This is handball

So here's a brief summary of what we have in the teaching menu:

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. What is handball?

2. Basic rules

3. Referees' hand signals

4. Handball glossary

5. Beach handball explained

II. OUR COMPETITIONS

1. National Team competitions

a. EHF EURO

b. Younger Age Categories (YAC) events

2. Club competitions

a. EHF Champions League

b. EHF European League

c. EHF European Cup

III. HOW TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH HANDBALL NEWS

__PRESENT

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

So, what is handball? Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six field 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. Easy peasy so far, but have a look at how this sport has developed. It's short, we promise! 

2. Basic rules

By now, you already know what handball is and where it comes from, so it's time to expand.

As we already said, at any one time there are up to seven players per team on court. A squad for a match usually consists of up to 16 players, which generally includes two goalkeepers and 14 field players – although this can vary.

The game takes place on a court which is 40m long and 20m wide. The goal area has a radius of six metres, and there is also a nine-metre line marked around the goal area. Penalties are taken from a seven-metre line in the middle of the court.

Only goalkeepers are allowed inside the six-metre goal area, and they defend a goal which is three metres wide and two metres tall.

A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team that scores more goals wins.

Start

A game of handball starts with a throw-off from the centre of the court after the referee's whistle, with the team that has won the coin toss starting the match in possession. The team taking the throw-off must be in their half of the court, and the opponents must be at least three metres from the thrower. The thrower tries to throw the ball to a member of their own team. A goal may be scored directly from a throw-off. A throw-off also occurs after every goal and is often taken quickly. To allow for faster play, after a goal is scored, the game can resume before all opponents are back on their side of the court; however the team taking the throw-off must still be in their half.

Playing positions

The seven playing positions are: goalkeeper, left wing, left back, centre back, line player, right back and right wing, as listed below.

Attack, possession and dribbling

The ball is moved around the court mainly by passing from player to player; however, players can also dribble the ball. In handball, dribbling typically involves bouncing the ball and catching it. The ball must be played within three seconds of receiving it, and players can only take three steps while holding the ball. Teams in possession must be obviously trying to shoot - if a referee thinks they are not doing so, they can signal 'passive play', giving the attacking team four passes to shoot or risk losing the ball to the other team.

Defence, fouls and penalties

Defenders can try and block the ball with an open hand, bent arms or their upper bodies. It is not allowed to push or hold on to an opponent, pull at their uniform, or pull the ball out of their hands. Referees may give yellow cards for minor infractions and two-minute suspensions combined with free throws or penalties (taken from the seven-metre line) for more serious fouls. Players who receive three two-minute suspensions in a match are given a red card and disqualified; direct red cards can be given for dangerous fouls, such as those targeting the head or neck of the opponent. If a player is disqualified, their team is short-handed for two minutes, but after serving this penalty, they can then have seven players back on court.

Goalkeeping

Only the goalkeeper may dive for and trap the ball when it is stationary or rolling on the ground in the goal area. Once the goalkeeper leaves the goal area, they must adhere to the same rules as field players. Other players may dive for a bouncing ball and tap it or throw it quickly to a teammate, but they cannot trap the ball with their feet.

Goal area

Only the goalkeeper is permitted to enter the goal area, and the other players are not allowed to touch the ball when it is on the ground in the goal area.

Out of bounds

If the entire ball passes across the side-line, the team that last touched the ball loses possession and the other team is awarded a throw-in.

Substitutions

Unlimited substitutions are allowed during a match. Substitutions can be made at any time as long as the player being substituted has left the court before their substitute comes on. Coaches can also choose to substitute a field player for their goalkeeper to increase their attacking advantage, or when a player is serving a suspension.

Time-outs

Coaches are allowed to call up to three one-minute time-outs during the match when their team is in possession. However, they are not allowed to call more than one time-out in the last five minutes of each period.

3. Referees' hand signals

Handball matches are officiated by two referees who work as pairs – in fact the same two referees always work together. They communicate to each other through radios, and to the players by using a whistle and hand signals. You can learn more about this in the referees' hand signals YouTube playlist.

4. Handball glossary

The glossary of handball terms and expressions is a guide produced by the EHF Competence Academy & Network covering the key terms used in the game.

5. Beach handball explained

Whether you are new to beach handball or just need a refresher of the rules, our eight-step guide to the greatest sport on sand gives you the perfect at-a-glance guide to how to get started.

