The Sport of Handball

Around a year ago, I was watching the 2024 Paris Olympics and browsing the sports selection when a sport called “handball” caught my eye. Because I had never heard of handball, I decided to watch a few games. Fast forward to now, when I want to share this sport with you! I hope you enjoy.

There are two types of handball: beach handball and indoor handball. In this article, I go over indoor handball, not beach handball. There is also a sport called American handball, which is totally different from handball. You may also know American handball as wallball. Unfortunately, there are no youth handball clubs in Washington. The nearest club is actually all the way down in the San Francisco area.

Let’s start with the basics. Handball uses a ball about 2 inches smaller than a volleyball but built like a soccer ball. The sport is played on a court 40 meters long and 20 meters wide, forming a rectangle. There are two goals placed on either side of the court. They have an interior height of 2 meters and a width of 3 meters. You score by throwing the ball into the net from outside the 6-meter line. There are 7 players for each side on the court at one time, one being the goalie. Only the goalie is allowed inside the 6-meter line. A player is only allowed to take three steps while possessing the ball before they shoot, pass, or dribble.

The first record of a handball-like game was in Ancient Greece. After that, handball was said to travel through Rome before arriving in France. The first set of handball rules were published in 1906 by a Danish gym teacher who was a silver and bronze medalist at the 1896 Athens Olympics, which was the first modern Olympic games. The International Handball Federation (IHF), which is today’s leading handball organization, was formed in 1948. By 2009, there were more than 166 members of the IHF and nearly 19 million players. 

IHF also organizes the handball World Cup. The handball World Cup happens annually at a different location each time. France has the most wins at 6, followed by Sweden, Denmark, and Romania tied at four. The World Cup has happened 29 times, but only twelve teams have won it.

Unfortunately, the U.S. did not qualify for the 2024 Olympics, but because they are hosting the summer Olympics in 2028, they will be participating. So next time you are looking through the TV channels and you see handball, watch for a little bit. It could be your new favorite sport.