Handball

▪ Practical Team Sports

▪ Mr Daniel Attard
 What is handball?
• Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball)

• 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.
Equipment
 Male and female
handballs

▪ Size 2: the size 2 handballs (circumference 54-56 cm and weight 325-375 grams) are the official
playing balls in the women's competition (from 14 years). Boys who are active in the C youth and B
youth (12 to 16 years) also play with the handball in size 2.

▪ Size 3: the size 3 handballs (circumference 58-60 cm and weight 425-475 grams) are the official
playing balls in the men's competition (from 16 years)
The court

▪ The handball court is 40 meters

long and 20 meters wide.
▪ Equally divided by the centre line.
▪ The goal is 3 meters wide and 2
meters in height.
▪ On a handball court, there
should be a safety zone of 1
metre along the side lines and
2 metres behind the goal lines
 Common handball terminology
Attack: The team’s activity that begins with gaining possession of the ball and ends with losing
possession of the ball.

Attacker: Member of attacking team.

Breakthrough: When an attacker penetrates the defence and creates a close-range shooting
opportunity.

Defence: The team’s activity that begins with losing possession of the ball and ends with regaining
possession of the ball.

Defender: Member of defending team.

 Common handball terminology
Dribbling: In handball, attacking players are allowed to repeatedly hit the top of the ball with their hand whether they are standing in
the basic position or moving up the court. Unlike basketball, attacking players are not allowed to palm, carry, or manoeuvre the ball
in such a way as to break this striking pattern. Dribbling/ Bouncing:

Faking: An essential element to all attacking situations is the use of faking, which includes pass faking, shot faking and body faking.
The purpose of faking is to disengage from the defender, to move the goalie into a disadvantageous position, or to create space
during pressure play. Fakes have two primary phases: the first is the prompt, which is the suggestion of a movement or techni que,
and the second is the escape, which follows immediately after the defender’s movement, and must be made very quickly to take
advantage of the opening. Fakes can be made by attackers without and with the ball.

Fast break: The fast break is the period immediately after the defence regains possession of the ball and includes three phases
(waves): simple fast break, extended fast break, and complete fast break. These waves move from individual to small group (usually
with numerical advantage) to the entire unit taking advantage of a defence that has not fully formed into a cohesive unit.

Marking: The most basic form of defence in handball, marking, is a man-to-man defence that is introduced to small children during
Handball at School and mini handball. The use of marking is an important tactical element for children to learn, as it creates a
favourable environment for young players to learn essential 1v1 playing skills.
 Common handball terminology
Penetration: When the offence gains a high percentage shot by moving through two defenders.

Piston movement: A technical-tactical element executed in attack by continually moving forwards and backwards.

Pressure play: A tactical element where a small group of attacking players work together using an array of technical-
tactical elements to create a high percentage scoring opportunity by attacking multiple gaps at the same time.

Side-stepping: The basic movement for attacking players, side-stepping, is a lateral technical footwork movement used
to evade defenders

Strategy: The overall plan to achieve a goal.

Tactic: An action a player, group or team takes using a series of technical elements to achieve desired goals.

Technique: A movement created within the limitations of the rules.

Throughshot: A scoring attempt from long range that attempts to go through or over the defensive line.
Clip showing fakes, side-stepping and other mentioned terminology
 General Laws of the Game

Two male or two female

A team consists of 6 field
teams playing against each
players and 1 goalkeeper
other.

For official matches, a game

There can be a total of 10 to
is played as two 30-minute
16 players on a handball
halves, with a ten-minute
team all together.
break in between

‘Kicking’ - Handball players

(other than the goalkeeper) Handball fouls - No tripping,
must not kick the ball. If the pushing, hitting, clinching,
ball touches the foot, then charging or holding is
possession is awarded to the allowed in handball.
opposition.
The six-metre line - No handball
player (other than the
goalkeeper) is allowed in the
goal area (inside the 6m line).
Exceptions are after a shot on
goal, when the player jumps into
the area and shoots the ball
before landing in the goal area.

‘Walking’ - If a handball player

takes more than three steps
without dribbling (bouncing the
ball) or holds the ball for more
than 3 seconds without bouncing
it, shooting or passing, then that
is deemed ‘walking' and
possession is lost.

