INTRODUCTION

Handball is a fast-paced, physically demanding game that combines elements of soccer and basketball. The game is also called Continental handball, European handball, or Olympic handball. An 11-player recreational version is still played outdoors in Europe; competitive handball is an indoor game.

RULES FOR HANDBALL

Team handball, an Olympic sport in which two teams try to throw the ball into their opponents' goal:

• Beach handball, team handball on the beach.
• Czech handball, an outdoor sport similar to team handball, played in the Czech Republic.
• Field handball, the original outdoor team handball, played at the 1936 Olympics.

Gaelic handball, a sport similar to squash where players hit the ball with a hand instead of a racquet:

• American handball, a sport derived from Gaelic handball and similar to racquetball where players hit the ball with their hands.
• Chinese handball, a variant of American handball popular on the streets of New York City during the 1960s and 70s.
• Australian handball, similar to the Irish and American versions, with a defined culture and rule set.
• Frisian handball, a game played in Friesland in the northern Netherlands between two teams of three players.
• Four square, also known as down ball in Australia, a game played on four squares.
• Hand Ball, a game prominently played in schools in New Zealand and Fiji at recess.