2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department

A bit of history

Games similar to modern team handball have historically been played in many different cultures around the world. We know that the ancient Greeks and Romans played a type of handball, and handball was also played by the Inuit in Greenland and the French in Europe as early as the Middle Ages.

Team handball as we know it today developed in northern Europe by the end of the 1800s. It was especially popular in Sweden and Norway.

Handball was first played with 11 players on each team, like football, although the game is played with the hands instead of the feet.

The two sports shared the same playing field and even the ball was the same. In 1938, handball

became a game where two teams of seven players competed on a 40 x 20 m court.

Modern handball is usually played indoors, but outdoor variants exist in the forms of field

handball and beach handball (also called sandball).

CHARACTERISTICS

Objective

To put the ball in the goal of the opposing team. The team that scores the most

goals wins.

Playing area

The dimensions of a handball court are 40 x 20 m.

Duration

Two 30 minute halves, with a 10 minute break at half-time.

Players

The team has 12 members: 7 players (6 field players and a goalkeeper) and 5

reserves. Substitution of players can be done in any number and at any time during

game play.

Ball

Different size and weight balls are used for men, women, beginners, children, youth

and junior categories.

Referees

A Handball match is led by two referees. One court referee and one goal line

referee.

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HANDBALL

2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department

HOW TO PLAY

Handball is played on a court 40 meters long by 20 meters wide (40 m x 20 m), with a goal

in the center of each end. The goals are surrounded by a near-semicircular area, called

“goal area” defined by a line six meters from the goal.

No attacking or defending players are allowed to touch the floor of the goal area, only the

defending goalkeeper is allowed inside this perimeter. However, the field players may

catch and touch the ball in the air within the goal-area, as long as the player starts his

jump outside the area and releases the ball before he lands. Passing to your own

goalkeeper results in a turnover.

A dashed near-semicircular line 9 meters from the goal marks the “free-throw” line.

Field players are allowed to touch the ball with any part of their bodies above the knee

(knee included). The ball can be thrown, hit, bounced and caught with one or two hands.

A player who is in possession of the ball may stand stationary for only 3 seconds and may

only take three steps. They must then shoot, pass or dribble the ball.

The game is quite fast and includes body contact, as the defenders try to stop the

attackers from approaching the goal. Contact is allowed only when the defensive player is

completely in front of the offensive player. Any contact from the side or especially from

behind is considered dangerous and is usually met with penalties.

Unlike in basketball, where players are allowed to commit only 5 fouls in a game, handball

players are allowed an unlimited number of faults.

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2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department

Fouls

The most common fouls are travelling, double dribbling, entering the goal area, touching the ball below

the knees, sending the ball outside the field of play, pushing or holding an opposing player and passive

play and fouls resulting in penalty throws.

Double dribbling The ball is dribbled using one hand, moving the wrist vertically

downwards. Once the ball has been dribbled and caught, it cannot

be dribbled again. It must either be passed to a team-mate or shot

on goal. It is penalized with a free throw.

Travelling A foul committed by a player who takes more than three steps

without bouncing the ball. It is penalized with a free throw.

Touching the ball

below the knees

The ball cannot be hit or touched with the foot, although it

is not considered a foul when an opposing player throws the

ball at a player's leg or if it is an involuntary action.

Sending the ball

outside the field of

play

When a player sends the ball outside the field of play, it is the other

team that puts it back into play with a throw-in from the sideline or

corner of the court or a goalkeeper-throw, depending on where the

ball went out.

Pushing or holding

an opposing player

Players are only allowed to steal the ball from an opponent

with the palm of their open hand and block the path of other

players with the torso, even if they are not in possession of

the ball.

Entering the goal

area

Only the goalkeeper can enter the area between the goal and

the six-meter line, although it is possible to jump above it and

release the ball before returning to the ground.

Passive play If the team in possession of the ball does not play as if attempting

to score a goal, the referees will penalize this team

for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Penalty When the team on defense commits a foul

inside the area or for illegally preventing a clear scoring opportunity,

even when outside the goal area.

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2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department

Awarded throws

Throw-off It takes place from the center of the

court. The thrower must touch the

center-line with one foot and all of the

other players must be in the half of their

team. The defending players must keep a

distance of at least three meters to the

thrower. A throw-off occurs at the

beginning of each period and after the

opposing team scores a goal.

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Comer throw-in When the ball is sent out over the end-

line by a player from the defending

team, except the goalkeeper. It is taken

from the corner of the court closest to

where the ball left the court, with one

or both feet on the sideline.

Free-throw

A throw made by a player to put the

ball back into play when the opposing

team has committed a foul (double

dribbling, travelling, pushing, passive

play…). The ball is thrown from the

place where the foul was committed.

If the foul takes place between the

free-throw line and the goal-area line,

the throw is done on the free-throw

line Defensive players have to position

themselves at least 3 m. from the ball.

