The glossary of handball part II
Welcome to the second part of our presentation of handball. In the first one, we introduced you to the field and the tactics of the game. Now, it’s time to talk about the basic rules of the sport and what happens if someone breaks them. Just like in the markets, there are some unique things to learn. Things that are applicable to both men and women and to the variation that is played on sand (beach handball).
The Fundamentals of Handball
Overall, there are very few simple rules to talk about:
- A player in possession of the ball can only take three steps without dribbling (i.e., bouncing the ball on the ground).
- Except the goalkeeper, no other player (either attacking or defending) can touch the ground of the goal area.
- The ball cannot be passed back to the goalkeeper if their team is in the opponents' half of the court.
- There is a multitude of infractions that can be called by the 2 referees. They result in various punishments.
The reason for the number of rules is that the sport is supposed to be carried out at a fast pace. And this is the reason for a rule that exists only in Handball. The passive play. To put it in short terms, an attacking team cannot waste time. If a referee raises their hand, it means that they must carry out a shot within the next 30 moves.
It’s not as simple as it looks!
Reading the above, one would consider that it’s quite an easy task to play the game. It actually isn’t. The reason for that is the tendency of the players to become violent. To make an analogy, the handball rulebook is one page for the rules, and 10 pages on what can go wrong. So! It is forbidden to:
- Commit an illegal contact foul. No holding, pushing, tripping, hitting, etc... an opponent.
- Commit a charging foul. Rushing to the offense without trying to play the ball.
To keep things within the limits of sportsmanlike behavior, this is what happens when a player steps over the line. Let’s make one thing clear: actions directed against the ball do not get anything more than a simple foul. But! If the action has the opponent player as a target, then:
1) A yellow card
It serves as a warning after the first foul. And it is only shown once. The next offense leads to more severe actions.
2) A 2-minute suspension
This is called at any time the foul committed includes unnecessary violence. If a player receives 3 such suspensions he is disqualified for the remainder of the match. Another player takes their place and the 2 teams continue on even terms. Here, we have a serious modification in handball, in reference to other sports. A modification that directly affects the odds that the top Asian and European bookmakers offer. If the suspension refers to an attacking player, then the team can replace the goalkeeper so that there will be 6 against 6 on the other side of the court. However, this is a risk. One wrong move and there is no one to defend the goal from a shot from distance.
3) A penalty
Regardless of whether it is a simple foul or a more violent one, any hinderance of a clear opportunity to score a goal, immediately gets a penalty from the 7-meter line.
4) A red card
When a foul exceeds all limits of violent behavior then it serves to expel a player from the match. There is a difference between the card and the 2-minute suspension. If a player receives the 3 suspensions they can remain at the bench and watch the rest of it. A red card removes them completely from the court and sends them to the dressing rooms. Furthermore, they do not get replaced and that leaves their team in numerical inferiority.
5) A blue card
This is unique for handball. And it is the most severe punishment possible. It is shown when the violent behavior of a player does not just suspend them from a match. If it is indeed that serious and said player must either be suspended for a number of events, or even banned from the sport completely, then the officials of the match must compile a written report on the incident.
What else can affect the score of a handball match?
The key thing to know here is that when a referee calls for an infraction against the attacking team, the player that holds the ball must immediately leave it down on the ground and get away from it. This leaves a window of opportunity for a first wave attack if a player is close by, grabs the chance and creates the score. Such incidents involve:
- Double dribbling
- Travelling
- A charging foul
- A substitution outside the permitted area, or the substitute enters too early.
Another issue that can affect the score is a player’s quick thinking. In other sports it is necessary to wait for the referee to blow the whistle for the execution of a penalty after a foul. Here, it is not necessary. It is not even necessary for the ball to be stationary. All it takes is a quick pass and a shot at a time that the attackers realize that the defenders are not ready to defend.
One of the key aspects of success in the betting industry is knowledge and understanding. Understanding of what it is that you see in a match of handball. In this 2-part glossary we covered everything that you needed to achieve this objective. But it is you that will need to add the wisdom. And here, that wisdom is to leave this page and sign up for a betting account via agent, right now!