Handball Rules and Essential Skills: Dribbling and Fakes

Handball Rules of Play and Essential Techniques

1. Game Duration Regulations

A match is played in two periods, each 30 minutes long, with a 120 minute break. The clock is not stopped when the ball leaves the court.

2. Ball Handling Violations

When a player violates these rules, their team loses possession of the ball. Violations include:

• A player takes more than three steps holding the ball without bouncing it.
• Touching the ball with the hand, without bouncing it, several times in a row, or holding it for more than 3 seconds.
• Bouncing the ball, catching it with both hands, and then proceeding to bounce it again (a double dribble).
• Touching the ball with the knees or elbow.
• Entering the goal area to obtain an advantage.

3. Player Contact Regulations

A player can only block the pass of another player with their torso, without grabbing hold of the other player. If they use their hand, arms, or legs, embrace or hit the other player, or punch the ball away from them using their fist, the referee will award a free throw.

4. Penalty Shot Procedures (7m Throw)

A penalty is a shot at goal from the 7-meter line. The goalkeeper can move, but not go beyond the 4-meter line. The referee awards a penalty if:

• A player defends illegally in the goal area on purpose.
• The ball is passed to the goalkeeper while they are in the goal area (by a teammate).
• A foul is committed anywhere on the court with the intention of spoiling a clean opportunity for scoring a goal.

Dribbling and Bouncing the Ball

Bouncing the ball means hitting it down to the ground so that it comes up to make contact with the hand again, without holding it at all. It is used to keep possession of the ball, progress, move away from an opponent, and occasionally to calm the nerves of the team at a certain time during the match.

High Bounce Technique

The trajectory of the ball is vertical and above the hip. When running forward, the trajectory of the ball is at an oblique angle to the ground.

Low Bounce Technique

The elbow is bent and extended much more. The ball is bounced with the hand much further away from the defender.

Mastering the Body Fake

The body fake is a rapid change of direction used to throw an opponent off balance. Once we have made our opponent move to one side, we rapidly take the opposite course to our original trajectory.

With the body fake, we win the position, which will enable us to take a shot at goal or carry out another action without opposition. It must be done with great speed, at just the right moment, and neither too far away nor too close to our adversary.

The player can fake a move to the right, and change direction by crossing their right leg over in front of them, and then finally taking off with the left leg. Alternatively, they can move to the left, changing direction to the right by crossing their left leg in front of their body.