Handball

Danes defend crown in style

2009-12-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

Denmark clinched their third straight Olympic women's handball crown with a narrow victory over South Korea which was decided 4-2 on penalties.

The scores were repeatedly locked in a dramatic match in which the Koreans let a three-point second-half lead slide.

With just three seconds of normal time left Denmark's Karin Mortensen produced a fine save to force extra time.

Dane Katrine Frueland equalised at 34-34 to take the game to penalties where Mortensen twice denied the Koreans.

Lim O Kyeong and Moon Pil Hee both saw their consecutive efforts saved by the 26-year-old goalkeeper's feet.

The Korean looked on course for an upset after they edged into a 33-31 lead with two minutes left in the second period of extra time.

But Denmark dug in and Frueland scored twice and converted a penalty - six seconds from time - to put the defending champions back in the game.

The Danes kept their cool in the shoot-out as Frueland, Lotte Kiaerskou, Line Daugaard and Henriette Mikkelsen all converted their penalties to back up Mortensen's good work.

Denmark only entered the competition in 1996 but have an extraordinary record - and won on Sunday in front of the Danish royal family.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/handball/3609486.stm

Croatia take handball gold

2009-12-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

World champions Croatia clinched the gold medal in the men's handball event after fighting back from a half-time deficit to beat Germany.

Mirza Dzomba netted eight times for the world champions as they edged to a 26-24 victory.

The Germans led 12-11 at the break and held the initiative until the 55th minute when goals from Dzomba and Niksa Kaleb pushed Croatia into the lead.

Croatia also won gold in 1996 but did not qualify for the Sydney Olympics.

Russia took bronze after beating Hungary on Saturday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/handball/3610428.stm

Hand it to Europe

2009-12-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Handball was first played in Germany in the late 19th century.

In the early 20th century the game spread across the border into Denmark, and evolved on its route north.

While the German game consisted of 11 players, the Danes developed a version with only seven in a team.

Handball made its Olympic debut as an outdoor demonstration sport at the Berlin Olympics, where Germany beat Austria in the final.

That was an 11-a-side tournament, but since the sport was re-introduced in 1972, coincidently also in Germany at the Munich Olympics as a seven-player event, the game's founders have struggled to match that success.

The tournament was only open to men and Yugoslavia took gold ahead of Czechoslovakia and Romania.

Women competed in the following Games when the Soviet Union won both titles with Europe taking a clean sweep of the medals.

Europe has dominated the event, particularly in the men's competition, where only one of the 27 medals have been won by a country beyond the continent, South Korea taking silver in 1988.

South Korea's women won gold in 1988 and 1992 but were denied a hat-trick at the death by Denmark in Atlanta after the final went into extra time.

The Danes successfully defended their title four years ago, joining the Soviet Union and South Korea as two-time winners.

Russia won the men's event in Sydney with Sweden finishing with silver for the third successive Games.

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

Beginner's guide to handball

2009-12-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

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

How It's Played

2009-12-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Team handball has been described as a combination of soccer, basketball, and ice hockey. The object is to score by throwing or hitting an inflated ball into a goal. A player can move the ball by dribbling it, as in basketball; by hitting it with any part of the body above the knee; or by throwing it. Only the goalkeeper is allowed to kick the ball. (This, of course, is the reverse of soccer, where all other players have to kick the ball and only the goalkeeper is allowed to handle and throw it.)

It's against the rules to carry the ball for more than three steps or to hold it for more than three seconds.

Shots on goal must be taken from outside the goal circle, an area in which only the goaltender is allowed. Minor violations of the rules allow a team a free throw, which is an unhindered pass to a teammate, usually from a spot near where the foul was committed. Penalty throws at the goal, awarded for more serious infractions, are taken from a mark just outside the goal circle.

The eleven-player game is played outdoors, on a field 90-100 meters (295-360 feet) long and 55-65 meters (180-213 feet) wide, with a goal 2.44 meters (8 feet) high and 7.32 meters (24 feet) wide. The goal circle is an arc 13 meters (43 feet) from the center of the goal.

In the seven-player game, which can take place either indoors or outdoors, the playing area is 38-45 meters (125-148 feet) long and 18-22 meters (59-72 feet) wide. The goal is 2 meters high by 3 meters wide (about 6 feet by 9 feet) and the goal circle has a diameter of 6 meters (about 20 feet).

For men's teams, either 11-player or 7-player, a game is made up of two 30-minute halves. Women and youths play 25-minute halves.

http://www.hickoksports.com/history/teamhand.shtml#comp

Team Handball Basic Rules

2009-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Playing Court: The court measures 20 meters (65' 7") by 40 meters (131' 3"). The goal area line, or 6-meter line (19' 8"), is the most important line. No one except the goalie is allowed to stand in the goal area. The goal opening is 2 meters by 3 meters. Players may jump into the area if the ball is released before landing in the area.

