Team handball had its origin in the early 1900s in central Europe and
The biggest detail to know about the sport of team handball is that even though it has similarities to other sports such as soccer and basketball, there are many differences that help team handball to stand alone as a sport.
One difference is the way the ball is handled and moved in the sport of team handball.
Owen McFadden is the director of recreational sports at Furman University. Of the 22 years he has held the position McFadden has coached and played the sport of team handball since 1997.
McFadden said the rules of how to move the ball in team handball are very simple to understand.
"You dribble with your hands," he said. "As far as the dribbling aspect goes you could take three steps before you dribble. You can dribble as long as you want and then once you stop your dribble you have three steps afterwards."
As stated earlier, the sport of team handball has been compared to many more popular sports in the United States such as soccer and basketball. But, one major difference between team handball and soccer is that touching the ball with your feet or leg is not allowed.
"If you touch it with your leg, it's an automatic turnover," McFadden said.
One aspect that will help any beginner learn better passing and dribbling skills in the sport of team handball is preparation.
Most experts will tell you that one of the biggest problems with beginners who take up the sport of team handball is that they try to compare it too much to another sport that they are familiar with.
For example, the team handball is no where near the size of a basketball causing for some adjustments in size and control to be made when dribbling and passing.
The ball itself was made smaller than a football so that participants are able to control the ball with one hand. However, putting two hands on the ball is not forbidden.
Another similarity with the sport of basketball is that the ball in team handball is transported up the court by dribbling or passing. However, unlike the sport of basketball, a player is allowed to raise their arms above shoulder level when dribbling the ball.
Also, there is no traveling violation in team handball because a player is allowed to take three steps after he or she has stopped dribbling.
"Once you have the ball in your possession, if you are dribbling you have three seconds to pass the ball," McFadden said. "You just can't stay in there hold it forever. You have three seconds to decide what you're going to do with it."
"So if you dribble, you take three steps, dribble, and then take another three steps. You still have three seconds then to pass, shoot or whatever you want to do with the ball," he said. "You can throw, bounce or pass if you like."
