Ball And Court

Handball is played on a court forty meters long by twenty meters wide (40mx20m), with a dividing line in the middle and a goal in the center of either end. The goals are surrounded by a near-semicircular line that is generally six meters (6m) away from the goal. There is also a dashed near-semicircular line that is nine meters (9m) away from the goal.

After a goal has been scored, the team conceding the goal restarts the game. Their players move to the center line. Once a player has the ball under control the referee will blow his whistle to restart play. All players of the team which are restarting the play, must be behind the line on their own half, or else the restarting throw will have to be retaken.

Only the defending goalkeeper is allowed to step inside the six meter (6m) perimeter, though any player may attempt to catch and touch the ball in the air within it. If a player should find himself in contact inside the goal perimeter he must immediately take the most direct path out of it. Should a defender make contact with an attacker while in the goal perimeter, their team is penalized with a direct attempt at the goal, with only one attacker on the seven-meter line and the defending goalkeeper involved. A penalty throw, which must be taken from the seven meter line after the whistle blows, can also be given, if the defender is blocking the attacker's way to goal standing inside the goal perimeter.

The ball is smaller than a football in order for the players to be able to hold and handle it with a single hand (though contact with both hands is perfectly allowed). Some American versions use a volleyball. It is transported by bouncing it between hands and floor — much as in basketball. A player may only hold the ball for three seconds and may only take three steps with the ball in hand. After taking three steps the player will have to make a dribble with one hand in order to continue moving forward, but if the ball is held in both hands after making a dribble and the player makes another dribble, a free throw will be given to the other team for "a double dribble". There are many unofficial rule variations; a common American version allows only a single step with the ball, after which the player must pass the ball to another teammate or shoot.
Handballs come in three sizes. Size 3 for men's game. Size 2 for women's game and Size 1 for juniors. The ball, with a leather casing, ranges in circumference from 58 to 60 centimetres for men and 54 to 56 for women. It weighs 425 to 475 grams for men, 325 to 400 for women.

Information obtained from Wikipedia