'Double dribble’ - Handball

players cannot receive the ball
and bounce it, then hold the ball,
and bounce it again. This is
termed ‘double dribble’ and is
against the rules.
 Playing positions
▪ A competitive handball team consists of seven players per side, with
all players (with the exception of the goalkeeper) being
interchangeable during the game.
• The goalkeeper – responsible for defending the goal.
• Left wing - this attacking player is usually right-handed and covers
the left-hand side of the court. In defence, they stand on the far left
side touch line and in attack they provide counter-attacks down the
left-hand side of the court.
• Right wing - has the same responsibilities as the left wing down the
opposite side.
• Left back - the left back stands to the left of the centre back and
tries to prevent the opposition from shooting. In possession of the
ball they should initiate counter-attacks and often shoot from
distance.
• Right back - has the same responsibilities as the left back down the
opposite side.
• Centre back – the centre back stands in the middle of the court and
provides both defending and attacking options.
• Pivot - the pivot is an attacking player who travels along the
opponent's six-metre line. They must work well with their team's
centre back to initiate attacking strategies and are required to shoot
in a range of positions. In defence, they play in front of their team
and try to close down the opposition's attacks.
Officiating
▪ A game of handball is officiated by four officials – two referees, a scorekeeper and a timekeeper.
The referees are positioned diagonally on court to observe a side line each and, depending on
who is attacking, one is called field referee and the other goal referee.
▪ Officials have a whistle and 18 hand signals to communicate the decision that has been made
and use a yellow and red system to warn or remove players.
The pivot
 Group task
▪ Many of the game actions are based to the pivot player movements, finding an optimal
solution to score by the back or wing player being the result of her screening and
sliding. To achieve more efficient realisation of this tasks the pivot player must have
qualities such as: fine motor skills, power, speed and a good mental balance.

▪ Design 3 exercises related to the pivot. Exercises must be within a handball training
session.
The
goalkeeper
▪ Most defensive player of the
team.

▪ Main task is to prevent the other

team from scoring a goal.

▪ goalkeeper has to wear a jersey

that is different in colour to all
the other jerseys of the players
on the field, including the other
team's goalkeeper.
▪ Most goalkeepers also wear special long trousers and male goalkeepers always wear a jockstrap (an
undergarment serving protection purposes).

▪ Unlike in football, handball goalkeepers do not equip with gloves. Additional protective gear like face
masks and helmets had been discussed in the early days of the game, but are nowadays prohibited

▪ Goal - the ball fully passes the goal line.

▪ The game has become much more fast-paced over the years which demands that the goalkeeper has
to bring the ball back into play very fast, leading to fast breaks or turnovers which provide very good
scoring chances.

▪ In some situation the goalkeeper even scores a goal himself by taking advantage of the fact that the
other team's goalie is too far away from his own goal and throwing the ball across the whole field into
the empty goal.
▪ Important characteristics of a
goalkeeper:
1. Height
2. Quick reflexes
3. Quick comprehension
4. Distinct anticipation ability
5. Jumping power
6. Flexibility
Basic position
Goalkeeper training
 Rules associated with goalkeeper
▪ The goalie is allowed to step out of the goal area and onto the playing field when not in possession
of the ball at all times.

▪ If the ball crosses the outer goal line outside the goalposts and the goalkeeper was the last player to
touch the ball, the keeper gets the ball to execute a goalkeeper-throw inside the goal area. However,
if the ball crosses the sideline the opposing team gets the ball for a throw-in.

▪ It is allowed to take out the goalkeeper and to play with seven on court players

▪ Goalies are not allowed to leave the goal area while in possession of the ball.

▪ Goalies are not allowed to enter the goal area after obtaining possession outside the goal area.

▪ A player may not pass back to their goalie, while the goalkeeper is in the crease. Additionally,
sideline throws may not be played to the goalie while in the crease.
 Left back and Right back players
▪ Situated between the left and right
wingers and the center players when
attacking.

▪ During defence, the LB and RB drop in to

defend the left and right halves
respectively.

