HANDBALL 1. Team Handball Basic Rules The Playing Court: The court measures 20 meters by 40 meters. The court is larger than a basketball court, but the length may be shortened when space is limited. The goal area line, or 6-meter line is the most important line. No one except the goalkeeper is allowed to stand in the goal area. The goal opening is 2 meters by 3 meters. Players may jump into the area if the ball is released before landing in the area. The Ball: Team handball is played with a 32-panel leather ball. For women, the ball is 54 to 56 centimeters and 325 to 400 grams. For men, it is 58 to 60 centimeters and 425 to 475 grams. Number of Players: There are seven players on each team (six court players and one goalie). A maximum of 12 players may dress and participate in a game for each team. Substitutes may enter the game at any time through own substitution area as long as the player they are replacing has left the court. Uniform of the Players: Player numbers are 1 to 20. Uniform shirts and shorts are the same colour. The goalkeeper must wear a different colour shirt from team mates and opponents. No jewellery is allowed. Referees: There are two referees, a court referee and a goal line referee. Referees have complete authority: Their decisions are final. The referees are assisted by a timer and a scorer. Duration of the Game: For players 18 years and over, the game consists of 2, 30- minute halves with 10-minute half-time. For tournament and youth games 2, 15-minute or 2, 20- minute halves. This is running time except for injury or one team time-out per
half. The teams change benches at half-time. The game ends in a tie unless the game demands a winner. (Tournament rules dictate that a winner must be determined.) Overtime consists of 2, 5-minute periods). Scoring: A goal is scored when the entire ball crosses the goal line inside the goal. A goal may be scored from any throw (free-throw, throw-in, throw-off, goal-throw). Playing The Ball A player is allowed... -To run with the ball for 3 steps -To hold the ball for 3 seconds - A player is NOT allowed... * To endanger an opponent with the ball. * To pull, hit or punch the ball out of the hands of an opponent. * To contact the ball below the knee. * To dive on the floor for a rolling or stationary ball. 2. Playing positions: Goalkeeper the player who defends the goal with just about every part of the body! The goalkeeper is the only player who can touch the ball with their feet. Centre a creative player who directs play in both defence and attack. Also known as the playmaker and sets up the tactics and the players in shooting positions. Left and right back usually the largest players on the team. When defending, they try to block shots, and in attack they are the long-range shooters. Circle runner the creative force in attack and disruption to opponents when defending. The circle runner is quick and gets in among opposing defenders to either create openings for teammates or to get into a good scoring position themselves. Left and right wingers the fast players who patrol the sides of the court. They counter opposing wingers and in attack look to create openings for others, or shoot from the more difficult angles. Substitutes substitution is allowed at any moment, without limit and without time stoppage. There are seven substitutes on the sidelines for each side. The officials there are four officials: a scorekeeper; a timekeeper, and two referees who control the play at close quarters. Team Handball Glossary Center Line: This is a line that goes across the field at mid-field. This line divides the court into two halves. Coach: They coach the team, substituting players, etc. The coach is the only person who is allowed to talk to the referee, the timekeeper or the secretary.
Corner Throw: When a defender, other than the goalkeeper, has knocked the ball over the back line, the team on offense throws the ball back inbounds from a corner closest to where the ball went out of bounds. Court: What the playing field in team handball is called. The Court is 40 meters long and 20 meters wide. Disqualification: When a player is asked to leave the game and the court and to not return. This happens when a player commits a serious infraction of the rules. The referee holds up a red card to indicate the player is out of the game. The team the player plays for then must choose a player to serve a two-minute suspension thus reducing the team's strength by one player for two minutes. Dribble: A player is only allowed to take three steps before they must pass or shoot the ball. If however a player takes three steps and then bounces the ball, they can take another three steps then they must pass the ball. See Three Step / Three Second Rule. Extra Time: These are two five-minute periods that are added on to the end of the game if the game is tied after regulation time has ended. Four Meter Line: This line is four meters in front of the goal indicating the outermost distance a goalkeeper is allowed go away from the goal when an opponent is taking a 7- meter penalty throw. Free Throw: A Free Throw given to a team after a violation of the rules by the other team. The Free Throw is taken from where the foul took place or from the nine-meter line. The defensive players must stand at least three meters away from the shooter. Goal: The Goal is 3 meters (9 feet 9 inches) wide and 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches) tall. The two front goal posts are on the goal line, and a net is attached to the frame of the goal to catch balls that are scored on goal. Goal Area: This is the area defined by the solid semi-circle line that is six meters in front of the goal. Goal Area Line: See Six-Meter Line. Goal Line: The line that is in-between the goal posts that the ball must go entirely over for a goal to be a legal score. Goalkeeper: The player who protects the goal and tries to keep the opposition from scoring. Goalkeeper's Restraining Line: See Four-Meter Line. Length of Game: Handball has two 30-minutes halves and a ten-minute halftime. Nine-meter Line: The broken semi-circle line that is nine meters in front of the goal, it is from this line the offensive team will take a free throw if they have been fouled inside the line.
Pass: To throw the ball to a teammate. Because of the three step / three second rule passing the ball to teammates is a very important skill in team handball. Penalty Line: This is a line one-meter long, which is seven meters in front of the goal. It is from this line that penalty throws are taken. See also Seven-meter line. Penalty Throw: A Penalty shot is awarded for serious violations of the rules or illegal disruption of scoring chances by the offense. A Penalty Shot is taken from the sevenmeter line with the goal being defended only by the goalkeeper. See also Seven-meter throw. Red Card: A Red Card is given out by the referee to expel a player from the game. Referees: There are 2 referees and they control the game and enforce the rules. As the two teams move up and down the field the referees switch back and forth between being a goal referee and a center referee. Scorekeeper: He / she keeps track of playing time, substitutions and penalty suspensions times. Seven-meter Line: This is a line one-meter long, which is seven meters in front of the goal. It is from this line that penalty throws are taken. See also Penalty line. Seven-meter Throw: A Seven-meter Throw is awarded for serious violations of the rules or illegal disruption of scoring chances by the offense. A Seven-meter Throw is taken from the seven-meter line with the goal being defended only by the goalkeeper. See also Penalty Shot. Shoot-out: A method for breaking tie games. Players take penalty throws and when one makes a goal and the other team misses, then the scoring team wins. Shoot-outs come about if a game is still tied after extra time. Sideline: The line that runs lengthwise down the side of the court. Six-meter Line: The semi-circle that is in front of the goal that is six meters from the goal. Start Of Game: The two captains of the teams toss a coin to determine which team will get the ball first. A player from the winning team will start the ball at center court and pass it to a teammate. Suspension: A player is suspended from the game for a period of two-minutes, for a serious rules violation or for un-sportsmanlike conduct. The player is usually given a warning first. The referee raises his arm with two fingers extended to indicate the player has been suspended. Team: There can be up to twelve members on a handball team. There can only be 7 players on the court at one time per team six fielders and one goalkeeper.
Three Step / Three Second Rule: This is a rule in handball that says you can take three steps and then shoot or pass the ball, or have the ball three seconds and then either shoot or pass the ball. The exception to this is if you dribble the ball. See Dribble Timekeeper: This is the official who keeps track of playing time, and who also helps the scorekeeper keep track of suspensions and substitutions. Time-Out: A stoppage of play called at the referee's judgment and signaled with three short blows on their whistle, while at the same time making a "T" sign with their hands. Yellow Card: Like soccer, this is a card given out by the referee to warn a player about a rules violation.