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Korfball ( nl, korfbal) is a ball sport, with similarities to
netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...
and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
. It is played by two teams of eight players with four female players and four male players in each team. The objective is to throw a ball into a netless basket that is mounted on a high pole. The sport was invented by Dutch school teacher
Nico Broekhuysen Nicolaas Broekhuijsen (; Dordrecht, December 30, 1876 – Hilversum May 13, 1958), better known as Nico Broekhuysen, was a Dutch teacher, who is known as the inventor of korfball. He was a teacher at Oisterwijk and later Nijmegen and then Amste ...
in 1902. In the Netherlands there are approximately 500 clubs and more than 90,000 people playing korfball. The sport is also played in Belgium and Taiwan, and in nearly 70 other countries.


History

In 1902
Nico Broekhuysen Nicolaas Broekhuijsen (; Dordrecht, December 30, 1876 – Hilversum May 13, 1958), better known as Nico Broekhuysen, was a Dutch teacher, who is known as the inventor of korfball. He was a teacher at Oisterwijk and later Nijmegen and then Amste ...
, a Dutch school teacher from
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, was sent to Nääs, a town in Sweden, to follow an educational course about teaching gymnastics to children. This is where he was introduced to the Swedish game "ringboll". In ringboll one could score points by throwing the ball through a ring that was attached to a 3 m pole. Men and women played together, and the field was divided into three zones. Players could not leave their zone. When Broekhuysen returned to Amsterdam he decided to teach his students a similar game. He replaced the ring with a basket (for which the Dutch word is or ), so it was easier to see whether or not a player had scored. Broekhuysen also simplified the rules so that children could understand and play the game. Thus korfball was born. The main idea was the same as ringboll, but the new sport now stood on its own. The oldest still existing korfball club never to have merged with any other club is a Dutch korfball club
H.K.C. ALO H.K.C. ALO is a Dutch korfball team based in The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre an ...
from
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, Netherlands. H.K.C. ALO was founded on 1 February 1906. Korfball was featured as a demonstration sport in the Summer Olympics of 1920 and 1928. The
International Korfball Federation The International Korfball Federation (IKF) is the governing body of korfball. IKF is responsible for the organisation of korfball's major international tournaments, notably the IKF World Korfball Championship. The IKF was founded on 11 June 193 ...
was founded in 1933 in Antwerp, Belgium. Korfball is played in 69 countries including the United States, China, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Greece, Serbia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, The Netherlands, Belgium, Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana, Russia, Germany, Taiwan, Turkey, Hong Kong, Portugal, Pakistan, India, Sweden, Hungary, Philippines, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, France and Romania. In response to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, on March 1, 2022, the
International Korfball Federation The International Korfball Federation (IKF) is the governing body of korfball. IKF is responsible for the organisation of korfball's major international tournaments, notably the IKF World Korfball Championship. The IKF was founded on 11 June 193 ...
announced that the Russian Korfball Federation would not be invited until further notice to any international korfball competition. This implied effectively that no Russian athletes shall take part in any international korfball event. Furthermore, the Russian Korfball Federation shall not be eligible to bid for the hosting of any IKF event until further notice, and no IKF events were planned in Russia. It is growing in popularity in the U.K., and is referenced in a song by the band Half Man Half Biscuit entitled "Joy in
Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of the ...
(We Are Ready)" on their 2011 album ''
90 Bisodol (Crimond) ''90 Bisodol (Crimond)'' is the twelfth studio album by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit. It was released on 26 September 2011 by Probe Plus. The inner sleeve includes a modified version of the painting ''Christ's Entry into Jerusalem'' by ...
''. Korfball has been played in the
World Games The World Games are an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. They are usually held every four years, one year after a Summer Olympic Games, over the course of 11 d ...
since 1985. IKF World Korfball Championships have been held every four years since 1978. The leading nations are the Netherlands, Chinese Taipei, and Belgium. Hong Kong hosted its first international tournament, the IKF Asia Oceania Korfball Championship, in 2006. New Zealand hosted the IKF Asia Oceania Youth Korfball Championships in 2007.


Rules and regulations


Equipment

Korfball is played inside in winter and outdoors in spring, summer and autumn. The size of the indoor court is , as are most outdoor courts. The court is divided into halves called ''zones''. In each zone is a tall post with a basket at the top. This is positioned two-thirds of the distance between the center line and the back of the zone. The ball is very similar to the one used in
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
, with a circumference of 68.0-70.5 cm (or diameter of 21.75-22.45 cm), a weight of 445-475 grams, and a bounce height of 1.10-1.30 meters when dropped from a height of 1.80 meters.


Team

A korfball team consists of eight players: four female and four male.


Match

An international korfball match typically consists of two halves or four periods, with the length varying depending on the competition. When the match consists of halves, the duration is typically 25 minutes, with periods typically between 7 and 10 minutes, with a one-minute break between the first and second periods and between the third and fourth periods. At half time the break is five or ten minutes. Four players of each team are in one zone and the other four are in the other zone. Within each zone, a player may only defend a member of the opposite team of the same gender. At the beginning of the match, one team chooses a particular half of the court. That half will be that team's defending zone, with "their" basket in it. Players score by throwing the ball through the opposing team's basket. After two goals, the teams change zones: defenders become attackers and attackers become defenders. In between those zone-changes, attackers cannot set foot on their defending zone or vice versa. At half time the teams swap halves of the court. The rules prevent physical strength dominating the game. Blocking, tackling, and holding are not allowed, nor is kicking the ball. Once a player has the ball, that player cannot dribble or walk with it; however, the player can move one foot as long as the foot on which the player landed when catching the ball stays in the same spot. Therefore, tactical and efficient teamwork is required, because players need each other in order to keep the ball moving. A player may not attempt to score when defended, which occurs when the defender is in between the opponent and the basket, is facing his/her opponent, or is within arm's length and attempting to block the ball. This rule encourages fast movement while also limiting the impact of players' height compared to their opponents.


