How to Play Handball

Handball is an exciting and fast-paced team game that is popular in Europe, which combines the techniques of soccer and basketball to create unique and competitive game play. To play team handball, each team has to shoot, dribble, and pass a ball in order to score goals over the opposing team. To play singles or doubles handball, which is more popular in America, you have to score against your opponent with the help of one, two, three, or four walls. If you want to know how to play either version of the game, see Step 1 below to get started.

Playing Team Handball

Get familiar with the court. In team handball, the court is 20 meters (65' 7") by 40 meters (131' 3") large.[1] Here are some things you should know about the court:
The court has a goal area line (also known as the crease), which is a 6-meter (19' 8") line where only the goalie is allowed to stand. The actual goal is 2 meters (6.6 ft) high and 3 meters (9.8 ft) wide. Players can only jump into the goal area if they release the ball before landing there.
A dashed semi-circle that is 9 meters (29.5 ft) from the goal marks the free-throw line.
The line at half court is also known as the center line.
Get familiar with the ball, too. Traditionally, handball is played with a 32-panel leather ball. For women, the ball is 54–56 centimeter (21.3–22.0 in) wide and for men, it is 58–60 centimeter (22.8–23.6 in) wide and a bit heavier than the women's' ball.

Form a team

There can be seven players on each team out on the court at any given time. One player on each team is the goalie and the remaining six are the court players.[2] Each team can have a total of 12 players (in America) or 14 players (in England) dress and play during a game. The additional players can substitute for the players on the court once the player they are substituting leaves the court, just as in basketball, volleyball, or other sports with substitutes. The non-goalie players' roles are interchangeable during the game.
Players wear uniforms that are numbered 1-20. Each team's players should wear shirts and shorts of the same color, while each goalie wears a different color to stand out from the other teammates.
In official games, there are always two referees, one for the court and one for the goal. Their decisions are final.

Understand the objective of the game

Each team scores points by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team that scores the most points wins the game. A game can end in a tie unless you're playing a tournament, which needs a winner to be named. If the game is tied after time runs out, then the teams play 2-5 minute periods of overtime.
A team can score a goal after the entire ball crosses the goal line and falls inside the goal. You can score a goal from any type of throw, which means the goal-throw, free-throw, throw-in, or throw-off (more information about these throws appears below).

Play for the correct length of time

A traditional handball game is played in 2 30-minute halves with a 10 minute break in between. Youth or tournament games are shorter, played in 2 15-minute or 20-minute halves instead.
The time marked is the running time of the game. The only times the clock stops are for each team to have one time-out per half, and if there is an injury.
At half-time, the teams switch benches.

Understand what the field players can do. These players can touch the ball with all parts of their body above the knee (which means no kicking!). If they have the ball, they can only stay in place for three seconds (think of it as a traveling offense in basketball), and they can only move for three steps with the ball. If they do not follow these rules, the ball goes to the other team. The players must quickly decide whether to shoot the ball, dribble it, or pass it.[5]
A player can dribble the ball for as long as he wants, just as long as he keeps his hand on top of the ball. After dribbling, he still gets the usual three steps/three seconds rule. If he dribbles again, that's a "double dribbling" violation and the ball goes to the other team.
Other offenses that a player can commit include carrying the ball into the crease (the goalie's area), setting an illegal screen, and charging.

Understand the different types

Here's what you need to know about the different throws in the game:
The throw-off. The game starts with a throw-off. The throw-off takes place in the center of the court. Here, the thrower has to touch the middle line with one foot while all of the other players stay in their own half. The team that wins the coin toss and wants to start with the ball begins the throw off.
After the whistle blows, the player with the ball in the center of the court passes the ball to a team-mate and play starts.
Every time a goal is scored, the opposing team gets the ball for another throw-off. A throw-off also occurs after half-time.
The throw-in. If the ball leaves play, then the team that didn't touch the ball last gets a throw-in.
The free-throw. A free-throw is given after there's an interruption in play, and takes place wherever the play was interrupted. Play can be interrupted when one player is holding, pushing, hitting, tripping or hurting the other team's player and receives a penalty.
The referee throw. A referee throw is called for when the ball touches anything that is above the court after multiple rules are broken during simultaneous possession of the ball. In this situation, the referee stands at center court and throws the ball vertically, between two players of opposing teams, and they must jump and grab the ball or tap the ball to a member of their own teams. Other members of the team must be at least 3 meters (9.8 ft) away from the throw.
The 7-meter throw. This throw is given when a foul destroys a clear chance to score, the goalie carries the ball back to his own area, a court player plays the ball to his own goalie, or a defensive player enters his own goal area. For this throw, all players have to be outside the free-throw line and the player who takes the throw has three seconds to shoot the ball.
The goal-throw. This one is given when the ball rebounds off the goalie over the end line or if the ball is thrown over the end line by the team that is attacking. For this throw, the goalie throws the ball from his area and does not have to follow the three step/3 second rule.

Improve your game

There are many tips and tricks that can help you excel as a handball player, but the most important thing you can do is just to keep playing. Here are some things you can work on as you improve your game:
To be a master handball player, you and your team should work on passing the ball to each other as much as you can. This is faster than dribbling and can get you to the goal more quickly.
When you are defending, you can work on keeping your hands up so that you block shots as well as passing opportunities for the other team.
When you're dribbling, work on using one hand to dribble while shielding the ball with your other hand to keep it safe from the opposing team.
Most importantly, just keep practicing! The more you play, the better you'll be at handball.