This sport is practiced between two teams made up of six players and a goalkeeper. It is a hybrid between soccer and basketball, since it is played with a goal like in soccer and the ball is moved by hand as in basketball.
There is the masculine and feminine modality and it is an Olympic sport since 1972 in Munich. There are three variants of this sport: beach, mini and the one practiced on grass. The international body that regulates it is the International Handball Federation.
The basic mechanics of the game are simple
The track is rectangular in shape, measures 40 x 20 meters and is divided into two fields. Like other sports, the purpose of the game is to put a ball into the opponent's team's goal and the team that scores more goals than the opponent wins.
As the ball is moving with the hands, striking it with the foot is prohibited. It is played in two 30-minute parts and with a 10-minute break.
A peculiarity of this sport is that changes of players can be made continuously (those who are on the field are exchanged with those who are on the bench following the instructions of the coach).
Players can take three steps without bouncing the ball or bounce it while moving.
It is a sports discipline that encourages team spirit. From a physical point of view, practitioners have to exercise strength, endurance, and speed of movement.
It is clear that power and skill in throwing the ball is a determining factor. The goalkeeper is a player with special characteristics, as it is necessary for him to have great reflexes and to actively collaborate in the counterattack of his team.
For many years it was played with 11 players
Already in ancient times there were ball games with the hand with a certain resemblance. The Greeks entertained themselves with the game of Urania and the Romans with the Harpastum. When the English arrived in Australia in the 18th century, they observed that the Aborigines played a game of ball between two teams.
At the end of the 19th century, the first version of handball began in Danish schools. Then it spread to other northern European countries, such as Germany and Sweden. During the first decades of the 20th century, matches were played with 11 people and on soccer fields.
In 1935 the first friendly match was held with 7 members. In some championships there were two modalities, a 11 and a 7. It finally stopped being practiced on soccer fields and with 11 players in the 1950s.
Photos: Fotolia - viperagp / maxcam