The Ball: Team handball is played with a 32-panel leather ball. For women, the ball is 54 to 56 centimeters and 325 to 400 grams (ball size 2). For men, it is 58 to 60 centimeters and 425 to 475 grams (ball size 3).

Number of Players: There are seven players on each team (six court players and one goalie). A maximum of 12 players may dress and participate in a game for each team. Substitutes may enter the game at any time through own substitution area as long as the player they are replacing has left the court.

Uniform of the Players: Uniform shirts and shorts are the same color. The goalkeeper must wear a different color shirt from teammates and opponents. No jewelry is allowed.

Referees: There are two referees, a court referee and a goal line referee. Referees have complete authority: Their decisions are final. The referees are assisted by a timer and a scorer.

Duration of the Game: For players 18 years and over, the game consists of 2, 30-minute halves with 10-minute half-time. This is running time except for injury or one team time-out per half. The teams change benches at half-time. The game ends in a tie unless the game demands a winner. (Tournament rules dictate that a winner must be determined.) Overtime consists of 2, 5-minute periods.

Passive Play: It is illegal to keep the ball in a team's possession without making a recognizable attempt to attack and to try to score. In other words, a team cannot stall (free-throw awarded to the other team). Throw-Off: A throw-off is taken by the team that wins the coin toss and chooses to start the game with the ball. Each team must be in its own half of the court with the defense 3 meters away from the ball. Following a whistle, the ball is passed from center court to a teammate and play begins. Throw-off is repeated after every goal scored and after half-time.

Scoring: A goal is scored when the entire ball crosses the goal line inside the goal. A goal may be scored from any throw (free-throw, throw-in, throw-off, goal-throw).

http://www.ruislip-handballclub.co.uk/Handball-rules.html

Handball refs turned down bribe

2009-12-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Two Danish handball officials were offered bribes during the World Cup qualification matches in June 2008 by Romania, according to documents from the European Handball Federation (EHF).

Martin Gjeding and Mads Hansen - considered two of handball’s best referees - were each allegedly offered €30,000 to ensure that Romania won its tournament match against Montenegro. The two Danes refused the bribe and reported the matter to EHF.

European handball has been reeling from accusations of malpractice since German club Kiel was charged with bribing officials two weeks ago. And just last week, two German referees were stopped by customs after trying to re-enter the country with $50,000 after refereeing a tournament in Russia.

But the Danish Handball Union’s administration knew nothing of the matter until Jyllands-Posten newspaper reporters informed them of the matter - despite the fact that the union’s referee committee was informed of the bribe by Hansen and Gjeding after it occurred.

‘I didn’t consider the case to be serious,’ said Ole F. Petersen, the committee’s chairman. ‘There was no reason to pursue the matter any further when Mads and Martin didn’t accept the bribe.’

But the union’s administration feels differently.

‘If we had known about the bribe we would have taken immediate action,’ said Morten Stig Christensen, the union’s managing director. ‘I’ve previously made it clear to the committee that these types of cases must be sent on to us.’

He said he did not understand why EHF had not done anything with regards to the case.

‘This information stresses that it’s high time we perform a radical cultural change within the handball world.’

http://www.cphpost.dk/sport/120-sport/45086-handball-refs-turned-down-bribe.html

What is THW Kiel?

2009-12-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

THW Kiel is the most successful German handball team of the last 15 years and was twelve times German champion in the last fifteen years. Winning once the Champions League, six times the German cup, five times the German Super-Cup and three times the EHF cup added to the impressive record of Germany's leading handball team in the leading handball league of the world, the "Bundesliga". But THW Kiel has also a long handball tradition - becoming German champion for the first time already in 1957.

More than 10000 enthusiastic supporters and famous players like Thierry Omeyer, Filip Jicha, Kim Andersson, Marcus Ahlm, Momir Ilic, Daniel Narcisse and Christian Zeitz make the Sparkassen-Arena - the Kiel event hall - a nearly unconquerable place for the visiting teams.

THW Kiel was home to many of the world most respected handball players like Stefan Lövgren, Nikola Karabatic (world handballer 2007), Magnus Wislander (world handballer 1990), Staffan Olsson, Henning Fritz (world handballer 2004), Nikolaj Jacobsen, Demetrio Lozano, Frode Hagen, Andrei Xepkin (segen times CL winner), Roman Pungartnik, Nenad Perunicic, Lars Krogh Jeppesen Marek Panas or former German national team captain Klaus-Dieter Petersen.

http://www.thw-provinzial.de/thw/ethw.htm

Why play in the offensive stance?

