The game of Team Handball began in Europe in the early 1900s. Today over one hundred and forty countries are members of the International handball Federation. First appearing in the Olympics in Berlin in 1936, this sport relies on an athlete’s eye-hand coordination, dexterity, strength, speed, and teamwork. Team handball can be played indoors in a gym, on the beach, on the grass, or even on a paved court. This versatile game has a limited amount of rules and penalties, and, as a result, the game moves rapidly.
The object of the game is to throw the melon-shaped ball past the opposing team’s goalkeeper into the net. One point is given for each successful goal. Usually handball games score anywhere from twenty to thirty points. Games run a total of one hour with two thirty minute halves. A coin is flipped to decide which teams start the game with a throw-off, and each team is given one team timeout per half.
The court is twenty by forty meters, or just slightly larger than a basketball court. The six-meter line, or the goal area line, is the region of the court where only the goalie is allowed to dwell. Players can jump into this vicinity if they throw the ball before they land, one or two feet, in the goal area. The nine-meter line, or free throw line, is the mark used for minor penalties. The seven-meter line is used for penalty shots that result from a major infraction of the rules.
Players can dribble the ball for an unlimited amount of time, can run with the ball for up to three steps before and after dribbles, and they may hold the ball while being stationary for three seconds as well. Players cannot throw the ball at an opponent, hit, punch, or pull the ball out of an opponent’s hand, and cannot touch the ball with any part of the body below the knee.
Uniforms are an important part of the team handball competition. Each team must have different colored sets of clothing; one light and one dark. The goal keeper can wear a shirt that has two or three different colors on it, with one color dominating the surface area, or can, if he or she wishes, wear his or her team’s field-player shirt that is not being used in that particular match. On all of the team members’ shirts there must be clearly legible numbers placed at least twenty centimeters high on the back and at leach ten centimeters high on the chest. The numbers should be a different color than the rest of the shirt. The International Handball Federation decrees that all players much wear the same number during a tournament regardless any position change. The numbers, as outline in the International rulebook, are to be written in Roman letters. Additionally, the shirts must be full length—not cut off at the waist. Tall socks matching the uniform color are worn as well. Headbands are optional, but encouraged, particularly for indoor use since sweat accumulation on the floor can be dangerous for players. Finally, the team captain wears an armband to distinguish his presence for the referees. It is roughly four centimeters wide in a color that contrasts the team uniform.
Uniforms for team handball, unless found at a sports specialty store, must be ordered from a catalogue or online. Many handball leagues do, however, accept teams with soccer uniforms, since both styles are very similar. Some handball-specific resources to check out for those seeking genuine handball gear are Teamline and Score. Handball shoes are similar to indoor soccer shoes, and can be purchased with vendors such as Adidas, Nike, and Puma. The styles can vary, but each player generally tries to find a pair that matches the color of the team uniform.
