Handball

The sport of handball, which is also known as team handball, European handball, and Olympic handball, is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) compete against one another by passing a ball with their hands with the objective of scoring a goal against the other team. The game is broken up into two halves that each last 30 minutes, and the victorious side is the one that racks up the most goals.

Handball is played on a court that is 40 metres long and 20 metres wide (131 feet by 66 feet), and there is a goal in the centre of each end. To score a goal, the ball must be thrown from outside the zone or the player must "dive" into it while they are in it. The goals are surrounded by a 6-meter (or 20-foot) zone that only the defending goalie is permitted to enter. Handball is mostly played inside, although there are a few variations that can be played outside, such as field handball, Czech handball, and beach handball. Indoor handball is the most popular version of the sport. The game is fast-paced and has a high goal-scoring average, with professional teams currently scoring anything from 20 to 35 goals per game on average. However, until a few decades ago, it was not unusual for games to have lower goal totals. When defenders are attempting to prevent attackers from getting closer to the goal, they are allowed to make body contact with them. Although it is not required, players are permitted to use protective gear such as mouth guards, soft protective bands, and pads.

On October 29, 1917, in Berlin, Karl Schelenz, Max Heiser, and Erich Konigh established the contemporary set of regulations for the sport. Many consider this day to be the official birthday of the sport. Since then, there have been various changes made to the regulations. In 1917, Germany hosted what is considered to be the first ever official handball match. In 1919, Karl Schelenz made several changes to the regulations. The first international games with men were played (according to these regulations) in 1925 (between Germany and Belgium), while the first international games with women were played in 1930. (between Germany and Austria).

Handball was initially included in the Olympic programme in 1936, during the Summer Olympics that were held in Berlin outside; the following time it was included was during the Summer Olympics that were held in Munich indoors; ever since then, handball has been included in the Olympic programme. At the 1976 Summer Olympics, the sport of women's handball was introduced.

1946 marked the beginning of what is now known as the International Handball Federation, which counts 197 member federations among its ranks as of 2016. The sport is most popular in Europe, which is reflected in the fact that European nations have won all of the medals in the men's world championships since 1938, with the exception of one. South Korea and Brazil are the only two nations outside of Europe that have ever won the women's world championship in their respective sports. The game is also quite well-liked in some regions of South America, as well as North Africa and East Asia.