Beach handball is a sport for everyone and a discipline that is quick and easy to understand. However, if you're in the mood to find out more about the finer points of the rules, click here for the complete Rules of the Games, as outlined by the International Handball Federation.

See you at the beach!

II. OUR COMPETITIONS

What handball competitions take place in Europe? The EHF oversees both national team and club competitions, which can either be stand-alone events, or lead to qualification for international tournaments – particularly the IHF World Championship and the Olympic Games.

Competitions organised by the EHF include both indoor and beach handball tournaments for younger age categories and senior elite handball teams.

1. NATIONAL TEAM COMPETITIONS

National team competitions attract huge interest from across the continent. As well as the pinnacle events described below, the EHF is responsible for organising qualification tournaments and other championships, which can involve developing handball nations.

a. EHF EURO

The EHF EURO is the European Handball Federation's flagship national team event. First played in 1994, the final tournaments for men and women have established themselves over the past two-and-a-half decades as leading events on the international sports market.

With 24 teams participating in the Men's and Women's EHF EURO, each event is followed by billions around the globe on TV, across digital platforms and also live in sold-out arenas in each host nation. The competition brings together Europe's top teams and the world's best players in a format that is both interesting and enthralling not only to fans and players but also to the media, partners and sponsors. The Men's EHF EURO takes place every two years in January, the Women's EHF EURO every second December.

b. Younger Age Categories (YAC) events

YAC events help develop younger players and introduce them to representing their country. As with the senior level, the pinnacle event is the EHF EURO every two years.

For men, the EHF EURO takes place in the summer of even-numbered years for players aged 20 or under and 18 or under; for women, the EHF EURO takes place in the summer of odd-numbered years, for players aged 19 or under, and 17 or under.

The YAC EHF EURO events also act as qualifiers for the Youth and Junior World Championships, which take place in the following year for both men and women for the same group of players.

Additionally, the EHF organises two EHF Championships at the same time as the EHF EUROs, for the same age groups, allowing more nations to compete internationally.

2. CLUB COMPETITIONS

The three tiers of EHF club competitions attract huge attention and enable the best clubs from across Europe to compete against their peers in other countries.

a. EHF Champions League

The EHF Champions League is the premium competition of European club handball. Starting with the group phase in September each year, 16 teams in the men's and 16 teams in the women's event compete for a place in club handball's benchmark event, the EHF FINAL4, which takes place in Cologne (men) and Budapest (women).

Based on the EHF's national federations ranking, the national champions of the federations ranked one to nine as well as a club of the top-ranked nation of the EHF European League Seeding List are eligible to participate. The additional six places are allocated by the EHF Executive Committee following upgrade requests and based on a criteria catalog including venue, TV, spectators, results in past EHF competitions and product management and digital.

b. EHF European League

The EHF European League is the second-tier competition of European club handball. It brings together some of the continent's biggest teams, ensuring a competitive and captivating season of handball.

National federation seeding and qualification rounds give clubs the chance to earn a place in the group phase. Since the start of the 2023/24 season, the men's group phase is played with 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four. The two top ranked teams in each group advance to the main round, which consists of four groups of four teams, while results from the group matches are carried over. The main round will determine which teams move on to the play-off and quarter-final rounds as well as ultimately the EHF Finals weekend. In the women's event, 16 teams are split into four groups of four with the top two in each advancing to the quarter-finals. The competition reaches its climax at the EHF Finals where the remaining four teams fight for the title.

c. EHF European Cup

The EHF European Cup is the European Handball Federation's third-tier club competition and the entry point for many teams to European club handball. It also provides the opportunity for the federations ranked lower in the seeding list to get their taste of handball on the international stage. The competition presents the possibility for clubs to further their development and bring handball to a wider European audience. Every round all the way to the finals in the EHF European Cup is decided in home and away matches, and with regularly more than 100 teams competing across the men's and women's competition the EHF European Cup is a truly pan-European event.

III. HOW TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH HANDBALL NEWS

The EHF and its marketing arm, EHF Marketing, keep fans and the handball family up to date with regular email newsletters providing the latest news direct to your inbox.

The Home of Handball newsletter covers news from across the sport, while more tailored newsletters such as the EHF Champions League weekly newsletter or the EHF EURO newsletter focus on particular events.

If you want to watch free live handball matches, behind-the-scenes, classic games and much more, EHFTV is the place to go! We did say it's free, right?