Handball Rules

What is Handball?

Handball is one of the fastest indoor sports. It is an Olympic sport played more than 150 countries. It is a sport where players are encouraged to be athletic, be flamboyant and inventive, and above all you work together as a team. It helps you keep fit and healthy.
It is a team game where you:

How do you play?

Played with 6 court players and 1 goal keeper per side, the object of the game is to throw the ball into the opponent's goal. Handball is played on a court which is 40 m long by 20 wide. With physical contact, unlimited substitutions and shots at goal that can reach over 100 km/hour, there are always something exciting happening on the field of play.

Who can play?

Virtually anyone. You don't have to be a towering giant. The rules are virtually the same for men's and women's handball. Only the size of the ball is different. For children the ball is smaller. As a guide the ball sizes are as follows:

For under 8 year olds the circumference of the ball is 48 cm and the weight is at least 290 grams (size 0)

For Male youth (8-12 years) and female youth (8-14 years) the circumference of the ball is 50-52 cm and the weight is at least 315 grams (size 1)

For Women, male youth (12-16 years) and female youth (over 14 years) the circumference of the ball is 54-56 cm and the weight is at least 325-400 grams (size 2)

For men or male youth (over 16 years) the circumference of the ball is 58-60 cm and the weight is at least 425-475 grams (size 3)

Players

Each team has 12 players. However, only 7 players take the court at any one time and one of these must be the goal keeper. The reminding players are substitutions during the game. They enter and leave from the substitution area of the court. Players alternate between an attacking position and a defending position, depending on who has possession of the ball. The goal keeper of each team wears a different colour from the rest of the team.