Handball

Handball (also known as team handball, European

Handball
handball, Olympic handball[3] or indoor handball)
is a team sport in which two teams of seven players
each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a
ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into
the goal of the opposing team. A standard match
consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team
that scores more goals wins.

Modern handball is played on a court of 40 by 20

metres (131 by 66 ft), with a goal in the middle of
each end. The goals are surrounded by a 6-metre
A handball game in progress at SAP Arena in
(20 ft) zone where only the defending goalkeeper is
Mannheim, Germany.
allowed; goals must be scored by throwing the ball
from outside the zone or while "diving" into it. The Highest IHF
governing body
sport is usually played indoors, but outdoor variants
exist in the forms of field handball, Czech handball First played 2 December 1917 in
Berlin, Germany.[1]
(which were more common in the past) and beach
handball. The game is fast and high-scoring: Registered > 27 million (2016)[2]
players
professional teams now typically score between 20
and 35 goals each, though lower scores were not Characteristics
uncommon until a few decades ago. Body contact is Contact Limited
permitted for the defenders trying to stop the attackers Team members 7 per side (including
from approaching the goal. No protective equipment goalkeeper)
is mandated, but players may wear soft protective Mixed-sex Separate competitions
bands, pads and mouth guards.[4] Type Team sport, ball sport
Equipment Ball and goals
The modern set of rules was published in 1917 by
Venue Indoor court
Karl Schelenz, Max Heiser, and Erich Konigh,[5] on
Presence
29 October in Berlin, which is seen as the date of birth
Country or region Worldwide; but most
of the sport.[1][6] The rules have had several revisions
popular in Europe
since. The first official handball match was played in
Olympic Part of Summer Olympic
1917 in Germany.[1] Karl Schelenz modified the rules
programme in 1936.
in 1919.[5] The first international games were played Demonstrated at the
(under these rules) with men in 1925 (between 1952 Summer Olympics.
Germany and Belgium) and with women in 1930 Returned to the Summer
(between Germany and Austria).[7] Olympic programme in
1972.
Men's handball was first played at the Olympics in the World Games Beach handball: 2001–
1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin outdoors, and the present (invitational sport
next time at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich before 2013)
indoors; handball has been an Olympic sport since then. Women's
handball was added at the 1976 Summer Olympics.[8]

The International Handball Federation was formed in 1946 and, as

of 2016, has 197 member federations.[9] The sport is most popular
in Europe, and European countries have won all medals but one in
the men's world championships since 1938. In the women's world
Handball game highlights video
championships, only two non-European countries have won the
title: South Korea and Brazil. The game also enjoys popularity in
East Asia, North Africa and parts of South America.

Origins and development

Games similar to handball were played in Ancient Greece and are
represented on amphorae and stone carvings. Although detailed
textual reference is rare, there are numerous descriptions of ball
games being played where players throw the ball to one another;
sometimes this is done in order to avoid interception by a player
on the opposing team. Such games were played widely and served
A picture copied from an amphora
as both a form of exercise and a social event.[10] shows youths playing a version of
handball, c. 500 BC.
There is evidence of ancient Roman women playing a version of
handball called expulsim ludere.[11] There are records of handball-
like games in medieval France, and among the Inuit in Greenland, in the Middle Ages. By the 19th
century, there existed similar games of håndbold from Denmark, házená in the Czech Republic, handbol
in Ukraine, and torball in Germany.[12]

The team handball game of today was codified at the end of the 19th century in northern Europe:
primarily in Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. The first written set of team handball rules was
published in 1906 by the Danish gym teacher, lieutenant and Olympic medalist Holger Nielsen from
Ordrup grammar school, north of Copenhagen. The modern set of rules was published by Max Heiser,
Karl Schelenz, and Erich Konigh in 1917[5] on 29 October in Berlin, Germany; this day is therefore seen
as the "date of birth" of the sport.[1][6] The first official handball match was played on 2 December 1917
in Berlin.[1] In 1919 the rules were modified by Karl Schelenz.[5] The first international games were
played under these rules, between Germany and Austria by men in 1925 and between Germany and
Austria by women in 1930.[7]

In 1926, the Congress of World Athletics (then known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation)
nominated a committee to draw up international rules for field handball. The International Amateur
Handball Federation was formed in 1928 and later the International Handball Federation was formed in
1946.

