Handball is one of the fastest team sports and requires high levels of dexterity, stamina and physical fitness. It involves teams of seven players using their hands to pass or dribble a ball up a court, ultimately aiming to throw it into their opponents’ goal. Handball games are free-scoring with goals scored on almost every attack and this nature of the game means that players need to be very fit in order to get back into defensive positions immediately after scoring.

The International Handball Federation was formed in 1946 and the game was developed and promoted as the indoor, seven-a-side version that exists today. European countries led the way and it is these countries that dominate the modern sport. Many have professional leagues for both men and women and offer good salaries to their top players.

Handball in the UK is in its infancy with only a handful of competitive clubs playing regularly. With the success of the London 2012 Olympic bid, British Handball was established to develop male and female teams for the competition. They are supported by England Handball and the Scottish Handball Association who develop opportunities for people to access the sport on a local level.

You can find out more about the history of the game with England Handball.

Read more about handball on Wikipedia or at the BBC Sports Academy.



 Highlights of Great Britain's 33-32 victory against Bulgaria at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

British Handball’s YouTube channel

Watch highlights of GB men's first ever competitive win on home soil

See highlights of all the action at the 2009 World Cup in Jiangsu

Watch the Women’s gold medal match between Norway and Russia from Beijing