▪ These players need to be very physical.

They need to be able to jump over
defenders to get shots off from a
distance.

▪ Ideally to be tall players having upper

body strength to get long-range shots
 Center back
▪ Generally, the most experienced player on
the team

▪ As the playmaker of the offence, the CB

must organize the offence to get a good shot
on goal

▪ Directs the players before finding the right

pass to get a good scoring opportunity

▪ The CB also directs organizes and directs

the defensive formation

▪ A good CB requires a proactive, creative,

and attacking mindset as well as the
experience to know how the opposition
might react to certain offensive movements
 Left and Right Wings
▪ The LW and RW hold similar roles in offence and
defence

▪ These are typically fast players as they constantly

have to go up and down the court quickly.

▪ LW player is usually right handed so as to be able

to get shots from the left side of the court. RW
player is usually/more advantageous to be left
handed.

▪ The wingers use wide jumps from the outside of the

court to jump into the middle for a better shooting
angle.

▪ On defence, the wingers role is to drop back into

the left/right sides and defend against the
opponents wingers, attempting to cut off their
shooting angles by staying in front of them.
 Pivot/Centre Forward
▪ The pivot (also known as CF) has a unique
offensive job.

▪ Distracts the defence by running around the

defensive formations, causing havoc so that the
offence might exploit defensive breakdowns.

▪ The pivot is also a valuable player to pass and

receive the ball from, constantly moving to
distract the defence.

▪ On defence, the CF becomes the back centre of

the defence and block any incoming shots.

▪ Good qualities of a CF include: strength, agility,

good control of passes, ability to pass/receive
from very tight places.
Defending
Defensive Tactics
 Defence in zone 6: 0
▪ Composed of only one line of defense with six players, it
is a system that reduces the spaces next to the goal
area, which makes it difficult for the pivots to work.

▪ The players move according to the trajectory of the ball,

to the right and to the left.

▪ They are also effective in coverage, do not allow short

shots and infiltrations into the goal area.

▪ If there is a counterattack, the defenders of the ends

can leave easily, as the defense area is covered by the
other players.

▪ However, it is a weak system in midfield shooting, and

ineffective in stealing the ball.
 Defence in zone 5:1
▪ Tactical system formed by two lines of defense, one with five players close to
the six-meter mark, and the other with one player on the nine-meter line.

▪ The player in the backcourt is usually the most experienced and skilled defender on
the team. Their role is to disrupt the opposing team's offensive play and prevent them
from setting up their attack. They may also be tasked with intercepting passes or
making long-range shots on goal.

▪ This player must be fast, agile and resistant to not allow long distance shots
and avoid making a pass to the pivot of the opposite team. In addition, it has
the function of disrupting the movement of attackers in long distance shots
and intercepting passes. You should also help defenders on the sides and start
the counterattack.

▪ The advantage of this system is that the pivot can be well marked, in addition
to having good coverage. It is weak when the other team plays with two pivots,
in addition to allowing short shots and infiltrations more easily.

▪ The 5:1 defense is a challenging formation to play against, as it can be very

effective at disrupting the opposing team's offense. However, it can also be
physically demanding on the defending team, as they must work hard to
maintain their defensive positions and pressure the ball carrier
5-1 defence in action
▪ Attacking against a 5-1 defence
 Defence in zone 4:2
▪ The two frontcourt players work to pressure the opponents
and force them to take long-range shots.

▪ One advantage of the 4-2 defense is that it allows the

defenders to cover a wide area of the court, making it
difficult for the opponents to find gaps in the defence.
Additionally, the defenders can easily switch positions to
adjust to the movements of the opposing players.

▪ However, a disadvantage of this defence is that it can be

vulnerable to fast breaks and counter-attacks, especially if
the frontcourt defenders are not quick enough to get back
and cover their positions.

▪ The goal is to avoid long and medium distance shots.

Defenders of the second row, in addition to moving on the
sides, also move forward and backward, diagonally across
the field.

▪ Works against attacks with two pivots. It is also effective at

making passing difficult, although it is weak against 3: 3
attacks.
 Defence in zone 3:3
▪ three players are positioned on the backcourt (defensive line) and
three players are placed on the frontcourt (defensive half).