2009-12-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

- The player is always ready to pass in any direction, to any teammate, even if a long pass is required.
2- The player has the option throughout the three seconds to either shoot or pass to any teammate; thus, the ball is constantly kept "in play"!
3- Playing in the OS enables and motivates creativity and wit.
4- It is easier to avoid fouls by the defenders, hence not allowing them to interrupt a sequence of dangerous offense activities.
5- Less passes are intercepted than when passing by shoving the ball, as it is harder for the opponent to anticipate the offense player's intents.
6- The players are immediately ready to shoot, especially if the ball is passed directly to the OS; the hand only needs to be raised slightly further.
7- When the ball is carried above the head, throws, shots and passes are more precise than when the arm is swung.
8- Shot realization, especially from the 6m line, is much better from the OS; it is more difficult for the goalkeeper to predict the offense player's intent.
9- Playing in the OS keeps us from bouncing the ball, which makes our game more threatening, with less exposure to fouls and interceptions.
10- When the ball is held in the OS, the swing is more dangerous and the defense is easier to break through, as the defenders have to exert more pressure.
11- In the OS, the same swing is used for shooting and passing. Therefore, only one technique of throwing the ball is required.
12- The beginners find it much easier to play with the ball above their heads; this also improves their throwing technique.
http://www.celjskarokometnasola.com/Contribution.htm

Key characteristics of performing the tactical-technical offensive elements

2009-12-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

The elements are performed in line with the characteristics of the offensive technique, described on the first page.
Playing without the ballWing player and the pivot should dedicate most effort to open for a pass. The wing players try to open by making a step or two towards the defender and then quickly jumping back towards the sideline - but not by running towards the center! The player should open for a pass when visual contact is made with the player in possession of the ball, otherwise the defender will again start to mark too tightly to allow a pass. The pivot should also not try to open to early. Pivot players should box out the defender and open into the free space in the last moment, as the ball leaves the player in possession; otherwise, the defender will be able to mark the pivot again before he receives the ball. Lateral (or back) players and wings may also run or cut towards the line when they are not in possession, or dribble; however, after the pass, every player should move to a new dangerous position by moving towards the sideline or towards the center, or by running forward.
The player should await the pass while skipping (making small steps from one foot to the other while staying in one place); this will facilitate the start and receiving the ball while in full sprint. However, the run should not be started to early, as the teammate will often not pass immediately; if the player awaiting the ball comes too close to the defender before actually receiving it, he will be forced to stop or slow down, thus loosing the speed required for an efficient drive or shot. A full sprint should only be started when the teammate makes visual contact! The player also has to estimate whether the situation is more appropriate for a drive or a shot, and adjust the approach run to the defender appropriately.
Receiving the ballThe ball should be received while standing on the right foot. This enables making three strides L-R-L before taking a shot or making a jump-pass. The ball should be caught with a short move; before the reception, the wrists should be loose, with hands turned downwards; the ball is then received only with a backward move in the wrists. If the player does not intend to pass the ball forward immediately, the ball should be raised in the shortest way possible into the OS. After catching the ball, it should be held from both sides, with thumbs forming a 60° angle, in the shape of the letter A. This way, the palm holding the ball will be open before the ball is thrown. A common mistake is catching the ball by holding it too much from the front side, which closes the palm. Simultaneously with the swing back, a slight lateral rotation of the upper body should be made, in order to prepare the player for a shot or a pass in any direction.
After receiving the ball from the right side, the ball should not be carried in front of the player. It should be retained in the OS and transferred from left hand to the right one with both hands either in front of the body or above the head.
Moving and playing with the ballThe approach run is not an element to be practiced separately. It is a part of the drive/penetration or a long-distance shot. When performing either of these two elements, the offense player should cut between two defenders with his body in the offensive stance, with 1 - 3 running steps. If the player does not intend to shoot, the run should be ended as close to the defender as possible; carrying the ball in the offensive stance enables this. The OS enables penetrating, dribbling, shooting or passing to any teammate. This way, the preferred constant threat is created, which also involves long passes. As a rule, each offense player in possession of the ball should first attempt to break towards the 6m line; if this cannot be done, the player should shoot before the defender, either while standing on the ground or with a jump-shot, or pass to the teammate that is currently in the most threatening position.