Men's field handball was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. During the next several
decades, indoor handball flourished and evolved in the Scandinavian countries. The sport re-emerged
onto the world stage as men's team handball for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Women's team
handball was added at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.[8][13] Due to its popularity in the region,
the Eastern European countries that refined the event became the dominant force in the sport when it was
reintroduced.

The International Handball Federation organised the men's world championship in 1938 and every four
(sometimes three) years from World War II to 1995. Since the 1995 world championship in Iceland, the
competition has been held every two years. The women's world championship has been held since 1957.
The IHF also organizes women's and men's junior world championships. By July 2009, the IHF listed 166
member federations – approximately 795,000 teams and 19 million players.

Rules
The rules are laid out in the IHF's set of rules, most recently published in 2024.[14]

Summary
Two teams of seven players (six court players plus one goalkeeper) take the court and attempt to score
points by putting the game ball into the opposing team's goal. In handling the ball, players are subject to
the following restrictions:

After receiving the ball, players can pass, keep possession, or shoot the ball.
Players are not allowed to touch the ball with their feet. The goalkeeper is the only player
allowed to use their feet, but only within the goal area.
If possessing the ball, players must dribble (similar to a basketball dribble), or can take up to
three steps for up to three seconds at a time without dribbling.
No attacking or defending players other than the defending goalkeeper are allowed to touch
the floor of the goal area (within six metres of the goal). A shot or pass in the goal area is
valid if completed before touching the floor. Goalkeepers are allowed outside the goal area,
but are not allowed to cross the goal area boundary with the ball in their hands.
The ball may not be passed back to the goalkeeper when they are positioned in the goal
area.
Notable scoring opportunities can occur when attacking players jump into the goal area. For example, an
attacking player may catch a pass while launching toward the inside of the goal area, and then shoot or
pass before touching the floor. Doubling occurs when a diving attacking player passes to another diving
teammate.

Playing court
Handball is played on a court 40 by 20 metres (131 ft 3 in × 65 ft 7 in), with a goal in the centre of each
end. The goals are surrounded by a near-semicircular area, called the zone or the crease, defined by a line
six metres from the goal. A dashed near-semicircular line nine metres from the goal marks the free-throw
line. Each line on the court is part of the area it encompasses; the centre line belongs to both halves at the
same time.

Goals
The goals are two metres high and three metres wide. They must
be securely bolted either to the floor or the wall behind.

The goal posts and the crossbar must be made out of the same
material (e.g., wood or aluminium) and feature a quadratic cross
section with sides of 8 cm (3 in). The three sides of the beams
visible from the playing court must be painted alternatingly in two
contrasting colors which both have to contrast against the
background. The colors on both goals must be the same.

Each goal must feature a net. This must be fastened in such a way
that a ball thrown into the goal does not leave or pass the goal
under normal circumstances. If necessary, a second net may be
clasped to the back of the net on the inside.

Crease
The goals are surrounded by the crease, also called the zone. This
area is delineated by two quarter circles with a radius of six metres Schematic diagram of a handball
court
around the far corners of each goal post and a connecting line
parallel to the goal line. Only the defending goalkeeper is allowed
inside this zone. However, court players may catch and touch the
ball in the air within it as long as the player starts their jump
outside the zone and releases the ball before they land (landing
inside the perimeter is allowed in this case as long as the ball has
been released).

If a player without the ball contacts the ground inside the goal
perimeter, or the line surrounding the perimeter, they must take the
most direct path out of it. However, should a player cross the zone
An outdoor handball court
in an attempt to gain an advantage (e.g., better position) their team
cedes the ball. Similarly, violation of the zone by a defending
player is penalized only if they do so in order to gain an advantage in defending.

Substitution area
Outside of one long edge of the court to both sides of the middle line are the substitution areas for each
team. Team officials, substitutes, and suspended players must wait within this area. A team's area is the
same side as the goal the team is defending; during halftime, substitution areas are swapped. Any player
entering or leaving the play must cross the substitution line which is part of the side line and extends 4.5
metres (15 ft) from the middle line to the team's side.

