Global InformationHandball information
 A handball game in progress at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany. | |
| Highest governing body | IHF |
|---|---|
| First played | 2 December 1917 in Berlin, Germany.[1] |
| Registered players | > 27 million (2016)[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Limited |
| Team members | 7 per side (including goalkeeper) |
| Mixed-sex | Separate competitions |
| Type | Team sport, ball sport |
| Equipment | Ball and goals |
| Venue | Indoor court |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide; but most popular in Europe |
| Olympic | Part of Summer Olympic programme in 1936. Demonstrated at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Returned to the Summer Olympic programme in 1972. |
| World Games | Beach handball: 2001–present (invitational sport before 2013) |
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball)[3] is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the opposing team. A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team that scores more goals wins.
Modern handball is played on a court of 40 by 20 metres (131 by 66 ft), with a goal in the middle of each end. The goals are surrounded by a 6-metre (20 ft) zone where only the defending goalkeeper is allowed; goals must be scored by throwing the ball from outside the zone or while "diving" into it. The sport is usually played indoors, but outdoor variants exist in the forms of field handball, Czech handball (which were more common in the past) and beach handball. The game is fast and high-scoring: professional teams now typically score between 20 and 35 goals each, though lower scores were not uncommon until a few decades ago. Body contact is permitted for the defenders trying to stop the attackers from approaching the goal. No protective equipment is mandated, but players may wear soft protective bands, pads and mouth guards.[4]
The modern set of rules was published in 1917 by Karl Schelenz, Max Heiser, and Erich Konigh,[5] on 29 October in Berlin, which is seen as the date of birth of the sport.[1][6] The rules have had several revisions since. The first official handball match was played in 1917 in Germany.[1] Karl Schelenz modified the rules in 1919.[5] The first international games were played (under these rules) with men in 1925 (between Germany and Belgium) and with women in 1930 (between Germany and Austria).[7]
Men's handball was first played at the Olympics in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin outdoors, and the next time at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich indoors; handball has been an Olympic sport since then. Women's handball was added at the 1976 Summer Olympics.[8]
The International Handball Federation was formed in 1946 and, as of 2016[update], has 197 member federations.[9] The sport is most popular in Europe, and European countries have won all medals but one in the men's world championships since 1938. In the women's world championships, only two non-European countries have won the title: South Korea and Brazil. The game also enjoys popularity in East Asia, North Africa and parts of South America.
- ^ a b c Pazen, Björn (31 October 2017). "Handball in Germany celebrates 100th anniversary". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ "8 Things You Didn't Know About Handball". Olympics. IOC. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- ^ Barbara Schrodt (6 October 2011). "Team Handball". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion Institute.
- ^ "IHF Rules of the Game: Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories" (PDF). Nederlands Handbal Verbond. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ a b Laver, L.; Landreau, P.; Seil, R.; Popovic, N. (2018). Handball Sports Medicine: Basic Science, Injury Management and Return to Sport. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 25. ISBN 978-3-662-55892-8. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ Nestler, Stefan (24 January 2019). "Handball: Will the winter fairytale last?". DW.com. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ Laver, L.; Landreau, P.; Seil, R.; Popovic, N. (2018). Handball Sports Medicine: Basic Science, Injury Management and Return to Sport. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-3-662-55892-8. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ "Montreal Olympics photo flashback: More women competed thanks to three new events | Montreal Gazette". 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018.
- ^ "Member Federations". International Handball Federation.