Not So-lympics: Handball | River City Live

Now it’s time for River City Live’s Not So-lympics! Today we are trying out our own spin on Handball, but first, let’s get some history.

Games similar to handball were played in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The team sport of handball that we know today was first played towards the end of the 19th century in Germany and Scandinavia. Field handball was first recognized at the turn of the century in 1910 in Sweden.

The International Amateur Handball Federation (IAHF) was set up in 1928 on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, leading to the first Field Handball World Championships being played in Germany in 1938, following its appearance at the 1936 Berlin Games.

The rules are simple...The object of handball is to score more points than your opponent. A handball game lasts for a regulation 60 minutes. Outfield players can touch the ball with any part of their body that is above the knee. Once a player receives possession, they can pass, hold possession or shoot. If a player holds possession, they can dribble or take three steps for up to three seconds without dribbling. Only the goalkeeper is allowed to come into contact with the floor of the goal area.