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What Is Handball?
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Why the Sport Should Be Your New Hobby
By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Montreal. Learn about our editorial process Published on March 18, 2022 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals.
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Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates.
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Learn more. by Heather Black, CPT Reviewed by
Heather Black, CPT Heather Black, CPT is a NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Heather Black Fitness & Nutrition where she offers remote and in-person training and nutrition coaching.
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Learn about our Review Board Print Tom Werner / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Alternate Versions How to Play Handball Fitness Benefits Necessary Gear Safety Precautions Handball is a sport that began in 19th century Scandinavia and Germany. Although handball made its first temporary appearance in the Olympic Games in 1936 as an outdoor game with 11 players per side, it is currently played as a seven-on-seven indoor game. Handball has been an ongoing Olympic sport since 1972 for men (Munich) and 1976 for women (Montreal).
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The sport is widespread, played in over 180 countries by approximately 19 million people of all ages. Not only is the activity entertaining, but it has physical benefits as well.
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Alternate Versions of Handball An alternate version of handball, called beach handball, was recognized in 1944 by the International Handball Federation. It will likely debut in the 2024 Olympic Games as a separate event.
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Young children can learn the game by joining mini handball, which helps boost fitness and establish basic techniques and tactical competencies with less competition than traditional handball. The National Association of Youth Sports explains that mini handball reduces the contact and aggressive play associated with the adult version of the sport while keeping the benefits and skills instruction intact.
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Check with your local sports association to find out if mini handball is offered near you. Street handball began in 1997 in Denmark involving playing the game in streets and parks without barriers and few rules or equipment requirements.
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What is Playing Handball Like Handball is not for the faint of heart; it is a fast-paced game and can be described as borrowing elements of basketball, soccer, hockey, and water polo. To play handball, several actions are necessary, including hits, passes, jumps, blocks, pushes, runs, throws, and dribbling. It is considered a contact sport with intermittent periods of high intensity.
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The goal of a handball game is to score by throwing a ball into your opponent team's goal as many times as you can during two periods lasting 30-minutes each. If you have the ball in your possession, you can only take three steps and have three seconds to pass or shoot. Work with your team to pass and dribble the ball toward your opponent's goal in order to score.
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It's a very fast-paced game with a lot of action and scoring attempts which leads to high-scoring games of 20 or more goals. For most handball matches, four officials will be present including a scorekeeper, two referees, and a timekeeper.
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Handball is a complex sport that requires coordination, endurance, strength, and an ability to tactically plan and recognize strategy in the game. Of course, recreational handball for all levels is available.
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Although the game is intense, few would expect high-level athleticism from those seeking the fitness and social aspect of the sport in a more relaxed environment. Fitness Benefits of Handball Handball is an athletic and fun sport that provides many fitness benefits.
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Cardiovascular Fitness Cardiovascular exercise is any type of workout that gets your heart rate up—handball is definitely a sport in which your heart rate will climb. Depending on the type of team you're on, you could be performing intense vigorous cardiovascular exercise, including high-intensity anaerobic intervals during handball. There are many benefits of performing vigorous cardiovascular exercises.
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Some of the most prominent include: Lowers your risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and some types of cancerBoosts the quality of sleepEncourages healthy weight balance Reduces stress, depression, and better ability to tolerate stressMay relieve feelings of depression and anxiety
Reaction Time Being able to quickly react to the ball coming toward you, a teammate, or an opponent making a play is essential for handball. This mind-body reaction can be improved through practice and participation in your sport.
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Improving your reaction time can help keep you safe because you can quickly respond to what is happening in your environment. In general, better reaction time may also reduce your risk of dementia and increase cognition. Endurance Handball will help build muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
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Cardiovascular endurance contributes to a healthy heart—the better your cardiorespiratory endurance the better indication of aerobic health. Muscular endurance builds your body's ability to sustain repeated contractions against resistance over time. With better muscular endurance daily living becomes easier. You will find yourself better able to perform things such as shoveling the snow, climbing flights of stairs, carrying groceries or luggage.
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Better muscular and cardiovascular endurance gained by playing handball will also pay off in any other sports that you play. Research also shows that better muscular endurance, along with muscular strength, leads to reduced risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
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Coordination Coordination is a very significant physical factor that plays a role in healthy aging. The better coordination you have, the less likely you will become injured due to increases in dynamic and static stability, which means you are less likely to get knocked down or fall.
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Every sport requires coordination, and handball is no exception. Passing, throwing, moving your body in space effectively—all of these movements and skills require and build coordination as you practice them.
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How Shuttle Runs Build Agility, Power, and Endurance
Agility Agility is necessary for moving quickly and changing directions spontaneously. Handball requires you to be agile, and when you are consistently playing the sport, changing directions, jumping, twisting, and other similar motions will help build agility.
