker commits an infraction, such as charging, the possession of the ball can be awarded to the defending team. Players will lose possession if they take more than three steps without dribbling or after stopping their dribble. The player may take three steps instead of two (pivoting on one foot is considered a step) and the ball must be "patted" down instead of the more controlled basketball method. Double Dribble is not allowed. Once two hands touch the ball, the player has three steps and/or three seconds to pass the ball.

Game play cont… A player may only hold the ball for three seconds and may only take three steps with the ball in hand. After taking three steps the player will have to make a dribble with one hand in order to continue moving forward, but if the ball is held in both hands after making a dribble and the player makes another dribble, a free throw will be given to the other team for a double dribble.

Game play cont… Goals are much more common in handball than in most other sports; usually, both teams score at least 20 goals. Only the defending goalkeeper is allowed to step inside the Goal Line (6m perimeter), though any player may attempt to catch and touch the ball in the air within it. If a player should find him/herself inside the goal perimeter he/she must immediately take the most direct path out of it. Players may not use their feet to contact the ball or it will be an automatic turnover.

Game play cont… Should a defender make contact with an attacker while in the goal perimeter, their team is penalized with a direct attempt at the goal, with only one attacker on the Penalty Line (7m line) and the defending goalkeeper. A penalty throw, can also be given, if a defender is blocking the attacker's way to goal, while standing inside the goal perimeter.