Duration
A standard match has two 30-minute halves with a 10- or 15-minute (major Championships/Olympics)
halftime intermission. At half-time, teams switch sides of the court as well as benches. For youths, the
length of the halves is reduced—25 minutes at ages 12 to 15, and 20 minutes at ages 8 to 11; though
national federations of some countries may differ in their implementation from the official guidelines.[14]
If a decision must be reached in a particular match (e.g., in a
tournament) and it ends in a draw after regular time, there are at
maximum two overtimes, each consisting of two straight 5-minute
periods with a one-minute break in between. If these does not
decide the game either, then the winning team is determined in a
penalty shootout (best-of-five rounds; if still tied, extra rounds are
added until one team wins).

The referees may call timeout according to their sole discretion;

typical reasons are injuries, suspensions, or court cleaning. Penalty Team timeout
throws should trigger a timeout only for lengthy delays, such as a
change of the goalkeeper.

Since 2012, teams can call 3 team timeouts per game (up to two per half), which last one minute each.
This right may only be invoked by the team in possession of the ball. Team representatives must show a
green card marked with a black T on the timekeeper's desk. The timekeeper then immediately interrupts
the game by sounding the buzzer to stop the clock. Before 2012, teams were allowed only one timeout
per half. For the purpose of calling timeouts, overtime and shootouts are extensions of the second half.

Referees
A handball match is adjudicated by two equal referees. Some national bodies allow games with only a
single referee in special cases like illness on short notice. Should the referees disagree on any occasion, a
decision is made on mutual agreement during a short timeout; or, in case of punishments, the more severe
of the two comes into effect. The referees are obliged to make their decisions "on the basis of their
observations of facts".[15] Their judgements are final and can be appealed against only if not in
compliance with the rules. Officials can look to TV replays, as needed.

The referees position themselves in such a way that

the team players are confined between them. They
stand diagonally aligned so that each can observe one
side line. Depending on their positions, one is called
court referee and the other goal referee. These
positions automatically switch on ball turnover. They
physically exchange their positions approximately
The referees (blue shirts) keep both teams
every 10 minutes (long exchange), and change sides
between them.
every five minutes (short exchange).

The IHF defines 18 hand signals for quick visual communication with players and officials. The signal
for warning is accompanied by a yellow card.[16] A disqualification for the game is indicated by a red
card,[17] followed by a blue card if the disqualification will be accompanied by a report.[18] The referees
also use whistle blows to indicate infractions or to restart the play.
The referees are supported by a scorekeeper and a timekeeper who attend to formal things such as
keeping track of goals and suspensions, or starting and stopping the clock, respectively. They also keep an
eye on the benches and notify the referees on substitution errors. Their desk is located between the two
substitution areas.

Team players, substitutes, and officials

Each team consists of seven players on court and seven substitute players on the bench. One player on the
court must be the designated goalkeeper, differing in his clothing from the rest of the court players.
Substitution of players can be done in any number and at any time during game play. An exchange takes
place over the substitution line. A prior notification of the referees is not necessary.

Some national bodies, such as the Deutsche Handball Bund (DHB, "German Handball Federation"),
allow substitution in junior teams only when in ball possession or during timeouts. This restriction is
intended to prevent early specialization of players to offence or defence.

Court players
Court players are allowed to touch the ball with any part of their bodies above and including the knee. As
in several other team sports, a distinction is made between catching and dribbling. A player who is in
possession of the ball may stand stationary for only three seconds, and may take only three steps. They
must then either shoot, pass, or dribble the ball. Taking more than three steps at any time is considered
travelling, and results in a turnover. A player may dribble as many times as they want (though, since
passing is faster, it is the preferred method of attack), as long as during each dribble the hand contacts
only the top of the ball. Therefore, carrying is completely prohibited, and results in a turnover. After the
dribble is picked up, the player has the right to another three seconds or three steps. The ball must then be
passed or shot, as further holding or dribbling will result in a double dribble turnover and a free throw for
the other team. Other offensive infractions that result in a turnover include charging and setting an illegal
screen. Carrying the ball into the six-metre zone results either in ball possession by the goalkeeper (by
attacker) or turnover (by defender).

