Handball Rules Explained for New Fans
Handball looks chaotic the first time you watch it. Once you know a handful of rules, the shape of the game appears and every attack starts to make sense.
The basic idea
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball with their hands and try to throw it into the opponent's goal. Each side has six court players and a goalkeeper on the floor at any time. A standard senior match is two halves of thirty minutes, and the team that scores more goals wins.
The goal area
The most important line on the court is the arc around each goal, usually called the six-metre line. Only the goalkeeper may stand inside that area. Attackers may jump from outside it and release the ball while in the air above it, which is why so many goals are scored by players flying towards the goal and landing inside the line after the ball has gone.
Moving with the ball
- A player holding the ball may take up to three steps.
- They may hold it for up to three seconds.
- They may dribble, then pick the ball up again, but cannot dribble a second time without another player touching it first.
These three rules explain why passing is so fast. Holding the ball is a liability; moving it is the whole game.
Defending and contact
Defenders may use their body to block an attacker from the front, but may not pull, push from behind or hit the arm that is throwing. Free throws are awarded for minor fouls. Heavier fouls bring a two-minute suspension, during which the team plays one player short. Repeated or serious fouls can bring a disqualification.
The seven-metre throw
If a foul destroys a clear chance to score, the referees award a seven-metre throw: a free shot at goal from a mark in front of the goalkeeper. It is the handball equivalent of a penalty kick, and a duel between shooter and keeper that many fans enjoy most.
Passive play
A team cannot hold the ball forever. If referees judge that the attack is not trying to score, they raise an arm as a warning, and the attack then has a limited number of passes to shoot before possession is lost. Watch for that raised arm; it usually means a shot is coming.
Other indoor sports, briefly
If you enjoy handball you may also like futsal, a five-a-side form of football played on a small court; volleyball, where two teams separated by a net try to ground the ball on the other side; and floorball, an indoor stick sport played with a light plastic ball. Each shares handball's speed and constant transitions.
The rules above are a simplified summary for spectators. Competitions publish their own detailed rules, and those always take priority.
Revised 2026-11-09 · Iker Salvat