Handball is a team sport popular in many countries. Opinions are divided regarding the origin of this game. There is evidence of a game similar to Handball being played in ancient Greece. Handball is also a popular Olympic sport. Initially, Handball was played outdoors. But now, it is played indoors. Handball is a ball game with rules resembling Basketball rules. Europeans are the dominant force in this game. The game is played by both Men and Women. The popularity of the game is second only to Soccer in the European countries.

The goals on a Handball field are similar to the Soccer goal post. But the difference is that the players cannot use their legs. Handball players use their hands to score goals. Handball games are high scoring games. It is a fast-paced game. The size of the ball is smaller than a soccer ball. Handball is often called as a combination of the games of Ice Hockey, Soccer, and Basketball. The modern game developed from these 3 popular European games. It is a 7-a-side game. Like Basketball, the handball players can control the ball by bouncing. The players are allowed to use their hands to dribble the ball and ultimately to throw the ball inside the opponents’ goal. Only the goal keeper is allowed to kick the ball. The defenders in a Handball game try to prevent the attackers from scoring goals. The defenders are penalized if they use rough tackles to stop the attackers of the opposing team. Referees officiate in the Handball games. The game of Handball originated in Europe. Games similar to Handball were played in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Ukraine, Slovakia etc. The duration of a standard Handball game is 60 minutes divided into 2 equal halves of 30 minutes each. Different Handball playing nations use different formations for the games.  

Handball was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1936 Olympics. Since the 1972 Olympic Games, it has been a regular Olympic sport. European countries have been dominating Handball since the beginning. Other premier Handball tournaments include World Men’s Handball Championship, World Women’s Handball Championship, European Women’s Handball Championship, and European Men’s Handball Championship. International Handball Federation (IHF) is the governing body of the sport. IHF has more than 150 member nations with more than 30 million players, officials, and referees. The Handball rules have been standardized throughout the world by IHF. IHF is the organization responsible for popularizing the sport in more and more countries worldwide. Handball is not a very popular sport in countries like the USA. So, onus is on IHF to spread the game of Handball outside the European continent. Over the years, this organization has been partially successful in making the game popular in many countries across the continents.