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Handball is an interesting sport that continues to gain popularity among people of all ages worldwide. Like any other contact sport, playing handball requires players to have adequate strength, agility, speed, stamina, skills, and teamwork to play the game. Handball is a fast-paced and entertaining sport and is also included in the Olympic games.
There are still a handful of people who still need to know more about handball. In this article, we will discuss the important details of the sport and how you can enjoy its many benefits for playing or watching. Handball is also an opportunity for some people to earn money by becoming a professional player or betting on some games. Read on to find out about playing handball.
The Objective of the Game
Playing handball is about throwing the ball and scoring into the goal of your opponent. Players on defense can use their bodies to defend their goal against the attackers and prevent them from having a clear shot. Players on offense will attempt to break their opponent’s defense or can shoot over them and through the goal. Read on for more details about playing handball.
1. The Mechanics
Two teams will compete in playing handball, and each team has one goalkeeper and six players with different positions to help the team in offensive and defensive formations. Teams will receive one point for every successful goal, and the first team to reach twenty points will be the winner.
Handball is an indoor game played on a 20-meter-wide and 40-meter-long court, and it has netted goals at both ends of the court that measures 2 meters high and 3 meters wide. A regular handball game consists of two periods that have 30 minutes duration each. Between the game's two periods, there is a 10 to 15 minutes rest for the players and officials.
In playing handball, all players will take turns in defensive and offensive setups, depending on whose possession of the ball. Players will move the ball by dribbling and passing around the court, but double-dribbling is not allowed, like in basketball. Players can only hold the ball without passing or dribbling for three seconds, and they can hold the ball and take three steps maximum.
Goalkeepers have the most important task in playing handball. They need to protect their goal and prevent their opponents from scoring. Goalkeepers can leave their position when in possession of the ball and be a member of their offensive team on the court.
2. Offensive Formation
You must know the offensive formation in handball to win the game. The offensive team formation includes right and left wingman whose skills are fast movers and has advanced jumping capability that can create the best shooting angle.
Center Back Out – The handball player is also recognized as the team's playmaker. In playing handball, the center back out, calls out the plays, and sees the opportunities on how to score against their opponents. They ensure that the team maintains the right passes from player to player and executes their plays. Center backouts are the most experienced handball players on the team.
Right and Left Backcourt – The right and left backcourt players are the tallest on the team. Their height gives them the advantage to shoot over shorter defenders, and they are also the best option for defending their goal.
Center Back Out – Center Back Outs are handball players known as the playmakers. In playing handball, they ensure they see the opportunities to score goals by executing the proper passing of the ball to all team members. The Center Back Outs are the most experienced handball players on every team.
3. Defensive Formation
In playing handball, defensive formation is essential for winning games. It needs proper planning, practice, and patience to have a good defense against opponents. The defensive formation is also known as A:B formation, where ‘A’ represents the number of players that defends their goal, while ‘B’ represents the number of players that defends the offense. The different defensive formations include far left, right, back center, front center, and a half left and right.
4. Quick View of the Game
Before playing handball, you must know the rules and how the game works. It would help if you defended your goal and the different modes of getting a successful score. You must also learn some officiating details to prevent committing errors during the game.
The referees officiate a handball game and conduct a toss coin to determine whose captain will decide whether to pass or throw the ball to their opponents. In playing handball, players will pass the ball to teammates around the court and find the best opportunity to score. The defensive team will protect their goalpost and prevent their opponents from scoring. Once the ball goes to the defensive team, they need to attack their opponent’s goal by passing the ball around among themselves.
If the offensive team successfully makes a score, the play will resume by throwing from the center of the handball court and through the defensive team. This process will continue until the declaration of the winning team. There will be penalties for every violation, and referees will award penalty shots.
The penalty shots or free throws awarded must have a minimum of three meters between the attacking and defending players. The free-throw line is 9 meters away from the goal for penalty shots.
A goalkeeper is responsible for preventing the ball from going through their goal. The goalkeeper controls the ball to go beyond the back line while protecting the goal. But once the defending player directs the ball, it will go to the offensive player’s hand. If the attackers cannot score the shot, they will lose possession. If attackers throw the ball outside the sideline, the possession will go to the other team, and vice-versa.
5. Scoring Goals in Handball
You and your team must score points in playing handball to win the game. To have a successful goal, handball players must throw the ball and completely pass beyond the back of the goal line. The game will resume at the centerline every after a team scores a successful goal.
- The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to go inside the goal area. The goal area is six meters in diameter in a semi-circular area.
- An attacker can only throw the ball at the goalpost and must be outside the goal area.
- The goalkeeper can only use their feet to touch the ball if they are in mid-air before landing.
- Players can attempt to shoot the ball before the goal area during mid-air and before landing.
- Defenders and attackers cannot cross the goal area during play to gain an advantage.
- Goalkeepers can touch the ball with their feet during an attempt to save the goal.
- Goalkeepers cannot leave the goal area as field players with the ball. But they save the ball while going outside the goal area.
- A player will receive a penalty once they pass the ball to their goalkeeper within the goal area.
- The goalkeeper will receive punishment if they go out of the goal area while holding the ball in their hand. The opposing team will get a free throw for this violation. The opposition will also get a penalty if they enter the goal area with the ball seven meters from the goalpost.
6. Handball Health Benefits
Playing handball can give you good health benefits such as:
- Handball helps develop the agility of feet and hands from the fast-paced changing of directions.
- It improves upper body strength and arm muscles.
- It helps in boosting our body’s flexibility.
- Handball helps in enhancing self-confidence and mental focus.
- Handball gives our bodies an excellent cardiovascular workout, which helps in providing more oxygen to our muscles.
7. Handball Betting
Playing handball can be an exciting experience for most people. Its popularity is still growing, but some would not consider it a major sport. Despite this scenario, handball is a popular betting opportunity for gamblers.
Handball betting is simple and has many ways to place your bets in betting markets. A lot of handball bettors are leaning towards domestic and international handball competitions to get a chance to win bigger winnings.
Playing handball is usually on outdoor courts, but it also evolved into modern indoor gaming. The changes improved the game's betting opportunities and increased its popularity as an ideal sport for betting. Here are the different types of betting for handball:
Handicap Betting – Bookmakers designate a + or – handicap for the handball teams, which sets the number of goals scored as an additive or deductive to determine the outcome of the bet and the final score.
Match Betting – Match betting is betting on who will win the match.
First Half Betting – You can place bets on handball halftime scores.
Totals Betting – Betting on the total goals made by a team.
Outright or Future Betting – Betting on a team that will be the tournament winner.
Final Thoughts
Playing handball promotes teamwork, increases physical fitness, and develops athletic skills and general well-being. Handball events are growing in most parts of the world, and many events are happening so that people can participate. Although many consider it not a major sport, handball is a sport that can help you improve your fitness and help you grow your social life.
