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BEACH HANDBALL - LEARN THE RULES OF THIS ORIGINAL SUMMER SPORT!
2023-07-13
Handball is one of the most popular team sports in Poland. Few people, however, are familiar with its beach variety. It’s no joke - handball, like volleyball or soccer, can also be played on sand. What exactly does beach handball look like? What are its rules? Who can play it? Learn more about this interesting discipline before the start of the season!
BEACH HANDBALL - BEGINNINGS
Where did beach handball come from? The sport was initially played only for fun. The first tournament was played only in 1992, so it is a fairly new sport. Two years later, the International Handball Federation drafted official beach handball rules and in 1995 it recognized it as an official sport. Since then, it has been steadily growing and gaining new enthusiasts. In Poland, few people have still heard of it, but there are organizations determined to promote it. While the idea of playing handball on a beach may seem strange (how do you dribble a ball on the sand?), but in reality it is a sport that provides plenty of entertainment. The games are dynamic and short, which makes it easy to play them in a variety of situations, as well as to capture the attention of spectators.
It is also important to note that the European Beach Handball Championships (every 2 years) have been held since 2000, and the World Championships (also every 2 years) - since 2004. The discipline can also be found in the programs of:
• the Youth Olympic Games;
• the World Games of non-Olympic sports;
• the World Beach Games; and
• the beach games held on each continent.
BEACH HANDBALL - FIELD AND TEAMS
To play beach handball, you need a suitable field, which you can easily prepare yourself. The surface must, of course, be covered with as clean sand as possible, and the dimensions of the field are smaller than those for indoor handball, and are equal to 27 by 12 meters. The goal areas on either side of the field are 6 x 12 m, which means that the playing field in the center is 15 x 12 m. There are also two 15 m-long and 1m-wide changing fields designated on either side of the playing field. Players can enter the game from anywhere within those fields.
Beach handball teams usually consist of five to ten players. Four of them - including one goalkeeper - are on the field at the same time. The game is played twice for 10 minutes each with a five-minute break between the halves. The games are therefore much shorter than in indoor handball, where two halves of 30 minutes are played.
BEACH HANDBALL - BASIC RULES
The most important rule of beach handball is “fair play.” Sportsmanship is therefore a priority, and contact between players is kept to a minimum to reduce the possibility of foul play and increasing the smoothness of the game.
The pace of the game is fast. Each half (set) begins with a referee’s throw (the referee throws the ball onto the field). Players can start from anywhere within the field. They move by holding the ball in their hands. At one time they can take a maximum of 3 steps before passing the ball to another player. Dribbling is also possible, that is, dropping the ball on the sand and then taking it back. However, the ball must not touch the sand for more than 3 seconds. It is also not allowed to stand with the ball for more than 3 seconds.
Players are not allowed to enter the goal area, but may “dive” into it when throwing the ball, provided that the ball leaves their hands before they touch the sand. Goalkeepers, on the other hand, can defend the goal with any part of their body.
BEACH HANDBALL - A SPECTACULAR GAME
A characteristic feature of beach handball is that some goals are worth two points. This makes the game more spectacular and exciting for the viewers. Double points are awarded for, among other things:
• 360 (a goal scored during a jump with a 360-degree rotation);
• an alley-oop or throw-in, to use another word (in such a situation, a player must catch the ball in the air and throw it before he or she touches the ground);
• a goal scored from a penalty throw;
• as well as any goal scored by the goalkeeper.
All other goals are worth one point.
Notably, in beach handball there is no possibility of a tie. If the set ends in a tie, another referee’s throw is made. The first team to score a goal wins. If each team has won one set at the end of the game, then shoot-outs - a type of penalty throws - take place.
BEACH HANDBALL EQUIPMENT - WHAT DO YOU NEED?
Beach handball is a versatile sport with minimal requirements in terms of equipment. The main piece of equipment is a small rubber ball, which is slightly smaller than a ball used for volleyball. In addition, you need beach handball goals, which are 3 x 2 m in size as a standard. In our offer you will find professional beach handball goals and nets, as well as useful accessories, such as lines for marking out the field, ball nets, and special rakes for leveling the sand. Be sure to check it out!
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