▪ This formation is primarily used to defend against opponents who

are good at passing and creating opportunities through the middle
of the court.

▪ One advantage of the 3-3 defence is that it provides a good balance

between defence and offense. The frontcourt players can easily
transition to attack, creating counter-attacking opportunities.

▪ However, a disadvantage of this defence is that it can be

vulnerable to quick passes and movements from the
opponents. If the defenders are not quick enough to react,
they can be easily outmaneuvered by the opposing team,
leaving gaps in the defence.

▪ Moreover, it can be difficult to defend against teams that have

a strong pivot player since the defence lacks a dedicated pivot
defender.
 Defence in zone 3: 2: 1
▪ Three defenders stand on the six-meter mark and two others on a
line between six and nine meters. In addition, a defender stands
at the mark on the nine meters. It can be adapted quickly and
become another defensive system.

▪ Because it has more advanced player positions, it is also the

system that best offers chances for counterattacks.

▪ High aggressiveness toward the back players who can't perform

(or are limited) the shots from a distance;

▪ Quick interruption of opponents attack (when they try to have a

fluid ball flow) especially against teams which want to score
goals with a shoots from a distance.
Red triangles represent
▪ One of the disadvantages of this system is that it is only efficient defence
with a lot of displacement on the part of the players, which can
cause physical wear and tear.
 Defensive formations

▪ https://www.sportmember.co.uk/en/sports-rules/handball-rules
 Suspension and cards

▪ If a player or a coach commits a foul or violation which is considered severe, the

referee can punish the perpetrator with a card or a suspension. These can be
given in connection to a Free-Throw, a 7-Meter Throw and more.
Yellow card

The yellow card is given in handball as a warning,

not as a suspension.

•The referee can choose to pull up the yellow

card against a player or a coach when an
infraction is made, which is not considered to be
severe enough to give a two minute suspension.

•Each player/coach can only get one yellow card

in a match

•The next time a player/coach commits a foul,

he/she gets a two minute suspension.

•If a team receives more than three yellow cards

during a match, any subsequent punishement
must be at least a 2-minute suspension.
Suspension

▪ If a player commits a foul which is considered severe (for

example a hard punch to the opponent, a tackle at high
speeds, a tackle to the head or neck area,
unsportsmanlike conduct, to many players on the court),
the referee can suspend him/her for two minutes.

▪ If a player repeatedly commits the same offense, a

serious foul without a warning, or other sorts of
misconduct then he or she will receive a 2-minute
penalty.

▪ If a player accumulates 3 2-minute suspensions in the

same match he will be disqualified for the remainder of
that match although the team will only be short handed
for 2 minutes.

▪ 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.
2 minute suspensions
Red card

▪ A red card is a disciplinary measure that can be given by the referees to a player for committing a
serious offense during a match.

▪ When a player receives a red card, they are immediately sent off the court and are not allowed to
participate in the rest of the match.

▪ Some common include serious foul play, violent conduct, deliberate handball to deny a goal-scoring
opportunity, insulting or offensive language or gestures.

▪ If a player gets a third two minute suspension in the same game, it triggers a red card and the player
is not allowed to continue the match. Once the two minutes has passed, the team may insert
another player into the line up.

▪ When a player is sent off with a red card, their team will have to play with one player fewer on the
court for two minutes, and the player who received the red card may also face additional disciplinary
action from the handball authorities, such as a suspension from future matches.
Red cards and
blue card
Blue card

▪ In the past, neither players nor coaches or spectators

knew whether a player would receive additional
punishment (game suspension) due to a written report
after a red card.

▪ The blue card is giving by the referee in those situations the

referee thinks needs to be punished even more than a red
card. This rule only applies on the elite level.

• When a red card is given, the referee also has to assess if

the infraction is so severe that it should also trigger a
suspension for the following game/games. If so, the referee
can also give the blue card after the red card.

• If the player commits unsportsmanlike conduct within the

last 30 seconds of a game, a player gets red/blue card, and
the opponent get to fire a 7 meter shot on goal, no matter
where on the court the foul was committed.