Games
Handball
Handball (also known as team handball, field handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team.The four-wall court is 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, and there is a front wall 20 feet high. The back wall is only 12 feet high. A “short line” crosses the court 20 feet from the front wall; 5 feet in front of this is the service line. An 18-inch strip on either side of the court, between these two lines, is called the service box. There is a vertical line on each side wall marking the receiving zone, 5 feet behind the short line.
Each team has 12 players. However, only 7 players take the court at any one time and one of these must be the goal keeper. The reminding players are substitutions during the game. They enter and leave from the substitution area of the court. Players alternate between an attacking position and a defending position, depending on who has possession of the ball. The goal keeper of each team wears a different colour from the rest of the team.All court lines are referred to by their measurement in meters. The most significant line on the court is the six-meter line, or the goal area, or the circle. Only the goalie is allowed inside the goal area. The only exception when another player is allowed in the goal area is when they take off from outside the goal area, and shoot the ball toward the goal before landing. To avoid interference with other players, the player must then exit the goal area as soon as possible. The nine-meter line, or the free-throw line, is used for minor penalties. The seven-meter line, or the penalty line, is used for major penalties. The goal line, even with the goal at each end of the court, serves as out of bounds.
When playing handball, either the left or the right hand can be used to hit the ball. Unlike volleyball, however, the use of wrists or any other part of the body is not acceptable. Players cannot grab or hold the ball; they should only touch the ball briefly when hitting it back against the wall. Either player can start the ball, but teams and players should alternate who starts and who continues the volley. While competition games are played to 21 points, children should be encouraged to play as long as they want without a strict point count. Games can instead be organized by time, with 15 minute halves, or simply be allowed to take their own course.