Harmless runs that are not directed towards the goal are an opportunity for the defenders to jump out of the defense formation and interrupt the offensive play. All three offense player's steps must be directed towards the goal, between two defenders. The offense player should then stop with feet placed wide apart, with the ball in the OS, directly in front of the defender, in order to draw two defenders. In order to constantly face the goal during the game, the player should perform the left-right rotation only in the hips, i.e. only by turning his/her upper body. The feet should always be directed towards the goal.
The approach run can be prolonged by a jump-pass. Faked shot, with the hand in the open palm, above the head, will enable such a pass. If the players play with the ball above the head, they will be able to pass more often to the wing player, especially with a jump-pass, thus constantly stretching the defense formation.
When the ball is carried past the defender, it should be held above the head. If the ball is held in front of the player, the defender can easily stop the break with a foul. Again, the ball should be held in an open palm, turned outwards, ready for a pass in both directions, even at longer distance.
Before attempting a break through the defense, the ball should be shoved upwards and to the front; thus, the hand holding the ball will be raised high above the head when breaking past the defender.
Breaking past the defender with running strides is faster than when the offense player moves with switch steps or when landing on both feet widely apart. It is important not to run with both feet too close together, as it easier to change the direction of the run if they are farther apart. During the break, the offense player should face the goal as well, holding the ball in the offensive stance, ready for a shot or a pass in any direction. Therefore, stepping with one foot behind the other can be very useful when breaking to the left side. A lot of players may not be comfortable with breaking in the offensive stance, but the goal of the break or penetration is above all to draw the next defender and pass to an open teammate immediately before the foul. This can only be achieved in the OS!Passing the ballShooting technique only differs from the passing technique at the end of the sequence of moves: when shooting, the fingers cover the ball, while with passes they slide underneath it, imparting a slight backspin on it by giving it a "lick". The swig back for a shot or a long pass should be the same: diagonally backwards, upwards, high above the head, until the pectoral (chest) muscles are stretched, with a simultaneous rotation of the upper body by 90°. If the OS is the starting position, an accurate shot or a long pass only require raising the ball high upwards and making a lateral rotation of the upper body. When thrusting forwards, the chain of motion is of key importance: shoulder - elbow - wrist. More advanced players also apply the whip effect, when the elbow is raised first and the forearm is hung downwards, which is then followed by a sudden forward thrust of the elbow. Before the throw, or the thrust, the elbow should be in front of the ball, and the palm should be open and turned upwards and outwards to enable shooting to any part of the frame. Immediately before the ball is thrown, is should be covered with a downward movement of the wrist if it is shot, or given a backspin if it is passed. Remember, the correct position of the palm will depend on the way the ball is caught and held, and on the correct upper body rotation. When shooting, the swing back is not as important, since the throw begins by a forward movement of the arm; however, circular motion and bending the arm do not result in accurate shots, let alone in accurate passes! The center point of the shot is the shoulder; therefore, it should be raised high before the ball is thrown. During the forward thrust, the elbow should not be lowered, and the forearm should not be moved forward too soon by bending the elbow, as this will weaken the shot and make it less accurate.
Inaccurate passes cause too many turnovers during the game. For short passes it suffices to catch the ball by immediately opening the palm with a short move of the wrist; a medium-distance pas requires some additional rotation of the hips and carrying the ball above the shoulder in the OS. This means that as the ball is caught, it should be swung back immediately; then it is only required to extend the arm forwards, in the direction of the pass. If the palm is open and the fingers slide under the ball, giving it a backspin, the passes will be accurate and fast, yet easy to catch!
Fake passes and fake shots are convincing enough if they are indicated with the shoulder, without moving the ball away from the position from which it is ready for a shot.
Mistakes, especially when receiving the ball, shooting and passing, may have a decisive influence on the player's success. They should be the focus of your attention!
Playing with the ball above the head, in full sprint, facing the goal, along with accurate passes,will improve handball even further.