Goalkeeper
Only the goalkeepers are allowed to move freely within the goal perimeter, although they may not cross
the goal perimeter line while carrying or dribbling the ball. Within the zone, they are allowed to touch the
ball with all parts of their bodies, including their feet, with a defensive aim (for other actions, they are
subject to the same restrictions as the court players). The goalkeepers may participate in the normal play
of their teammates. A regular court player may substitute for the goalkeeper if a team elects to use this
scheme in order to outnumber the defending players. Prior to 2015, this court player became the
designated goalkeeper on the court and had to wear some vest or bib the same color as the goalkeeper's
shirt to be identified as such. A rule change meant to make the game more offensive now allows any
player to substitute for the goalkeeper without becoming a designated goalkeeper. The new rule
resembles the one used in ice hockey. This rule was first used in the women's world championship in
December 2015 and has since been used by the men's European championship in January 2016 and by
both genders in the Olympic tournament in 2016. This rule change has led to a drastic increase of empty
net goals.
If either goalkeeper deflects the ball over the outer goal line, their team stays in possession of the ball, in
contrast to other sports like football. The goalkeeper resumes the play with a throw from within the zone
("goalkeeper throw"). In a penalty shot or directly taken free throw, throwing the ball against the head of
a goalkeeper who is not moving will lead to a direct disqualification ("red card"). Hitting a non-moving
goalkeeper's head out of regular play will lead to a two-minute suspension as long as the player threw
without obstruction.

Outside of own D-zone, the goalkeeper is treated as an ordinary court player, and has to follow court
players' rules; holding or tackling an opponent player outside the area risks a direct disqualification. The
goalkeeper may not return to the area with the ball. Passing to one's own goalkeeper results in a turnover.

Team officials
Each team is allowed to have a maximum of four team officials seated on the benches. An official is
anybody who is neither player nor substitute. One official must be the designated representative who is
usually the team manager. Since 2012, representatives can call up to 3 team timeouts (up to twice per
half), and may address the scorekeeper, timekeeper, and referees (before that, it was once per half);
overtime and shootouts are considered extensions of the second half. Other officials typically include
physicians or managers. No official is allowed to enter the playing court without the permission of the
referees.

Ball
The ball is spherical and must be made either of leather or a
synthetic material. It is not allowed to have a shiny or slippery
surface. As the ball is intended to be operated by a single hand, its
official sizes vary depending on age and gender of the
participating teams.

A size III handball

Circumference Circumference Weight Weight

Size Class
(cm) (in) (g) (oz)

III Men over 16 58–60 23–24 425–475 15.0–16.8

II Women over 14, men over 12 54–56 21–22 325–375 11.5–13.2

I Junior over 8 50–52 20–20 290–330 10–12

Awarded throws
The referees may award a special throw to a team. This usually happens after certain events such as
scored goals, off-court balls, turnovers and timeouts. All of these special throws require the thrower to
obtain a certain position, and pose restrictions on the positions of all other players. Sometimes the
execution must wait for a whistle blow by the referee.

Throw-off
 A throw-off takes place from the center of the court. The thrower must touch the middle
line with one foot, and all the other offensive players must stay in their half until the
referee restarts the game. The defending players must keep a distance of at least three
metres from the thrower until the ball leaves his hand. A throw-off occurs at the beginning
of each period and after the opposing team scores a goal. It must be cleared by the
referees.

Modern handball introduced the "fast throw-off" concept; i.e., the play will be immediately
restarted by the referees as soon as the executing team fulfills its requirements. Many
teams leverage this rule to score easy goals before the opposition has time to form a
stable defense line.

Throw-in
The team which did not touch the ball last is awarded a throw-in when the ball fully
crosses the side line or touches the ceiling. If the ball crosses the outer goal line, a throw-
in is awarded only if the defending court players touched the ball last. Execution requires
the thrower to place one foot on the nearest outer line to the cause. All defending players
must keep a distance of three metres (9.8 ft). However, they are allowed to stand
immediately outside their own goal area even when the distance is less than three metres.

Goalkeeper-throw
If the ball crosses the outer goal line without interference from the defending team or
when deflected by the defending team's goalkeeper, or when the attacking team violates
the D-zone as described above, a goalkeeper-throw is awarded to the defending team.
This is the most common turnover. The goalkeeper resumes the play with a throw from
anywhere within the goal area.

