Korfball
Officially Korfball / Korfbal
Dutch mixed-gender team sport invented 1902 by Nico Broekhuysen. 8 players per team (4 men + 4 women each) score by shooting ball through 3.5m elevated basket (korf). UNIQUE — only major team sport designed for MANDATORY MIXED-GENDER play. Popular Netherlands, Belgium, Taiwan, small international scene. IWGA World Games sport.
What is Korfball?
Korfball (KORFBAL in Dutch) is DUTCH MIXED-GENDER TEAM SPORT invented 1902 by NICO BROEKHUYSEN (Amsterdam school teacher inspired by Swedish 'ringboll'). 8 PLAYERS PER TEAM — 4 MEN + 4 WOMEN each = 4 MEN + 4 WOMEN ON FIELD. UNIQUE — ONLY MAJOR TEAM SPORT DESIGNED FOR MANDATORY MIXED-GENDER PLAY. Emphasizes GENDER EQUALITY in sport. GAMEPLAY: 40m × 20m rectangular field divided into 2 ZONES. Each team's 4 players (2 men + 2 women) start in each zone; SWITCH ZONES every 2 goals. Score by shooting BALL through 3.5m ELEVATED BASKET (KORF, cylinder without backboard) on top of pole. Men GUARD MEN + women GUARD WOMEN (defenders block same-gender attackers). NO RUNNING WITH BALL — passing + pivoting only (like netball). NO DRIBBLING. NO STEALING from same team (rules encourage passing). SCORES typical 15-25 goals per game. Considered STRATEGIC + PASS-DRIVEN. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS since 1978. IWGA WORLD GAMES SPORT (multi-sport for non-Olympics). IOC recognized. Popular NETHERLANDS (massive — 500+ clubs), BELGIUM, TAIWAN (surprising strong scene — top-4 in worlds), UK, GERMANY, CATALONIA. Small but growing international. Considered PROGRESSIVE sport.
Quick facts
Category
Ball Sports
Type
Team sport
Players
16–20
Duration
~60 min
Where played
both
Field / court
rectangular field (grass, turf, or indoor)
Country of origin
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Estimated origin
1902 — invented by Nico Broekhuysen (Amsterdam school teacher inspired by Swedish 'ringboll'); Dutch Korfball Association 1903; IKF founded 1933
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Score more goals than opponent by shooting ball through opponent's elevated basket.
Rules
Basic rules
8 players per team — 4 men + 4 women (MANDATORY)
Only mixed-gender team sport enforced by rules.
Field divided into 2 zones; 4 players (2 men + 2 women) per zone
Switch zones every 2 goals.
Score by shooting ball through 3.5m elevated basket (korf)
No backboard; cylindrical.
NO RUNNING WITH BALL — pass + pivot only (like netball)
No dribbling.
NO STEALING — pass ball to teammates (encourages team play)
Defensive movement to intercept passes.
MEN DEFEND MEN, WOMEN DEFEND WOMEN
Same-gender guarding required by rules.
'DEFENDED' rule prohibits shooting while covered
Encourages movement + passing.
Scoring
1 goal (ball through basket) = 1 point. Team with more goals wins.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Goal (ball through basket from any distance) | 1 point |
| Penalty shot for fouls | 1 shot |
Win condition · More goals than opponent after 60 min.
Playing area
Called
rectangular field (grass, turf, or indoor)
Dimensions
40m × 20m divided into 2 zones
Divided into 2 equal zones; 3.5m elevated basket at each end.
Equipment
Korfball (leather ball, size 5, ~445g)
€25-60
Korf (elevated basket, 3.5m pole, cylindrical basket no backboard)
Facility-provided
Court markings + jerseys
Standard team sport
Strategies
Pass-driven offense — no dribbling
Constant motion + support.
Zone rotation every 2 goals critical
Fresh legs; positional discipline.
Same-gender defense means matching physical style
Different pairings emerge.
Shooting from distance — no backboard makes long shots harder
Positional shot selection matters.
Terminology
- Korf
- Dutch for 'basket' — the target.
- Korfbal
- Dutch spelling of korfball.
- IKF
- International Korfball Federation — governing body since 1933.
- Defended
- Rule state prohibiting shot when covered.
- Zone switch
- Every 2 goals, teams rotate zones.
Major competitions
IKF World Korfball Championship
every 4 years · worldwide · since 1978
IWGA World Games (korfball since 1985)
every 4 years · worldwide · since 1985
Dutch Korfball League (top club)
annual · Netherlands · since 1946
European Korfball Championship
every 4 years · Europe · since 1998
Where it is played
Governing bodies
International Korfball Federation (IKF)
Founded 1933 · Utrecht, Netherlands
Official site ↗Koninklijke Nederlandse Korfbal Verbond (KNKV, Netherlands)
Founded 1903 · Netherlands
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Kim Dolstra (Netherlands) — Legend, multiple world champion
- Erik Wolsink (Netherlands) — Dutch star
- Tjyy Chuen Yang (Taiwan) — Taiwanese elite player
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Find korfball club — Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Taiwan strongest
500+ Dutch clubs; sparser elsewhere.
- 2
Basketball/netball skills transfer well
Passing + shooting fundamentals.
intermediate
- 1
Join national club league
Structured mixed-gender team play.
advanced
- 1
Dutch Korfball League contract
Top-level pro.
- 2
National team + World Championships
IKF Worlds every 4 years.
Frequently asked
What is Korfball?+
DUTCH MIXED-GENDER TEAM SPORT invented 1902 by NICO BROEKHUYSEN. 8 PLAYERS PER TEAM = 4 MEN + 4 WOMEN each (MANDATORY). UNIQUE — only major team sport designed for MANDATORY MIXED-GENDER play. Score by shooting ball through 3.5m elevated basket (korf) — cylindrical, no backboard. Field 40m × 20m divided into 2 zones; players switch every 2 goals. Men defend men, women defend women. NO DRIBBLING — pass + pivot only. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS since 1978. Massive Netherlands + Belgium + Taiwan (surprising strong scene).
How is Korfball different from Basketball?+
KORFBALL uses 3.5m ELEVATED BASKET (CYLINDER, NO BACKBOARD); BASKETBALL uses 3.05m hoop with BACKBOARD. KORFBALL 8v8 (4M+4W each) MIXED-GENDER MANDATORY; BASKETBALL 5v5 SINGLE-GENDER. KORFBALL NO DRIBBLING; BASKETBALL dribbling core. KORFBALL zone-based (switch every 2 goals); BASKETBALL free movement. KORFBALL SAME-GENDER GUARDING; BASKETBALL any-position guarding. KORFBALL 60 min (2×30); BASKETBALL 48 min NBA (4×12). Different sports despite superficial similarity of shooting into elevated target.
Is Korfball in the Olympics?+
NOT CURRENTLY. Korfball featured as DEMONSTRATION SPORT at 1920 ANTWERP + 1928 AMSTERDAM Olympics but never permanent. IOC RECOGNIZED sport. Featured at IWGA WORLD GAMES (multi-sport for non-Olympics) since 1985. IKF actively lobbies for Olympic inclusion citing gender equality (mixed-gender team sport unique). Challenges: SMALL GLOBAL BASE outside Netherlands/Taiwan; IOC preference for larger participation numbers. Growing international scene may support future inclusion bid.
Sources & provenance
- IKF — International Korfball Federation— IKF
- Wikipedia — Korfball— Wikipedia