Team Handball Rules
Match Duration
A match consists of two halves of 30 minutes and a 10-15 minutes half-time break.
Ball Rules
After receiving the ball, players can pass or shoot the ball, can bounce the ball once and then catch it or can keep possession by either dribbling or by taking three steps for up to 3-seconds at a time without dribbling.
Goal Area Rules
Players other than the goalkeeper are not allowed to enter the goal area. A pass or shot in the goal area is valid only if it is made in the air without touching the ground. Goalkeepers are not allowed to cross the goal area with the ball in their hands.
Penalties
If any rule infringement is made by players, the referee may warn, suspend, disqualify or exclude a player.
Players are penalized in following situations:-
- For pushing, holding, tripping the opponent or intentionally jumping onto an opponent.
- For any illegal actions like striking the opponent in the head, throat or neck, the player is provided with a 2-minute suspension. After receiving two 2-minute suspensions, the player will be shown a red card which results in an ejection from the team as well as a 2-minute penalty for the team.
- Spitting is regarded as an assault and the guilty player may be excluded from the play by the referee and can’t be replaced by the team.
Throws
Some special throws may be awarded by referees after certain events like scored goals, turnovers, timeouts and off-court balls.
Following are the type of throws are-
- Throw-off- It takes place from the center of the court at the beginning of each period and after a goal.
- Throw-in- It is awarded when the ball has gone out of bounds (crossed the sideline or touches the ceiling).
- Goalkeeper-throw- It is awarded when the ball crosses the outer goal line without the interference of the defending team or when defended by the goalkeeper or after the violation of the goal area by the attacking team.
- Free-throw- It is used after an interruption by the referees for a number of violations made including goalkeeper infractions and other player infractions in the goal area.
- Seven-meter throw- It is awarded after a clear chance of scoring is illegally prevented by an opponent or by the interruption made by the referee.
