But that's not team handball at all. As a matter of fact, team handball is one of the more popular sports in the entire world, but still struggles to find the same popularity that it has garnered elsewhere in the United States.
A sport originally started as an outdoor game in the early 1900s of central Europe, team handball combines the elements of soccer and basketball on a fast-paced course.
Owen McFadden is the director of recreational sports at Furman University. Of the 22 years he has held the position McFadden has coached and played the sport of team handball since 1997.
McFadden said that the evolution of the sport of team handball has the best possible chance of gaining interest if more people knew about the equipment used to play the game.
The ball and the goal is pretty much the only equipment that you will need," said McFadden. "The goal is about eight feet wide, or 2 meters by 3 meters. And the ball, in my opinion, is similar to that of a basketball."
The simplicity of the equipment needed to play team handball is one of the reasons why team handball experts say that this is a sport best suited for young kids.
As we all know, a sport that interests a kid today may not interest the kid tomorrow. So, with the sport of team handball, parents and coaches alike should be able to save a bundle of money by not having to provide athletes with hoards and hoards of expensive equipment.
According to McFadden, the clothing worn in a team handball game can be as simple as a pair of shorts and a shirt. There is no special team handball footwear that a beginner would be forced to buy.
They do make a special handball shoe but only those at the international level typically wear them. These special shoes are not even widely available in the United States.
The ball used in team handball is what separates this sport from others. Not exactly a soccer ball or a basketball, a team handball ball is soft and capable of being dribbled and passed with ease.
"Although the design of it is like a soccer ball, it's not that hard," said McFadden. "The goalkeeper might find the ball really hard because they don't wear any padding. And, unlike soccer, it's a very high scoring game. Typically, at the international level, you will be looking at teams scoring 20-30 goals in a competitive match."
The hardest and most difficult equipment needed to play team handball is a handball field. A team handball game is played on a field 40 meters long and 20 meters wide. There must be a dividing line in the middle of the field and goals on both sides of the playing field.
Games can include seven or 11 players, but are not official. The game could be played with as many people as you would like.
