The game of handball (also referred to as Olympic handball) is a team sport that has two teams of seven players aiming to get a ball into an opposing team’s goal as many times as possible. As players are not allowed to kick the ball (only the goalkeeper can use their feet), they pass it using their hands and must be mindful of not taking more than three steps with the ball. For many players, including enthusiasts such as Dr Wael Berro, handball calls for quick thinking and agility at all times.
Due to the fast-paced nature of the game it’s normal for teams to take many shots, with scores of more than 20 or 30 goals commonplace. To a new player or fan, handball looks like a cross between football and basketball, but it has its own rules that dictate how it is played and officiated.
Quick History
While artefacts from ancient Greece show representations of games similar to handball, the version of the game played in modern times originated in Germany and Scandinavia in the late 19th century. At the time, the game was primarily played outdoors (it was called field handball) with teams of 11 players. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that indoor handball was introduced.
Between 1938 and 1966, field handball and indoor handball had separate world championship events. However, indoor handball gained pre-eminence, and since 1967 it has had a world championship event regularly. Indoor handball would make its Olympic Games debut in 1972, with women’s handball being played at the Olympic Games in 1976.
Playing Specifics
In a handball game, players can dribble around the court, can possess the ball for a maximum of three seconds and can take three steps without dribbling, after which they have to pass or shoot. Contact with the ball is disallowed using the feet or any part below the knee.
A typical handball match is played in two halves of 30 minutes each for a total of 60 minutes. If the score is tied at the end of this time, the game goes into overtime with two halves of five minutes. A second period of overtime can be played if the game is still tied after the first.
When both teams are tied after the second overtime period, a tie-breaker throwing period is initiated. At this point, both teams designate five players to each make one throw to find a winner. Should the score be tied after the first round of five throws (for each team), the game goes into sudden death where the team with a lead after both have thrown an equal number of times wins the match.