Team Handball: Rules, Gameplay, and Fouls
Team handball is played by two teams of seven players each (1 goalkeeper and 6 court players). A maximum of 12 players may participate per side, with unlimited substitutions. The object of the game is to throw the ball past a goalkeeper into the opponent’s goal.
Rules
Duration of the Game
- The winner is the team that scores more goals in sixty minutes, divided into two half-times of thirty minutes, with a 10-minute break. The clock is not stopped when the ball leaves the court.
Passive play: When a referee realizes that a team does not want to score a goal, they indicate passive play and give the other team the ball.
How the Ball is Played
- A player cannot take more than 3 steps holding the ball without bouncing.
- A player cannot touch the ball with the hands, without bouncing it, several times in a row.
- Players are allowed to dribble for an unlimited amount of time and hold the ball without moving for three seconds.
- Players are not allowed to bounce the ball, catch it with both hands, and proceed to bounce it again. Double dribble.
- A player cannot touch the ball with the knees or below.
- Not enter the goal area to obtain an advantage. No one but the goalie is allowed inside the goal area. A player may jump into the goal area before shooting but must release the ball before landing.
Contact Between Players
- Foul: A player cannot hold, hit, or embrace the other player or punch the ball using their fist. The referee will award a free throw.
- The free throw is a shot from the spot where the foul was committed. If it happened in the free-throw area, the shot is taken from the 9-metre line. In a free-throw, each player of the other team has to stay three meters away from the point where it is executed from the 9-meter line. The shot can be taken by any player and in any direction, keeping at least one foot planted on the ground.
Signalling a Penalty
A penalty is a shot at a goal from the 7-metres line. The goalkeeper can move, but not go beyond the 4 meters line. A referee awards a penalty if:
- A player defends in the goal area on purpose.
- The ball is passed to the goalkeeper in the goal area.
- A foul is committed anywhere on the court with the intention of spoiling a clear opportunity for scoring a goal.
- If a player makes a fault, each of the referees is allowed to give a free-throw to the other team, or decide for a penalty.
Penalties are executed at a mark seven meters away from the goal. In a penalty, there is only one shooter against the goalkeeper, but the shooter is not allowed to make a step before the ball has left their hand.
How Handball is Played
Players advance the ball down the court by dribbling and throwing the ball. They are allowed to dribble for an unlimited amount of time, run with the ball for up to three steps before and after dribbles, and hold the ball without moving for three seconds. Players are not allowed to pull, hit, or punch the ball out of the opponent’s hands, endanger an opponent with the ball, or make contact with the ball below the knees. Free throws are awarded to the opponent in the event of minor fouls or violations. A seven-meter penalty shot is awarded to the opponent when major violations are committed.