http://www.celjskarokometnasola.com/Contribution.htm

Four characteristics of performing offensive handball elements

2009-12-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

1 - The offense players should perform most elements in the "offensive stance" (OS)
When in possession, the ball should be raised slightly above the level of the head immediately after catching; it should be carried in the same position, while the body should be slightly flexed, with arms above the head. The angles in the elbow and under the arm should be at least 90°, the elbow should be moved away from the body, and the palm with the ball should be as open as possible, turned upwards and outwards. This way, the hand carrying the ball is always ready for an immediate shot, long pass, penetration, or dribbling. There are several reasons for playing in the offensive stance, but their common denominator is "less turnovers and more threatening game". Why play in the OS?1- The player is always ready to pass in any direction, to any teammate, even if a long pass is required.2- The player has the option throughout the three seconds to either shoot or pass to any teammate; thus, the ball is constantly "in play".3- It is easier to avoid fouls by the defenders, not allowing them to interrupt a sequence of dangerous offense activities4- Less passes are intercepted than when passing by shoving the ball, as it is harder for the opponent to anticipate our intents.5- We are immediately ready to shoot, especially if the ball is passed directly to the OS; the hand only needs to be raised a bit further.6- Throws, shots and passes are more precise if the ball is carried above the head than with regular swings were the arm makes a circular motion etc.7- Shot realization, especially from the 6m line, is much better from the OS; it is more difficult for the goalkeeper to predict our intent.8- Playing in the OS keeps us from bouncing the ball, which makes our game more threatening, with less exposure to fouls and interceptions.9- When the ball is held in the OS, the swing is more dangerous and the defense is easier to penetrate, as the defenders have to exert more pressure. 10- Playing in the OS enables and motivates creativity and wit, e.g. with long passes etc.11- In the OS, the same swing is used for shooting and passing. Therefore, only one technique of throwing the ball is required. 12- The beginners find it much easier to play with the ball above their heads; this also improves their throwing technique.
Good players increasingly play in the OS, but most of them are still wasting time by unnecessary circular motions and swings, which precludes them from taking advantage of the numerous benefits of playing with the ball constantly at the level of the head. Catching the ball immediately, directly "upwards", not to the chest or even under the belt, is of key importance! This enables us to take advantage of the benefits of the OS for the entire three seconds. When training the players to play in the OS, catching the ball "upwards" has to be paid most attention to. The OS also enables an immediate pass, without having to raise the ball, if a teammate is in a good position for a shot. Again, the ball is not shoved or passed from under the wrist; it is thrown. The ball only needs to be caught with a move of the wrist and by opening the palm, and it is ready for another short pass.
2- Handball should be played with running strides, in sprint
Three long running strides (steps) make our game faster, enable powerful drives or approach runs and make us more dangerous! This is constantly proven by top-class players (Rutenka, Karabatič, Spellerberg etc.). Running strides are faster than sliding steps, small jumps or switching steps which seem to be particularly popular with girls; such movement results in passing the ball around the defense zone without any drive towards the goal. If the ball is received in motion, on the right foot and into the OS, and the player makes three steps L-R-L, the ball doesn't have to be bounced at all, since in case the other players are active as well, the player in possession of the ball can shoot or pass after the first, second or the third step. Shooting or passing after the first step, even if it is a jump-shot or a jump-pass, is the most dangerous, as the defenders are not ready to properly guard the offense player. Preferably, the three strides should end on the take-off foot, as in this case the player can shoot or pass while in the air, thus gaining a "fourth step". Therefore, the player should learn to receive the ball while on the right foot; this can be regulated by a short step or a switch step while the ball is in the air and flying towards the receiving player.
A slow approach run is not as dangerous as the sprint one. The more successful the player's drive, dribbling, or shooting, the more dangerous the player! However, the approach run should not be started too early; the run should start when visual contact is made with the player in possession that the pass is expected from. At the same time, the player to receive the ball should estimate whether he or she will be able to drive to the line or shoot before the defender, thereby determining the best place to receive the ball, to shoot or to pass without stopping just inches away from the defender. Three successive runs of the offense players are very rarely seen; the third one usually receives the ball while standing in place, instead of while in full sprint motion. The slower player can easily make up for the lack of speed by playing in the OS with long running strides.
3- The offense player in possession of the ball should face the goal as often as possible, instead of standing sideways
This will enable the player to constantly monitor the position of other players. It will facilitate and improve passing and driving/breaking to both sides, as well as shooting in different ways. The offense player that is facing the goal is also more stable and firm in duels with the defenders. When playing with the body facing the goal, the player should only turn his/her upper body in the hips, while the feet should constantly face the goal. This is particularly important when moving to the left (for right-handed players); when playing in the right sideway position, the player looses the sight of the right side of the field, is unable to shoot, and more prone to committing an offensive foul than when facing the goal.
4- The ball should be passed around in the level of the chest or higher
The path of the ball in the offense should be flat, in the level of the chest, without upward, downward, forward and backward fluctuations. While running, the player should keep the hands at the level of the chest, where the ball is most easily caught. After catching the ball "upwards", the ball is above the head; however, at the pass, the hand is stretched towards the teammate and the ball is again at the level of the chest. When catching the ball, it should not be lowered and circular motion should by all means be avoided. Even a convincing fake-pass only requires a movement of the shoulder; there is no need to swing all the way and raise the arm again! The ball should only be lowered under the level of the belt at bounce-passes and at lower shots.
How should a pass to the teammate be aimed? To the level of the chest; into the swing from the right side; within the reach of arms from the left side; definitely away from the defender, to help the teammate avoid his marker.
http://www.celjskarokometnasola.com/Contribution.htm