Free-throw
A free-throw restarts the play after an interruption by the referees. It takes places from the
spot where the interruption was caused, as long as this spot is outside of the free-throw
line of the opposing team. In the latter case, the throw is deferred to the nearest spot on
the free-throw line. Free-throws are the equivalent to free-kicks in association football;
however, conceding them is typically not seen as poor sportsmanship for the defending
side, and in itself, they carry no major disadvantages. (In particular, being awarded a free
throw while being on warning for passive play will not reset the warning, whereas a shot
on goal will.) The thrower may take a direct attempt for a goal which, however, is rarely
feasible if the defending team has organised a defense. However, if a free throw is
awarded and the half or game ends, a direct throw at the goal is typically attempted, which
occasionally goes in.

Seven-metre throw
A seven-metre throw is awarded when a clear chance
of scoring is illegally prevented anywhere on the court
by an opposing team player, official, or spectator. It is
awarded also when the referees have interrupted a
legitimate scoring chance for any reason. The thrower
steps with one foot behind the 7-metre line with only
the defending goalkeeper between him and the goal.
The goalkeeper must keep a distance of 3 metres
away, which is marked by a short tick on the floor. All
A seven-metre throw
other players must remain behind the free-throw line
until execution and the defending court players must
keep a distance of three metres. The thrower must
await the whistle blow of the referee. A seven-metre throw is the equivalent to a penalty
kick in association football; however, it is far more common and typically occurs several
 times in a single game. It is thus tactically similar to free throw percentage in basketball
and teams will try to have their best seven metre throwers execute those throws.

Penalties
Penalties are given to players, in progressive format, for fouls that
require more punishment than just a free-throw. Actions directed
mainly at the opponent and not the ball (such as reaching around,
holding, pushing, tripping, and jumping into opponent) as well as
contact from the side, from behind a player or impeding the
opponent's counterattack are all considered illegal and are subject
to penalty. Any infraction that prevents a clear scoring opportunity
will result in a seven-metre penalty shot.
Yellow card shown in a handball
Typically the referee will give a warning yellow card for an illegal match
action; but, if the contact was particularly dangerous, like striking
the opponent in the head, neck or throat, the referee can forego the
warning for an immediate two-minute suspension. Players are warned once before given a yellow card;
they risk being red-carded if they receive three two-minute suspensions.

A red card results in an ejection from the game and a two-minute penalty for the team. A player may
receive a red card directly for particularly rough penalties. For instance, any contact from behind during a
fast break is now being treated with a red card; as does any deliberate intent to injure opponents. A red-
carded player has to leave the playing area completely. A player who is disqualified may be substituted
with another player after the two-minute penalty is served. A coach or official can also be penalized
progressively. Any coach or official who receives a two-minute suspension will have to pull out one of
their players for two minutes; however, the player is not the one punished, and can be substituted in
again, as the penalty consists of the team playing with one fewer player than the opposing team.

After referees award the ball to the opponents for whatever reason, the player currently in possession of
the ball has to lay it down quickly, or risk a two-minute suspension. Also, gesticulating or verbally
questioning the referee's order, as well as arguing with the officials' decisions, will normally risk a yellow
card. If the suspended player protests further, does not walk straight off the court to the bench, or if the
referee deems the tempo deliberately slow, that player risks a double yellow card. Illegal substitution
(outside of the dedicated area, or if the replacement player enters too early) is prohibited; if they do, they
risk a yellow card.

Gameplay

Formations
Players are typically referred to by the positions they
are playing. The positions are always denoted from
the view of the respective goalkeeper, so that a
defender on the right opposes an attacker on the left.
However, not all of the following positions may be
occupied depending on the formation or potential
suspensions.

