Ball Sports 🇩🇰Denmark Olympic20th century

Handball

Officially Team Handball (Olympic Handball)

7-a-side indoor team sport where players pass, dribble and throw a small ball, trying to score goals into a 3-metre-wide goal — fast, physical and continuous.

👥7 per team📐court⏱~60 min🌤indoor

What is Handball?

Handball (team handball) is a fast, high-scoring indoor team sport played by two seven-player teams (six court players + a goalkeeper). Players pass, dribble and shoot a small ball into a goal 3 m wide × 2 m tall, defended by a goalkeeper. A match consists of two 30-minute halves and typically ends 25-35 goals to a side. Modern rules were codified in Germany and Scandinavia in the 1910s-20s (outdoor 11-a-side) and the smaller 7-a-side indoor version pioneered in Denmark became the Olympic format from Munich 1972. Handball is one of the most-watched sports in Europe (especially Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Norway) and increasingly popular globally.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Score more goals than the opponent by throwing the ball into the opposing net during regulation time (and any extra periods).

Match structure

Play begins at centre with a throw-off. Attacking players advance by dribbling and passing (max 3 steps without a bounce; 3 seconds holding the ball) and shoot from outside the 6-m goalkeeper area. On a turnover the defence launches a counter-attack. Fouls stop play with free throws (from 9-m line) or 7-m penalty throws for clear scoring chances denied.

Rules

Basic rules

Three-step rule
A player holding the ball can take at most three steps before either passing, shooting, or bouncing (like basketball dribbling).
Three-second rule
A player may hold the ball for a maximum of three seconds before playing it.
Goalkeeper area
Only the goalkeeper may stand inside the 6-m arc. Outfield players entering the area while playing the ball cause a turnover.
Legal shooting
Shots are taken by jumping over the 6-m line and releasing before landing inside it.
Fouls & contact
Wrapping, holding or hitting an opponent's arms is a foul. Play continues if the fouled team keeps possession (advantage).
7-m penalty throw
Awarded when a clear scoring chance is illegally prevented; a 1v1 shot from 7 m against the keeper.
Ball out of play
Play restarts with a throw-in over the sideline or a goal-throw by the goalkeeper if the ball goes over the end line off the attacking side.

Advanced rules

Passive play
Referees signal 'passive play' if the attack stalls; the team then has 6 more passes before losing possession.
Suspensions
Rough or repeated fouls draw a 2-minute suspension — the offending team plays a player short.
Disqualification (red card)
Serious foul or three 2-minute suspensions result in disqualification; the team may substitute after the 2-minute penalty is served.
Team timeouts
Each team has three 60-second timeouts per match (max 2 per half).
Empty net attack
Since 2016, teams may substitute the goalkeeper for a 7th outfield player without waiting for the goalkeeper to leave the field, enabling 7v6 offensive play.

Scoring

One point per goal — a goal scored when the entire ball crosses the goal line inside the goal.

Action	Points
Field goal	1
Penalty throw (7-m)	1
Free throw goal (9-m)	1

Win condition · Team with more goals at full time wins. Knockout ties play extra time, then extra-extra time, then penalty shootouts.

Playing area

Called

court

Dimensions

40 m × 20 m court; goals 3 m wide × 2 m high; goal area (6-m line) is a semi-circle only the goalkeeper may enter.

Indoor court with two goals at each end. A 6-m goalkeeper area (D-zone) surrounds each goal; a 7-m penalty line and 9-m dashed 'free-throw' line arc outside it.

Equipment

Handball
Small leather-cover ball, size 3 (men, 58-60 cm) / size 2 (women).
Resin / wax
Sticky resin applied to hands to improve grip; banned in some leagues (Denmark since 2019).
Court shoes
Non-marking indoor sports shoes with strong lateral support.
Goalkeeper kit
Long-sleeved jersey and pants, sometimes padded elbows and knees.

Positions & roles

Goalkeeper (GK)
×1
Defends the goal; may play the ball with any body part inside the goal area.
Left / right wing (LW/RW)
×2
Attacks from wide positions using acute-angle shots.
Left / right back (LB/RB)
×2
Long-range shooters and playmakers.
Centre back / playmaker (CB)
×1
Runs the attack; sets up team-mates.
Pivot / line player
×1
Plays with back to the goal, on or near the 6-m line — screens defenders and finishes short-range chances.

Officiating

Two on-court referees share equal authority; they use standardised arm signals for fouls, goals, suspensions and passive play warnings.