Offensive technique model for a contemporary style of handball

2009-12-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

Offensive technique model for a contemporary style of handball
The technique of catching, holding, carrying and throwing the ball, as well as moving with it, makes considerable difference to the game. Following is a short description of a playing style that differs significantly from the commonplace one, bringing more creativity and efficiency both to the offense and to fast breaks.
The offensive technique was adapted to the requirements of the game. In order to create opportunities to shoot, the offense players (O) have to represent a persistent threat and constantly surprise the defenders (D). Whenever the offense player receives the ball, he must make a drive towards goal and shoot; if this is not possible, he has to pass to one of the five (!) teammates. This will definitely be easier to attain by playing in the offensive stance (offensive body position - OS), carrying the ball as high as the level of the head, moving with running steps, and facing the goal. All offensive handball elements - catching, passing, shooting, penetration, dribbling, faking - should be performed by applying this technique
http://www.celjskarokometnasola.com/Contribution.htm

Starting the game

2009-12-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Starting the game
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The team winning the toss has the option of beginning the game with a throw off or by choosing the end they are to aim for in the first half. Throw offs are taken from the centre, within three seconds of the referee blowing the whistle.

All other players must be in their own half of the court and the players of the non-starting team must be at least 3 metres (10 feet) away from the player taking the throw. The ball can go in any direction.

Goals

A goal is scored when the ball completely crosses the goal line and goes into the goal. After a goal, play restarts with a throw off from the centre by the team that did not score. Goals count as one, and the team that have scored the most by the end of the game win.

After a goal, play is restarted from the centre with a throw off by the non-scoring team.

Ball rules
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Players can stop, catch, throw, bounce or strike the ball in any way they want using the hands, fists, arms, head, body, thighs, or knees. They can move the ball from one hand to the other.

The ball must not be in the possession of one player for any more than 3 seconds in one go, and can be passed while sitting, kneeling, or lying on the floor.

Players can stop the ball then catch it, as long as they do not move while they do this.

Players may not touch the ball more than once, unless it touches the ground, another player, the goal, or is fumbled or passed from one hand to the other.

The referee will decide if a ball has been caught cleanly, if so, a fumble would count as a second touch and would be against the rules. If the ball has not been caught cleanly, that player is allowed to touch it again.

The ball must not touch a player below the knee or on the foot, and players cannot dive for the ball while they are on the ground. These rules do not apply for goalkeepers. The ball must not be played deliberately across the side line or goal line.

Moving with the ball

A player may not take any more than three steps while holding the ball, but players can stop, bounce the ball with one hand, and take another three steps.

If a running or jumping player catches the ball, the steps are not counted until after both feet have touched the ground either together or in turn.

The ball can be bounced repeatedly with one hand while running with it (dribbling) or standing. After catching the ball, a player has up to three steps and up to three seconds to hold it before passing.

Once the ball has touched the ground, another player, or the goal, the player may have the ball back. There is no limit on steps between bouncing and recatching the ball.

The ball can be rolled along the ground with one hand.

Physical contact
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During play, players are allowed to use hands and arms to win possession, and obstruct an opponent with the body whether they have the ball or not.

Players are not allowed to grab the ball with one or both hands, or strike it from an opponent's hands, obstruct an opponent with the hands, arms, or legs, or catch an opponent with one or both hands.

http://sportsrules.50g.com/handballteam.htm#starting

Who can play the game ? and The Field

2009-12-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Who can play the game ?
Virtually anyone. You don't need to be a towering giant with arms the size of tree trunks to play (although that is certainly an advantage). The rules are virtually the same for the men's and women's game: only the size of the ball is different. And for children, the ball is smaller again.
The Field
Handball is played on a field forty meters long by twenty meters wide with a dividing line in the middle and a goal in the center of either end. The goals are surrounded by a near-semicircular line that is generally six meters away from the goal. There is also a dashed near-semicircular line that is nine meters away from the goal.

http://www.coachinghandball.com/userapp/pages/whatIsHandball.jsp

General rules

2009-12-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

Pushing, holding, tripping and hitting are violations.
Free throws are awarded for violations; an offensive player can be penalized for charging into a defender. Free throws are taken from the point where the violation occurred, unless it occurs between the goal line and the free throw line, in which case the free throw line is used.
If a player makes a fault, the referee is allowed to give a free-throw to the other team, or he decides for a penalty, to be executed at a mark seven meters away from the goal. In a free-throw each player of the other team have to stay three meters away from the point where it is executed from, in a penalty there is only one shooter against the goalkeeper, but the shooter is not allowed to make a step before the ball has left his hand.

http://www.coachinghandball.com/userapp/pages/whatIsHandball.jsp

Why Handball ?