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Being agile is also very beneficial for your everyday life as you are less likely to fall or become injured, and you will be more stable. Best Agility Exercises for Athletes
Necessary Gear for Handball There are some necessary and nice to have pieces of equipment for handball. You will, of course, need the ball, which is typically made of leather, athletic clothing such as a t-shirt and shorts, appropriate footwear, and two goals.
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It is wise (and sometimes required, depending on the level and league you are playing) to have knee and elbow pads. Handball wax is another item you may need.
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Handball is a vigorous sport and consuming enough water is essential. When playing or practicing, you should keep a water bottle on hand to stay hydrated. Consider an electrolyte beverage if you are playing high-intensity handball for more than an hour.
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The Best Electrolyte Supplements, According to a Dietitian
Safety Precautions Handball is an intense sport that requires a high level of skill. Even at a recreational level, injuries are possible. You should get medical clearance if you have any previous injuries or physical issues that may put you at risk.
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It is also vital to warm up properly with some active and dynamic movements that will prepare you for the game ahead. Try these warm-up exercises before your next game. It is not advised to play handball when you are pregnant due to the risky nature of the sport.
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It is a contact sport with high intensity and many directional changes. These factors are all ill-advised for those who are pregnant.
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How to Play Pickleball: Tips For Getting Started 15 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Handball - news, athletes, highlights & more. Olympics.com.
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HANDOUT Mini-Handball Guidebook.pdf. National Youth Sports Association. Saavedra JM.
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Handball research: State of the art. J Hum Kinet. 2018;63:5-8. Published 2018 Sep 24.
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doi:10.2478/hukin-2018-0001 Agarwal S. Cardiovascular benefits of exercise. Int J Gen Med. 2012;5:541-5. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S30113 Chastin S, Palarea-Albaladejo J, Dontje M, Skelton D. Combined effects of time spent in physical activity, sedentary behaviors and sleep on obesity and cardio-metabolic health markers: a novel compositional data analysis approach. PLoS One.
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2015;10(10):e0139984. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0139984 Kim JH, McKenzie L. The impacts of physical exercise on stress coping and well-being in university students in the context of leisure. Health.
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2014;6(19):51245. doi:10.4236/health.2014.619296 Knapen J, Vancampfort D, Morien Y, Marchal Y. Exercise therapy improves both mental and physical health in patients with major depression. Disabil Rehabil. 2014;37(16):1490-5.
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doi:10.3109/09638288.2014.972579 Stubbs B, Vancampfort D, Rosenbaum S, et al. An examination of the anxiolytic effects of exercise for people with anxiety and stress-related disorders: a meta-analysis. Psych Res. 2017;249:102-8.
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doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.020 Jain A, Bansal R, Kumar A, Singh KD. A comparative study of visual and auditory reaction times on the basis of gender and physical activity levels of medical first year students. Int J Appl Basic Med Res.
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2015;5(2):124-127. doi:10.4103/2229-516X.157168 Tun PA, Lachman ME.
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Age differences in reaction time and attention in a national telephone sample of adults: education, sex, and task complexity matter. Dev Psychol. 2008;44(5):1421-1429. doi:10.1037/a0012845 American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Resources for the Health Fitness Specialist. Wolters Kluwer Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2014.
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de la Motte S, Gribbin T, Lisman P, Murphy K, Deuster P. Systematic review of the association between physical fitness and musculoskeletal injury risk: part 2–muscular endurance and muscular strength. J Strength Condition Res. 2017;31(11):3218-34. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002174 Dunsky A.
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The effect of balance and coordination exercises on quality of life in older adults: a mini-review. Front Aging Neurosci.
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2019;11:318. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2019.00318 Markström JL, Grip H, Schelin L, Häger CK. Dynamic knee control and movement strategies in athletes and non-athletes in side hops: Implications for knee injury. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2019;29(8):1181-1189.
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doi:10.1111/sms.13432 Ebben WP, Vanderzanden T, Wurm BJ, Petushek EJ. Evaluating plyometric exercises using time to stabilization. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(2):300-6.
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doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cbaadd By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT
Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Montreal. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful?
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Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles Improve Athletic Performance With 6 Skill-Related Fitness Components The 8 Best Basketballs of 2022 for Active Indoor and Outdoor Play How to Increase Stamina: 16 Ways to Power Up a Workout A General Weight Training Program for Handball 9 Best Badminton Rackets for Every Skill Level What Are the Five Components of Fitness? How Zumba Can Help You Dance Your Way to Fitness A General Weight Training Program for Baseball How to Play Your Favorite Sport and Get Fit at the Same Time Best Agility Exercises for Athletes How to Play Pickleball: Tips For Getting Started The Best Portable Basketball Hoops of 2022, Recommended by Experts Best Online Kickboxing Classes of 2022 Walking Is the Most Popular Form of Exercise, Here's Why Simple Methods for Improving Muscular Endurance How to Play Tennis: Tips for Getting Started When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests.
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