Team Handball Information Sheet

History

Grew out of three sports, in three separate European countries, Germany, Denmark, and Czechoslovakia.
Based on soccer, but using the hands instead of the feet to propel the ball.
Handball (Germany) was designed to be played outdoors with 11 players. The Danish game (Denmark) was played indoors with 7 players.
Added to the Olympic program in 1936.
The name “team handball” was attached to the 7-player game after the 1930’s.

Court, Equipment, Players

The playing area is 126-147 feet in length by 60-73 feet in width. For physical education classes, a basketball court may be used.
The goal area is a semicircular space in front of the goal, 20 feet in front with a radius of 20 feet.
The free-throw line is drawn as a broken line parallel with and 10 feet beyond the goal line area.
The penalty-throw line is 3ft. by 3 inches long and is 23 feet from the goal.
The goal is in the middle of each goal line and is 6 feet 7 inches high and 10 feet wide. A net is used to trap the ball.
The ball should be 15-19 ounces and 23-24 inches round for boys and 11.5-14 ounces and 21-22 inches round. Playground or volleyballs are appropriate. Basketballs and soccer balls are not.
Each team consists of 7 players (6 court and 1 goalkeeper) with 5 additional players for substitution.
Player positions are: goalkeeper, center half, right and left backs, center forward, and right and left wingers.

Basic Rules

Playing time depends on the age and sex of the players; for middle school girls – two periods of 20 minutes, with a 10-minute interval.
Coin toss decides choice of end and offense or defense.
At the referee’s whistle, the game starts at center court only by passing the ball to another teammate. All players must be within their own half of the court at the beginning.
After each goal is scored, the other team will always start the game at center court.
A goal cannot be scored directly from the throw-on.

Playing The Ball

The ball can be played in any manner with any part of the body except below the knee.*
The ball can’t be held for more than 3 seconds if the player is not moving.*
The ball can be dribbled with either hand while moving or standing.
If you seize the ball, you must play it within 3 seconds or within 3 steps.*
If the ball touches a referee or goal post, it is still playable.
Players may NOT dive for rolling balls that are on the ground.
The ball may be continuously rolled on the ground with one hand.
When the ball has passed the touch-line, the ball can be put into play by the other team, and the throw-in should take place from the point where the ball crossed the touch-line.
If the ball is touched by a defensive player, except the goalkeeper, and travels across the goal line outside the goal, a corner throw is awarded to the attacking team. The ball is put back in play by the goalkeeper with a throw-off if the goalkeeper last touched it.

Approach to Opponent

Players are not permitted to:

Block an opponent with arms, hands, or legs*
Hold, hit, push, run into, or jump at the opponent or throw oneself in front of or endanger an opponent in any other way*
Throw the ball intentionally at an opponent or execute a dangerous feint by moving the ball toward the opponent*

Goal Area & Goalkeeper

No player except the goalkeeper may enter the goal area.
Entry of a player from the defending team, provided the entry is intentional and for the clear purpose of defense, results in a penalty throw (23 feet) awarded to the attacking team.
No penalty is awarded if a player enters the area after playing the ball.
Inside the goal area, the ball belongs to the goalkeeper. No other player can touch a ball that is lying, rolling, or being held by the goalkeeper inside this area.
The ball can neither be thrown into one’s own goal area nor to the goalkeeper.*
A ball in the air is not considered to be in the goal area.
As long as the goalkeeper is inside the goal area, they can defend the goal in any way, even using the feet.
The goalkeeper is allowed to leave the goal area without the ball. When he does, the same rules apply to the goalie as to the rest of the team.
The goalie may not touch a ball that is lying or rolling outside the goal area.

Scoring

A goal is made when the ball has passed the goal line inside the goal with its entire circumference.
A goal made by the defending team is also scored as a goal.
After every goal, the team that did not score restarts the game from the center of the court.

Penalty Throw

When the offensive player has lost a clear chance of scoring by the defensive player’s foul, the offensive player is awarded a penalty throw from the 23-foot line.
During a penalty throw, no other player except the goalkeeper is allowed between the goal-area line and the free-throw line.
The penalty throw must be aimed directly at the goal.

Free Throw*

All violations of the rules, except the penalty throw, will result in a free throw awarded to the opposing team.
All free throws are taken from the point where the violation occurred, except a violation between the free-throw line and the goal-area line, in which case the free throw is taken at the free throw line.
During a free throw, players of the defending team must stand 10 feet away from the player having the free throw.
A goal may be scored directly from a free throw.

Team Handball Skills

Words to Remember

Free ThrowGoalGoal AreaGoal-area line

Throw-inCourt playerFree-throw line

Goalkeeper Penalty throw Corner throw