2009-12-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

It’s an inexpensive activity that can easily be incorporated into your program
It promotes team work, co-operation and friendships
It develops the basic athletic skills used in all other sport.
It’s easily modified to fit your space, time and number of participants
It can be played be people of all sizes, ages and genders.
It is suitable for both beginners and experienced players. You can play in either men's, women's or mixed divisions.
It is easy to learn and a great way to get in shape It can also be used for simple dodging, chasing and warm-up activities

http://www.coachinghandball.com/userapp/pages/whatIsHandball.jsp

Riegelhuth and Omeyer are the World Handball Players of the year 2008

2009-12-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Linn Kristin Riegelhuth

Linn Kristin Riegelhuth was born in Furuseth. There she started playing Handball. After changing to Homlia she was discovered by Norwegian talent scouts and played for the Youth and Junior National team. Her international career started when she was transferred to the top club Larvik HK. Since 2003 she is a key player in the women’s national team. She is the fourth Norwegian female to become World Handball Player of the Year.

International Career

Three times European Champion (2004 , 2006 , 2008)
Silver medalist at the World Championship 2007 in France
Olympic Champion 2008 in Beijing

Facts and figures

Right wing position for Norway and the Danish Club F.C. Kobenhavn
137 international matches left handed
Scored 524 goals
Six times Norwegian Champion on Club level
Won twice the European Cup Winners’ Cup
Top scorer and member of the allstar team at the European Championship in FYRO Macedonia 2008
Awarded twice best player of the Norwegian league

Specialties

Counter attack goals
One of the fastest players in her team

Thierry Omeyer

It’s the third time in history after 2004 (Henning Fritz/Germany) and 2005 (Arpad Sterbik/Serbia and Montenegro) that a goal keeper has been crowned as World Handball Player of the year. “My secret of success is hard training and psychology” Omeyer said: “A goalkeepers’ work is mostly a matter of concentration and tactics. And I like the pressure of standing in the focus in highlight matches.”

International Career

Bronze medal at World Championships (2003 , 2005)
European Champion (2006)
Bronze medal at European Championship (2008)
Olympic Champion 2008 in Beijing and nomination for all star team as best goalkeeper
World Champion 2009 in Croatia and awarded best goalkeeper of the tournament

Facts and figures

220 international matches for France
Champions league Trophy with Montpellier (2003) and Kiel (2007)
Domestic Champion and domestic Cup Winner in France and Germany each eight times in total
Awarded best player of the season 2008/2009 in Germany .

http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=173

Handball Betting

2009-12-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Handball is a type of sport that is played by 6 players and a goalkeeper and the ball is controlled by hands. General game rules and the goal of the game are similar to football. Handball bettings are among 3 odds bettings. But prices given to bets on draw are higher as handball games do not end with a draw very often. Usually, betting rates for a draw are almost 10-15 times higher than the rest. You can win a lot of money if you lay right bets for a draw several times.
Despite the fact that handball bettings are not very popular, online bookmakers provide many betting options on this type of sport. You can lay bets on handball league games played between clubs in many countries. The most popular national leagues among them are leagues in Sweden, Germany, France, Hungary, Denmark, Norway and Spain. Team competitions in handball are not limited to national leagues. There are other international organizations in Europe, where club teams compete with each other. Champions League games that start in September are among the most popular ones.
Handball Champions League games are played in two different categories by men and women. Punters who like to play on handball games can get many betting options during this period. The other international organization, in which clubs teams participate, is the Handball Cup Champions Cup.
The excitement for the game increases during the organization where national teams participate. During Europe Handball Championship, World Handball Championship and Olympics, television channels broadcast many games live. In these periods, handball fans get a chance to bet on live games. As a result, they get the opportunity to gain money till the last minute of the game.

http://www.betstudy.com/sports-betting/handball-betting/

American handball

2009-12-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

American handball is played on a court 12.2 meters long by 6.1 meters wide (40 feet long by 20 feet wide) with either a single (front) wall, three walls, or in a fully enclosed four-wall (the most common). The four-wall court is a rectangular box. The front wall is 6.1 meters (20 feet) square, and the side walls are 12.2 meters (40 feet) long and 6.1 meters (20 feet) high. In the middle of the floor of the court lies the short line, dividing the floor into two 6.1 meter (20 feet) squares. Also along the floor is the service line, which is 1.5 meters (5 feet) in front of the short line. The service zone is the area between these two lines. The back wall of the court is usually 3.7 meters (12 feet) high, with an above gallery for the referee and scorer, and also spectators. A few courts have a glass back wall and/or glass side walls to allow for a better view of the match. (In three-wall court handball, the court often has a front wall and two full side walls, or the front wall is flanked by two triangular wings.)

