What is handball: summary, history and rules of the game.
HANDBALL: HISTORY AND RULES.
Handball is a recent sport, born towards the end of the nineteenth century in Germany, drawing inspiration from popular ball games; in fact, both in Ancient Rome there was a game with the ball thrown by hand and in the Mayan culture from which we have some testimonies with images of the game on vases. In 1972 it was included among the sports in the Olympics in Munich. In Italy the Handball federation was founded in 1969.
HANDBALL: HOW TO PLAY AND RULES .
The game takes place on a 40 x 20 m pitch with two goals that are 2 metres high and 3 metres wide; the centre line divides the pitch into two halves. The goal area is delimited by two semicircular lines, the first continuous, placed six metres from the goal and reaching the end line; the second is discontinuous and is delimited by the free kick or penalty line. This second line is marked by the distance from the posts to the goal. From the centre, seven metres away, there is a 1 metre long line and this is the point from which penalties are taken; while four metres from the centre of the goal, there is a 15 cm line and this is called the goal line. The substitution area is delimited by two 30 cm lines marked by the side lines, each 45 cm from the meridian line.
Players must wear team uniforms; T-shirt, shorts and sports shoes, the goalkeeper must have a uniform that distinguishes him from his teammates and opponents. The ball must have a circumference of 54 to 60 cm and a weight of 325 gr to 475 gr. The duration of a handball game is thirty minutes for men and twenty minutes for women with a ten-minute break; if extra time is needed, two five-minute halves are divided into two. The team is made up of seven players plus five substitutes; the game can be played with a minimum of five players.
The aim of the game is to score a “goal” in the opponent’s goal; the ball must be passed only with the hands by shooting or dribbling with a maximum of three steps and the final shot must be scored from the nine-meter area. Dribbling can be done by running, walking or on the spot with only one hand; if the player steps back or takes the ball with two hands, the player can shoot at goal or pass the ball to a teammate within three seconds. The pass can be made with either one or two hands, whether standing still, running or suspended. The goalkeeper can only save the ball in the goal area by stopping or pushing it away with any part of the body; the throw-in must only be made with the hands. When an infringement occurs, a free throw or free kick is taken. The penalty throw must be taken within two seconds of the referee’s whistle.
