Beach handball is a
team sport
A team sport includes any sport where individuals are organized into opposing sports team, teams which compete to win or cooperate to entertain their audience. Team members act together towards a shared objective. This can be done in a numb ...
where two teams pass and bounce or roll a ball, trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team. The game is similar to standard
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
, but it is played on sand instead of on a solid floor. Because the ball loses most of its bounce on sand, there is little to no
dribbling
In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score.
A ...
, and players instead perform more passing as the rules of
travelling
Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel c ...
still apply.
Description
Matches are played as best two-out-of-three sets. If teams are tied at the end of a regular set then the teams play for a
golden goal
The golden goal or golden point is a rule used in association football, lacrosse, field hockey, and ice hockey to decide the winner of a match (typically a knock-out match) in which scores are equal at the end of normal time. It is a type of sud ...
. If the teams are tied at the end of 2 sets then the teams will participate in a tie breaker. The tie break involves a goalie throwing the ball to their own player while that player attempts to score one-on-one with the opposing goalie. During regular play, if the goalkeeper scores a goal this counts as two points, compared to a normal goal scored by an outfield player which counts as 1 point. Creative or spectacular goals, such as 360 degree jumps and alley-oops, are awarded with two points, as well as in-flights and 6 meter throws.
The first European Championships was played in the year 2000.
, Brazil is ranked the number 1 country in the world, and is the winner of the world championship in both men's and women's divisions at the
2014 Beach Handball World Championships.
Attire
In 2021, the Norwegian women's team were fined €1500 for being improperly dressed after the women wore bike-shorts instead of bikini bottoms at a European championship match in Bulgaria. Critics derided the fine and the underlying rule. Although the Norwegian Handball Federation announced they would pay the fines, pop singer
Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
offered to pay for them. In November 2021, the International Handball Federation changed their dress rules to closely match the shorts that the Norwegian team were fined for wearing.
Competitions
*
Beach Handball World Championships
The IHF Beach Handball World Championships is an international beach handball competition contested by the men's and women's national teams of the member federations/associations of International Handball Federation (IHF), the sport's global gover ...
*
Beach handball at the World Games
Beach handball is part of the World Games as an invitational sport since the 2001 edition. It has become an official sport of the World Games program since 2013.
Men's Tournament
From 2001 to 2009 Beach Handball was contested as a demonstration ...
*
Beach handball at the World Beach Games The Beach Handball World Games tournaments were first contested in the 2019 World Beach Games, first World Beach Games event in Qatar, Doha.
Men's tournament
History
Men's medals summary
Women's tournament History
Women's medals summary
...
*
IHF Youth Beach Handball World Championship
The IHF Youth Beach Handball World Championship is an international beach handball competition contested by the men's and women's youth national teams of the member federations of International Handball Federation, the sport's global governing body ...
;;Regional
*
Asian Beach Handball Championship The Asian Beach Handball Championship is the official competition for senior men's and women's national beach handball teams of Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent ...
*
European Beach Handball Championship (disambiguation) European Beach Handball Championship may refer to
* European Men's Beach Handball Championship
* European Women's Beach Handball Championship
The European Women's Beach Handball Championship is the official competition for women's senior national ...
*
Oceania Beach Handball Championship The Oceania Beach Handball Championship is the official competition for senior national beach handball teams of Oceania Continent Handball Federation, Oceania region. It was first organized by the Oceania Continent Handball Federation in 2013. In ad ...
*
Pan American Beach Handball Championship The Pan American Beach Handball Championship was the official competition for Men's and Women's national beach handball teams of America. In addition to crowning the Pan American champions, the tournament also served as a qualifying tournament for t ...
See also
*
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two or more players on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the ...
*
Handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
References
External links
Suances Cup Beach Handball ChampionshipsPolish Beach Handball CommunityWorld CUP Cadiz 2008Calella International Beach Handball Open2011 European Beach Handball Championships,Umag, Croatia
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110613063021/http://www.ebhc2011.com/2011/01/croatian-beach-handball/ Croatian Beach Handball
{{Team Sports
Handball
Ball games
Team sports
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
Sports originating in Australia