Throw in

When the ball crosses the side-line,

the team which did not touch the ball

last makes a throw-in. It has to be

taken standing on the line, from the

same place where the ball went out.

Penalty throws or 7 meter throw

It is awarded when the defending

team makes a foul when the attacking

team has a clear chance to score.

It is taken from the penalty line (7 m).

The goalkeeper can take up a position

between the goal line and the four-

meter restraining line.

All other players must remain behind

the free-throw line until execution.

Goalkeeper-throw When the attacking team throws the ball

over the end-line or when the goalkeeper

deflects the ball over the end-line. The

goalkeeper takes the throw from inside

the goal area.

2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department

Disciplinary sanctions

Warning A warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. A yellow card is given to a player who

has broken the rules.

Suspension Two minutes without playing for unsportsmanlike conduct or for receiving two

warnings.

Disqualification

The player cannot return to the game due to seriously unsportsmanlike

conduct or for receiving three suspensions. A red car is given to the player.

The team may send in a substitute for the player after two minutes.

If there has been a very serious violation of the rules, the referee will punish

the player directly with a red card and exclude him or her from the game.

The reduction on the court will, however, last for 4 minutes.

Players

The team has twelve members: seven players (six field players and a goalkeeper) and

five reserves. Each field player has a specific position:

Goalkeeper: The player who defends the goal. He must wear a shirt of a different colour

from the rest of the players.

Only the goalkeeper is allowed to move within the goal-area, although he may not cross the

goal area line while carrying or dribbling the ball. Within the goal-area, he is allowed to touch

the ball with all parts of his body including his feet. The goalkeeper may also play outside the

goal area, but then he has to abide by the same rules as any other player on the court.

Wings (right and left): the players whose activity is concentrated near the sidelines. Their

main characteristics are speed and their ability to throw from difficult positions.

Backcourt (right and left) players: they are good in high and powerful throws.

Pivot or circle runner: plays in the center of the attack, with his or her back to the goal.

This is a strong player who fights against the defense to try to open spaces for his or her

teammates.

Center: this player organizes the team's attack.

Offense and defense positions

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2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department

PLAYING TECHNIQUE

In order to play handball well, it is necessary to be familiar with

and properly execute the main actions involved in the game, both

defense and offense. They are described below:

Pass: normal way of exchanging the ball between

players. The pass can be done in different ways: low,

hip, shoulder, overhead, bounce and jump.

Throwing: Shooting the ball towards the goal with the

objective of scoring a goal. This throw varies depending

on the position of the attacker and the defender on the

court. Different types of shot include the jump shot,

set shot, fall shot or lob shot.

Dribbling: releasing the ball towards the floor

without losing control. It allows the players to move

forward on the court, for example in a counter-

attack. The wrist cannot be rotated when pushing the ball

towards the ground, as in basketball.

Receiving and handling the ball: it is important to get

a good grip on the ball so that it does not fall out of

your hand.

Feinting: you can feint with the arm holding the ball or

your body, moving as if planning to throw the ball in the

opposite direction from where you really want it to go.

Get open: this is done by attacking players to get away

from defenders and is the easiest way to receive the

ball.

Marking-covering: the movements made by defending

players to get close to the attackers and prevent them

from receiving the ball or shooting to score, trying also

to intercept the ball.

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2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department

OFFENSE AND DEFENSE In handball all the players play in offense and in defense, everyone

participates in defensive and offensive play at the same time.

Offensive Strategy:

1. Ball handling is the most important aspect of the game. Quick, accurate passes are

essential to a successful offensive attack.

2. Players should maintain proper court spacing so that each player may be an offensive

threat.

3. Players should constantly be cutting towards the goal with or without the ball. This will

force the defense to respect all players on the court and create more scoring

opportunities.

4. Players should move the ball quickly with a minimum of dribbling. Scoring

opportunities develop when sharp, quick passes are used and the defense does not have

time to adjust to new offensive positions.

5. Shooting should not be forced. If a player drives for a shot and is blocked by the

defense, he should pass to a teammate and a new offensive threat should be initiated.

Defensive Strategy:

1. For defensive play or on defense, the defenders position themselves in two lines, the

first next to the area, without entering it, and the second on the nine-meter line, also

known as the free-throw line.

2. It is also possible to use a combination of defensive systems, in which some players

occupy a specific zone determined by the defense used and others mark or play special

defense against the best players on the opposing team.

3. The individual defensive player must cover the player in his zone and at the same time

be aware of opposing players cutting towards one’s zone.

4. An offensive player becomes a threat when in a position to shoot the ball or when

cutting quickly prior to receiving a pass.

5. The defender should position oneself between his opponent and the goal. Once an

offensive player gets around the defender, any interference from behind will likely

result in a penalty shot.

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2º ESO - PE Workbook - IES Joan Miró – Physical Education Department