Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Beginner's guide to handball

Handball is all about high speed and precise, quick passing - one of the more high octane sports at the Olympics.

The key to success lies in players working together at highg speed to move the ball up the court, and they do so much quicker than their footballing counterparts.

A match lasts for an hour and the speed of the sport means there are frequent goals.

At the last Olympics the match average in both the men's and women's tournament was more than 50 goals-a-game.

This time around 12 teams will contest the men's tournament, with 10 in the women's event.

The top four teams from each group will advance to the quarter-final knockout stage.

Players rely on feints, body swerves and huge leaps in the air to pass, control the ball and shoot.

It is also a highly physical sport and body-checks can sometimes see players crashing to the ground without any punishment being meted out by officials.

Teams consist of seven players, split three and three in attack and defence, with a goalkeeper at the back.

The three players at the back are the centre, left and right backcourt players who occupy, in footballing terminology, the full-back positions.

Those players also supplement the attacking triumvirate of the central circle runner - who has a free role around the court - and two wingers on the flanks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/handball/sport_guide/default.stm

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