Handball is an exciting and fast-paced team sport that is extremely popular in Europe and gaining popularity in the US. It combines the techniques of basketball and soccer, which turns it into a competitive and interesting game to watch and play. Teams dribble, shoot, and pass the ball to score goals against the opposing team.
But, you don't need a whole team to play handball; you can gather up a few friends and give it a go. You can play singles or doubles in handball, which happens to be the most popular version of the sport in the US. You have to score against an opponent in a room that has two, three, or even four walls. If you wish to know how to play this game, then keep reading for more on handball.
The main objective of handball is to keep the ball inside the goal post and score a goal. The team that scores the highest amount of goals within the time given is considered the winner. A handball player must be able to make very quick movements with their bodies in order to score goals.
Understanding Players In A Handball Game
Offensive Formation
An offensive team is usually formed before the game starts and it comprises a right and left wingman. These are typically the first players. They should have excellent jumping abilities and are required to get the best shooting angles.
The Left and Right and Backcourt
These are players who are very tall, as they are required to shoot over the defender. A goal defended by a left and right backcourt player is usually done through jumping.
Center Back Out
This is a player who usually plays in their position, and they are known as the playmaker. They make chances for the other players to score goals, and they maintain an appropriate pass of the ball to the other players. This player is usually the most experienced on the team.
Defensive Formation
This is done depending on the planning and experience of the players on the team. Defenders are usually described as a:b formation where “a” stands for the number of players defending the goal line, while “b” is the number of players.
There are usually different defending formations, which include the following.
- Half left and right
- Far left and right
- Back center and the front center
A Quick Glimpse Of The Game Of Handball
This point will look at the initial part of the game, as a demonstration of how the ball usually gets passed between the players and how the defenders usually defend the opposing team. It shall also give you the various modes of scoring the goal, as the main aim of the game is to score as many goals as possible so you can be declared the winner.
First of all, all the referees usually decide the team that will start the throw by tossing a coin in the air. The toss-winning captain decides to either throw the ball or pass it on to the opposing team.
The players must then pass the ball amongst themselves before they can move towards the defending goal’s post. If the ball from an attacking player goes on to the defending player’s hand, then they start attacking the ball by passing it among themselves.
If the attacking team ends up scoring a goal, the play is usually resumed by throwing the ball from the center of the court. The defending player usually does this. In this way, the game continues until the time allotted for the match is exhausted.
In case there is a violation of the rules by any of the players, appropriate punishment is usually decided and given by the referee, and this may consist of a penalty shoot.
How To Score Goals
A ball can only be considered to be a goal if it completely passes over the goal line. If this happens, the play is then restarted as mentioned above, by throwing the ball from the center of the court. The non-scoring team usually does this. Here are some other scoring rules.
- A player can only shoot at a goal post if they are outside the goal area.
- It is only the goalkeeper who is allowed inside of the goal area.
- A player can shoot a goal from the goal area if he is already in the air and must shoot before he lands.
- The goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball with their feet but only when he is saving the goal, not when he is directing it out of the goal area.
- An attacker or a defender is never allowed to cross into the goal area while the game is in play, as this can give them some unwanted advantage to score.
Conclusion
Most people have probably only ever seen handball in a movie and wondered if it even exists as a sport where they live. Handball is gaining popularity around the world. It isn't just a fun sport; it can also help you burn some major calories. The above information should give you enough details to help you get out and play a round or two with your friends and family or maybe even take it further down the professional route.