Two referees (equal authority)
Timekeeper
Scorer

Penalties & fouls

Penalties

Yellow card
Verbal warning for a foul; max one per player and three per team per match.
2-minute suspension
Player must leave the court for two minutes; the team plays a man short.
Red card / disqualification
Player is removed from the match; team plays 2 minutes short then replaces the player.
7-m penalty throw
Awarded when a clear scoring chance is illegally denied.

Strategies

3-3 defence
Three defenders in a line at 6-m, three at 9-m; balanced against outside shooters and pivots.
5-1 defence
Five in the 6-m arc, one advanced at 9-m to disrupt the playmaker — best against skilled centre backs.
6-0 defence
All six defenders on the 6-m line — used against powerful wings and pivots.
Fast break
Immediate outlet pass after a save or turnover to score before the defence resets.
7-vs-6 attack
Replace goalkeeper with 7th outfield player to gain an extra attacker; risks empty-net goals on turnovers.

Terminology

Pivot: Line player who plays with back to goal near the 6-m arc, screening defenders.
9-metre line: Dashed arc where most free throws are taken; also called the 'free-throw line'.
Fast break: Immediate counter-attack after gaining possession before the defence sets up.
Wing shot: Acute-angle shot from a wing player, often jumping wide to open the angle.
Hip shot / jump shot: Attacking shot released from mid-air after jumping over the 6-m line.
Passive play: Referee signal that the attack must shoot within 6 passes.
Sieben-Meter (7-m): Penalty throw from 7 metres — 1v1 vs the goalkeeper.
Body check: Blocking an opponent with the trunk of the body (torso) — legal if done with a firm stance.
Time-out (T): 60-second team timeout, signalled by the referee via a green card.
Empty net: The unguarded net when the goalkeeper is subbed for an extra attacker.

Major competitions

Summer Olympic Games
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1972
IHF World Championship
biennial · worldwide · since 1938
European Handball Championship
biennial · Europe · since 1994
EHF Champions League
annual · Europe (club) · since 1993

Where it is played

Governing bodies

International Handball FederationIHF
Founded 1946 · Basel, Switzerland
Official site ↗
European Handball FederationEHF
Founded 1991 · Vienna, Austria
Official site ↗

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Nikola Karabatić
Mikkel Hansen
Ivano Balić
Daniel Narcisse
Kiril Lazarov
Ólafur Stefánsson
Anja Andersen
Cristina Neagu
Andrea Lekić
Nora Mørk

Records

Most IHF World Championships (men)
France — 6 (2023)
Most IHF World Championships (women)
USSR / Russia — 4 (2007)
Highest single-match goals (men, Olympic)
Sweden vs Egypt — 44-25 (Barcelona 1992) (1992)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
The three-step rule
Learn to count steps while carrying the ball; bounce to reset the count.
2
Basic pass and catch
Chest pass, bounce pass and one-handed overhead pass.
3
Standing shot
Set feet, wind back, snap wrist through — practise against a wall.
4
6-metre discipline
Learn to jump the line without stepping on it.

intermediate

1
Jump shot
Full three-step approach; jump vertically over the 6-m line and release.
2
Pivot play
Practise back-to-goal reception, screen setting and quick pivot shots.
3
Wing shot angles
Move wide, then release cross-body to open the goalkeeper's blind side.
4
Defensive stance
Feet shoulder-width, low centre of gravity, hands active.

advanced

1
Reading defensive schemes
Adjust between 6-0, 5-1 and 3-2-1 depending on the attacker's shooting range.
2
7-vs-6 tactics
Time the goalkeeper substitution and defend the empty-net risk.
3
Set plays
Screen-and-roll variations with pivot and back-court players.

Frequently asked

How is team handball different from 'American handball'?+

American handball is a solo racquet-free wall game (like squash with the hand). Team handball is a full-court, 7-a-side goal-scoring team sport — the Olympic version.

Are shots really that hard?+

Elite men shoot at 100+ km/h (60+ mph) — comparable to a hockey slap-shot.

Where is handball most popular?+

Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Spain, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, Egypt and Qatar.

Can outfield players enter the 6-metre area?+

They may pass through it but not touch the ground inside while playing the ball or attempting to gain positional advantage.

How do overtime and shootouts work?+

Two 5-min extra periods; if still tied, a second set of 5-min periods; if still tied, best-of-5 penalty shots and then sudden death.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Handball— Wikipedia
IHF Rules of the Game— International Handball Federation

Last verified 2026-08-24.community