Leisure Kicks - The essencial sport and leisure guide

Handball is a fast-moving and athletic team sport that bridges the gap between football and basketball. The type of handball played in the Olympics originated in Europe, with a history spanning thousands of years and over various other parts of the world, and is now played in most parts of the world. The game is very popular with both men and women and many countries introduce the game at the school level. With its fast-paced game play and high levels of scoring (it’s common for teams to score more than 20 goals in a match!) it’s not only fun to play, but also very exciting to watch.

As the title suggests, handball players can only move the ball – which is slightly smaller than a football – about the pitch using their hands. The game is usually played indoors on a court measuring 40m x 20m, with goals on either end that are surrounded by a zone 6m wide which only the goalkeeper may occupy. Teams of seven players – consisting of six outfield players and a goalkeeper – attempt to score goals by moved a ball down the court while adhering to rules around passing and dribbling. A single match has two periods of 30 minutes and, of course, the team who scores the most goals, wins!

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The British handball team talk about the 2012 legacy