Offense
Left and right wingman. These typically are
fast players who excel at ball control and
wide jumps from the outside of the goal
perimeter in order to get into a better
shooting angle at the goal. Teams usually try
to occupy the left position with a right-handed Positions of attacking (red) and defending players
player and vice versa. (blue), in a 5–1 defense formation
Left and right backcourt. Goal attempts by
these players are typically made by jumping
high and shooting over the defenders. Thus,
it is usually advantageous to have tall players
with a powerful shot for these positions.
Centre backcourt. A player with experience is
preferred on this position who acts as
playmaker and the handball equivalent of a
basketball point guard.
Pivot (left and right, if applicable), also
commonly called "line player". This player
tends to intermingle with the defence, setting
picks and attempting to disrupt the defence's
formation. This position requires the least
jumping skills; but ball control and physical
strength are advantages.
Sometimes, the offense uses formations with two
pivot players. Positions of attacking (red) and defending players
(blue), in a 6–0 defense formation

Defense
There are many variations in defensive formations. Usually, they are described as n:m formations, where
n is the number of players defending at the goal line and m the number of players defending more
offensive. Exceptions are the 3:2:1 defense and n+m formation (e.g. 5+1), where m players defend some
offensive player in man coverage (instead of the usual zone coverage).

Far left and far right. The opponents of the wingmen.

Half left and half right. The opponents of the left and right backcourts.
Back center (left and right). Opponent of the pivot.
 Front center. Opponent of the center backcourt, may also be set against another specific
backcourt player.

Offensive play
Attacks are played with all court players on the side of the defenders. Depending on the speed of the
attack, one distinguishes between three attack waves with a decreasing chance of success:

First wave
First wave attacks are characterised by the absence of
defending players around their goal perimeter. The
chance of success is very high, as the throwing player
is unhindered in his scoring attempt. Such attacks
typically occur after an intercepted pass or a steal, and
if the defending team can switch fast to offence. The
far left or far right will usually try to run the attack, as
they are not as tightly bound in the defence. On a
turnover, they immediately sprint forward and receive
the ball halfway to the other goal. Thus, these Women's handball – a jump shot
positions are commonly held by quick players. completes a fast-break.

Second wave
If the first wave is not successful and some defending
players have gained their positions around the zone,
the second wave comes into play: the remaining
players advance with quick passes to locally
outnumber the retreating defenders. If one player
manages to step up to the perimeter or catches the
ball at this spot, he becomes unstoppable by legal
defensive means. From this position, the chance of
success is naturally very high. Second wave attacks
became much more important with the "fast throw-off"
rule.

Third wave Men's handball – a jump shot (Kiril

The time during which the second wave may be Lazarov, world record-holder for the
successful is very short, as then the defenders closed number of goals scored in one world
the gaps around the zone. In the third wave, the championship)
attackers use standardised attack patterns usually
involving crossing and passing between the back court
players who either try to pass the ball through a gap to their pivot, take a jumping shot
from the backcourt at the goal, or lure the defence away from a wingman.

The third wave evolves into the normal offensive play when all defenders not only reach the zone, but
gain their accustomed positions. Some teams then substitute specialised offence players. However, this
implies that these players must play in the defence should the opposing team be able to switch quickly to
offence. The latter is another benefit for fast playing teams.

If the attacking team does not make sufficient progress (eventually releasing a shot on goal), the referees
can call passive play (since 1995, the referee gives an advance warning by holding one hand high,
signalling that the attacking team should release a shot soon), turning control over to the other team. A
shot on goal or an infringement leading to a yellow card or two-minute penalty will mark the start of a
new attack, causing the hand to be taken down; but a shot blocked by the defense or a normal free throw
will not. This rule prevents an attacking team from stalling the game indefinitely, as it is difficult to
intercept a pass without at the same time conceding dangerous openings towards the goal.

Defensive play
The usual formations of the defense are 6–0, when all the defense players line up between the 6-metre
(20 ft) and 9-metre (30 ft) lines to form a wall; the 5–1, when one of the players cruises outside the 9-
metre (30 ft) perimeter, usually targeting the center forwards while the other 5 line up on the 6-metre
(20 ft) line; and the less common 4–2 when there are two such defenders out front. Very fast teams will
also try a 3–3 formation which is close to a switching man-to-man style. The formations vary greatly
from country to country, and reflect each country's style of play. 6–0 is sometimes known as "flat
defense", and all other formations are usually called "offensive defense".

Organization
Handball teams are usually organised as clubs. On a national level, the clubs are associated in federations
which organize matches in leagues and tournaments.

