London Olympics 2012 Handball
High scoring and a quicksilver pace will combine to make Handball a truly thrilling team sport at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Did you know?
Handball is considered to be one of the oldest sports, based on a reference in Homer's Odyssey and a third century bronze statuette found in Dodoni
A beach version of Handball, played on outdoor sand courts, is growing in popularity. Thousands of spectators attend the annual Beach Handball tournament on Weymouth Beach.
Historically, the three most successful nations are Denmark, Korea and Russia in the women’s and Russia, Yugoslavia and Sweden in the men’s Olympic competitions.
The ball must be made of pure leather and have a circumference of about 58 - 60cm in the men’s competition, and 54 - 56cm in the women's.
Key facts
Venue: Handball Arena – Olympic Park (preliminaries, women’s quarter-finals); Basketball Arena – Olympic Park (men’s quarter-finals, plus all semi-finals and finals)
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 336 (168 men, 168 women; 12 teams in each event)
Speed, skill and stamina are key attributes for competitors in modern Handball, a fast and exhilarating team sport. Handball offers plenty of physical contact and non-stop, end-to-end action, and should draw big crowds throughout the competition at London 2012.
The basics
Played on a court measuring 40 x 20 metres, the largest court of any indoor ball sport at the Games, Handball features two teams of seven players passing and dribbling a small ball with their hands. The aim is to throw the ball into the opposition’s goal, which happens often: it’s not uncommon to see 50 goals in a single 60-minute match.
At London 2012, both the men’s and women’s Handball competitions will begin with a preliminary phase: the 12 teams in each event will be divided into two groups of six, and each team will play every other team in their group. The four best teams in each group will qualify for the knockout phase, with the winners of the semi-finals eventually going head-to-head for the gold.
Olympic Handball, past and present
Handball was developed in Denmark, Sweden and Germany in the late 19th century. Originally played outdoors as field handball, the sport first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1936. The modern indoor version made its Olympic debut at Munich 1972.
For London 2012, the preliminary rounds of both the men’s and women’s competitions, as well as the women’s quarter-finals, will take place at the brand new Handball Arena in the Olympic Park. The competition will then move to the Basketball Arena, also in the Olympic Park, for the men’s quarter-finals, all semi-finals and all medal matches.
Jargon buster
Dribble: To move the ball by bouncing it on the floor.
Penalty throw: A seven-metre shot at goal defended only by the goalkeeper, and awarded for a serious offence or because the defence illegally spoiled a clear goalscoring chance. Also called a ‘seven-metre throw’.
Pivot: An offensive player who plays largely around the opponent’s goal area line; also called a ‘line player’.
Throw-off: A throw from the centre line, which restarts play at the beginning of each period and after each goal.
Two-minute suspension: The punishment for a second warning from the referee, or for any severe foul or unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Get involved
There are national associations for England , Scotland and Great Britain – and they are always on the lookout for new players. More information can also be found on the International Handball Federation website.
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