Beach Handball, also known as Sandball, is similar to handball but, played on the sand on the beach rather than in a court. There are two teams, each comprising of four players. The players attempt to throw the ball in the other team's goal post and score more.
The matches are usually played in two or three sets depending on when a team wins their second set of the game. If there is a tie at the end of a regular set, then the teams tend to play for a golden goal.
The goal for each team is to pass and bounce the ball and then attempt to throw it in the opposing team's goal. For scoring, when a goalkeeper scores, the team is rewarded with 2 points. When any of the court players score a goal, they are rewarded with only one point. The games are divided into two 10-minute halves. There are three ways to make a goal, that make the teams earn two points -
- Alley-Oop: It refers to the ball when it is passed to a teammate who catches the ball and shoots it without his feet touching the ground.
- Spectacular: It's a 360-degree shot which involves the offensive player doing an acrobatic aerial manoeuvre spinning his body at a 360-degree angle.
- A direct goal from the goalie or specialist: The fourth member of the offensive team who is designated by a different colour jersey, can earn two points with a direct goal.
History of Beach Handball
Beach handball is a relatively young sport which began in early 2000. It was earlier practised as a hobby on beaches around the world. Beach Handball was originated in 1992 in Italy and became an official sport by the IHF (International Handball Federation) in May 1994.
Mr. Gianni Buttarelli, President of the handball team Sequax Lazio and Mr. Franco Schiano, President of a series B handball team in Italy; together developed the idea of Beach Handball. The first-ever international tournament was held in 1993 and was followed by the recognition of the International Handball Federation in 1994.
During 2000, the first-ever European Beach Handball Championship was held in the city of Gaeta.
The Beach Handball World Championship is held every two years since 2004. It is also a part of the Youth Olympics, World Games, World Beach Games and all the beach games around the planet.
In 2004, Croatia appeared for the first time on the European stage but lost the finals against Russia, which took their second consecutive title in the women's competition. On the flip side, the Russian men's team dominated and won its first gold medal.
The first European Junior Beach Handball Championship was held in 2008 and since then, have been conducted in every two years. The last European Junior Beach Handball Championship was hosted by the Spanish Lloret de Mar. Russia and Hungary took the gold medal in men's and women's competition, respectively.
In September 2014, Brazil was ranked the number 1 country in the world and was the winner the World Championship in both men's and women's divisions at the 2014 Beach Handball World Championship.
In 2016 the first U-16 European Beach Handball Championship was held. Portuguese Nazare at that time, hosted the tournaments for both girls and boys. The host took the title in men's competition, while the Netherlands took the winning championship titles in the women's category.
Playing Area
The beach handball matches are usually performed in a court of around 27 m of length and 12 m of width and have at least 40 cm deep sand.
