A handball game in progress at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany | |
Highest governing body | IHF |
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First played | Late 19th century in Denmark. Invented by Nicolaj Ernst in 1897 in Nyborg. |
Registered players | > 27 million (2016)[1] |
Characteristics | |
Contact | Yes (frontal) |
Team members | 7 per side (including goalkeeper) |
Mixed gender | Yes, separate competitions |
Type | Team sport, ball sport |
Equipment | Ball and goals |
Venue | Indoor court |
Presence | |
Olympic | Part of Summer Olympic programme in 1936. Demonstrated at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Returned to the Summer Olympic programme in 1972. |
World Games | Beach handball: 2001 – present (invitational sport before 2013) |
Size | Class | Circumference (cm) | Circumference (in) | Weight (g) | Weight (oz) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
III | Male over-16s | 58–60 | 23–24 | 425–475 | 15.0–16.8 |
II | Women, male over-12s, and female over-14s | 54–56 | 21–22 | 325–375 | 11.5–13.2 |
I | Over-8s | 50–52 | 20–20 | 290–330 | 10–12 |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Handball in Europe. |