International body
The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the administrative and controlling body for international
handball. Handball is an Olympic sport played during the Summer Olympics.[19]

The IHF organizes world championships, held in odd-numbered years, with separate competitions for
men and women.[20] The IHF World Men's Handball Championship 2023 title holders are Denmark.[21]
The IHF World Women's Handball Championship 2023 title holder is France.[22]

The IHF is composed of five continental federations: Asian Handball Federation, African Handball
Confederation, Pan-American Team Handball Federation, European Handball Federation and Oceania
Handball Federation. These federations organize continental championships held every other second year.
Handball is played during the Pan American Games,[23] All-Africa Games,[24] and Asian Games.[19] It is
also played at the Mediterranean Games. In addition to continental competitions between national teams,
the federations arrange international tournaments between club teams.[25]

International competitions
Nor.Ca. Handball Championship (men, women)

National competitions

Europe
Austria: Handball Liga Austria
Belgium: BENE-League Handball (shared competition with the Netherlands)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Handball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia: Croatian First League of Handball
Czech Republic: Czech Handball Extraliga
Denmark: Damehåndboldligaen (women), Jack & Jones Ligaen (men)
England: England Handball Association
Finland: Finnish Handball League
France: Liqui Moly Starligue (men), Ligue Butagaz Énergie (women)
Germany: Handball-Bundesliga, Handball-Bundesliga (women)
Greece: Greek Men's handball championship
Hungary: Nemzeti Bajnokság I (men), Nemzeti Bajnokság I (women)
Iceland: Olís deildin
Israel: Ligat Winner
Italy: Serie A Gold
Montenegro: First League (men), First League (women), Second League (men), Second
League (women)
Netherlands: BENE-League Handball (shared competition with Belgium), Eredivisie
(women)
North Macedonia: Macedonian Handball Super League
Norway: Eliteserien (men's handball), Eliteserien (women's handball)
Poland: Polish Superliga (men's handball), Ekstraklasa (women's handball)
Portugal: Andebol 1 (men), 1ª Divisão Feminino (women)
Romania: Liga Națională (men), Liga Naţională (women)
Russia: Men's Championship, Women's Championship, Women's Handball Cup, Men's
Handball Cup, Women's Handball Super Cup, Men's Handball Super Cup
Scotland: Scottish Handball League
Serbia: Serbian First League of Handball
Slovakia: Slovenská hadzanárska extraliga
Slovenia: Slovenian First League of Handball, Handball Cup of Slovenia
Spain: Liga ASOBAL, División de Plata de Balonmano
Sweden: Handbollsligan (men), Svensk handbollselit (women)
Turkey: Handball Super League (men), Women's Handball Super League (women)

Other
Angola: Angola Men's Handball League (men), Angola Women's Handball League (women)
Argentina: Confederación Argentina de Handball
Australia: Australian Handball Club Championship, Handball League Australia, Australian
National Handball Championship (States)
Egypt: Egyptian Handball League
Japan: Japan Handball League
Korea: Handball Korea League
Tahiti: Tahitian Handball League
United States: USA Team Handball Nationals, USA Team Handball College Nationals

Attendance records
The worldwide attendance record for seven-a-side handball was set on 10 January 2024 in Düsseldorf,
Germany, during the two opening matches of the 2024 European Men's Handball Championship. The two
games (France versus North Macedonia and Germany against Switzerland) were played in front of
53,586 spectators.[26]

Commemorative coins
Handball events have been selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins. One of the recent
samples is the €10 Greek Handball commemorative coin, minted in 2003 to commemorate the 2004
Summer Olympics. On the coin, the modern athlete directs the ball in his hands towards his target, while
in the background the ancient athlete is just about to throw a ball, in a game known as cheirosphaira, in a
representation taken from a black-figure pottery vase of the Archaic period.[27]

The most recent commemorative coin featuring handball is the British 50 pence coin, part of the series of
coins commemorating the London 2012 Olympic Games.[28]

See also

Sports portal

Beach handball
Czech handball
Field handball
Handball at the Summer Olympics
Handball in the United States
Water polo, a similar sport played in water
Wheelchair handball

References
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Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 3 May 2017.

External links
Media related to Handball at Wikimedia Commons
International Handball Federation (http://www.ihf.info/)
Team Handball News – Handball news and commentary (http://www.teamhandballnews.co
m/)
Basic Rules (http://usadth.tripod.com/rules.html/)

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