International tournaments


World Games

The national teams competition organized by the International World Games Association has been played roughly every four years since 1981.


IKF World Korfball Championship

The national teams competition organized by the
International Korfball Federation The International Korfball Federation (IKF) is the governing body of korfball. IKF is responsible for the organisation of korfball's major international tournaments, notably the IKF World Korfball Championship. The IKF was founded on 11 June 193 ...
has been played roughly every four years since 1978.


IKF U23 World Korfball Championship

* 2008
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
, Taiwan – Winner: Netherlands * 2012
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Catalonia, Spain – Winner: Netherlands * 2016
Olomouc Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019). Located on t ...
, Czech Republic – Winner: Netherlands


Continental championships

IKF promotes four continental championships:
European Korfball Championship European Korfball Championship or European Korfball A-Championship is a korfball competition for European national teams organized by the International Korfball Federation. It was played every four years from 1998 until 2014 and then moved to a t ...
,
All-Africa Korfball Championship All-Africa Korfball Championship (AAKC) is a korfball competition for African national teams organized by the International Korfball Federation. It has been held every four years since 2006 with the winner qualifying through to the IKF World Korf ...
,
Pan-American Korfball Championship Pan-American Korfball Championship is the korfball competition played by Pan-American national teams. History References External linksInternational Korfball Federation Korfball competitions Recurring sporting events established in 20 ...
and
Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship is the korfball competition played by the Asian and Oceanian national teams, organized by the Asia-Oceania Korfball Federation and the International Korfball Federation. Results Most successful national tea ...
.


Europa Cup for Clubs

Every year the IKF organises the Europa Cup for national champions (clubs). The Europa Cup was organized for the first time in 1967, and was won by Ons Eibernest from the Netherlands. The winner of the last edition was Fortuna/Delta Logistiek, which won the 2020 edition. PKC from
Papendrecht Papendrecht () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, at the crossing of the River Beneden Merwede and the Noord River. The municipality had a population of in and covers an area of of which ...
, the Netherlands, have won the championship the most times, a record 12 wins in total. Until now, the winning team was either from the Netherlands or Belgium, with respectively 45 and 6 Europa Cups. The only club from the United Kingdom to reach the final was Mitcham Korfball Club from London. Mitcham lost the final against Catbavrienden from Belgium in 1998.


Beach korfball

For beach korfball, the rules of the game differ slightly from those of regular korfball. Each team has 4 starting players and up to 4 substitutes. The field of play is 20 metres by 10 metres, and goals are to be placed 4 metres from the end line. Matches consist of two halves of 6 minutes with a 1-minute rest. Each team has 4 players in the field, two men and two women. Players can be substituted at any time. Furthermore, if a goal is scored from a 2-point zone, a two-point goal is awarded. Free shots can both be executed at the standard Free Shot line, or at the spot where the fault was made by the opponent. The current Beach Korfball World Champion is
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, who won the World Beach Korfball Championship in
Nador Nador ( Riffian-Berber: ⵏⴰⴷⵓⵔ) is a coastal city and provincial capital in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco with a population of about 161,726 (2014 census). Nador city is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a salt lagoon nam ...
,
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
in 2022. 13 teams were represented with
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
taking silver and
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
bronze.


Cultural references

Korfball is the theme of the song "Joy in Leeuwarden (We Are Ready)" on the album ''
90 Bisodol (Crimond) ''90 Bisodol (Crimond)'' is the twelfth studio album by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit. It was released on 26 September 2011 by Probe Plus. The inner sleeve includes a modified version of the painting ''Christ's Entry into Jerusalem'' by ...
'' by Half Man Half Biscuit.


See also

*
British Student Korfball Nationals The BUCS Nationals take place every year, it is a chance for the student community to show off their skills in a competitive environment. Awards The winners receive the accolade of being crowned top university korfball club in Britain. The event ...
*
Commonwealth Korfball Championships The first Commonwealth Korfball Championships were held in Croydon from 14 to 16 July 2006. This was a tournament recognised by the International Korfball Federation, and hosted by the British Korfball Association, at the Whitgift School, Croyd ...
* Korfball Europa Shield *
Korfball European Bowl The European Bowl was the Korfball European Championship "B", played by the countries that have not qualified for the European Korfball Championship. The best teams of these tournaments often won the right to participate in the next European Korfbal ...


References


External links


International Korfball Federation (IKF)
includes rules, all national associations and event results. *   Extensive description and explanation of rules and requirements in competition korfball.
Infographic about what korfball is

PNW Beach Korfball (US)
{{Authority control Articles containing video clips Ball games Forms of basketball Games and sports introduced in 1902 Hybrid sports Mixed-sex sports Sports originating in the Netherlands Team sports