Handball may be played singles (two players against each other), doubles (two teams of two players), or "cut-throat" (three players rotating one-against-two). (In "cut-throat" handball, one server plays against two receivers, until he or she is put out. Then, the left-most receiver serves, and so serves rotate in this way until one player scores 21 points and wins.) The black rubber ball, 65 grams (2.3 ounces) in mass/weight and 4.8 centimeters (1 7/8 inches) in diameter (slightly smaller and harder than a racquetball), is hit with the gloved palm (informal games often don't include gloves). The ball is "served" by one player/team standing in the service zone, by dropping the ball to the floor of the service zone and striking it on the bounce with the hand or fist so that it hits the front wall. The ball must hit the front wall first; it may then hit only one side wall; the served ball must pass the short line before the first bounce. It may be hit directly, or may bounce off the floor once before being "returned" by the receiver. A legal return must either hit the front wall directly, or it may touch the back wall, the side walls, or the ceiling before hitting the front wall. When the served ball lands in front of the short line, it is called a "short." If the server gets two shorts in a row, he or she is out, and becomes the receiver. In doubles, the server's teammate has to stand in the service area with his/her back to a side wall in a service box, marked by a parallel line 45.7 centimeters (18 inches) from the side wall, until the ball passes the short line.

The receiver must stand at least 1.52 meters (5 feet) behind the short line, indicated by lines extending 15.2 centimeters (6 inches) from each side wall, while the server has the ball. He or she must then hit the ball either directly or after the first bounce so that it bounces off the front wall. The ball cannot bounce off the floor twice. Nor can any player during a return deliberately hit the ball off the floor before it touches the front wall. The server then hits the ball on the rebound from the front wall, and play continues with the opponents alternatively hitting the ball until one of them fails to make a legal return. Players cannot hinder(block) their opponents from hitting the ball. If the server fails to make a legal return, he or she is out, and becomes the receiver. If the receiver fails to make the return, a point goes to the server, who continues to serve until he or she is out. So, only the server/serving team can score points. The game goes to the player/team to score 21 points first, and a match goes to the player/team to win two out of three games.

http://infao5501.ag5.mpi-sb.mpg.de:8080/topx/archive?link=Wikipedia-Lip6-2/465921.xml&style

What's handball?

2009-12-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

Handball (also known as team handball, field handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team.

The game has a goal similar to but smaller than the one in football (soccer), though as the name implies, the basic method of handling the ball involves the players' hands rather than their feet. The game has been played internationally since the 1920s.

History
Team handball has origins reaching as far as antiquity: urania in ancient Greece, harpaston in ancient Rome, fangballspiel in medieval Germany, etc. There are also records of handball-like games in medieval France, and among the Inuit in Greenland, in the Middle Ages, and in Ancient Africa, primarily Egypt. By the 19th century, there existed similar games of haandbold from Denmark, hazena in Bohemia and Slovakia, gandbol in Ukraine, torball in Germany, as well as versions in Ireland and Uruguay.

The team handball game as we know it today was formed by the end of the 19th century in northern Europe, primarily Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden. The Dane Holger Nielsen drew up the rules for modern handball (håndbold) in 1898 (and published them in 1906), and R.N. Ernst did something similar in 1897.

Another set of team handball rules was published on 29 October 1917 by Max Heiser, Karl Schelenz and Erich Konigh from Germany. After 1919 these rules were further improved by Karl Schelenz. The first international games were played under these rules, between Germany and Belgium for men in 1925 and between Germany and Austria for women in 1930.

In 1926, the Congress of the International Amateur Athletics Federation nominated a committee to draw up international rules for field handball. The International Amateur Handball Federation was formed in 1928. The International Handball Federation was formed later in 1946

Men's field handball was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin at the special request of Adolf Hitler. It was removed from the list of sports, to return as team handball in 1972 for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Women's team handball was added as an Olympic discipline at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The International Handball Federation organized the Men's World Championships in 1938 and every four (or sometimes three years) from World War II to 1995. Since the 1995 World Championship in Iceland, the competition has been held every two years. The Women's World Championships have been played since 1957. The IHF also organizes Women's and Men's Junior World Championships.

As of February 2007, the IHF lists 159 member federations which represent approximately 1,130,000 teams and a total of 31 million players, trainers, officials and referees.

Playing Field
Handball is played on a court forty meters long by twenty meters wide (40mx20m), with a dividing line in the middle and a goal in the center of either end. The goals are surrounded by a near-semicircular line that is generally six meters (6m) away from the goal. There is also a dashed near-semicircular line that is nine meters (9m) away from the goal. In established play (which is most of the time, although counterattacking is becoming increasingly important), the defenders stand right outside the 6m line, with the attacking players throwing the ball to each other a bit outside the 9m line, trying to create an attack (either by shooting from a distance, or passing to a player standing at the 6m line).

After a goal has been scored, the team conceding the goal restarts the game. Their players move to the center line. Once a player has the ball under control the referee will blow his whistle to restart play. All players of the team which are restarting the play, must be behind the line on their own half, or else the restarting throw will have to be retaken.

Only the defending goalkeeper is allowed to step inside the six meter (6m) perimeter, though any player may attempt to catch and touch the ball in the air within it. If a player should find himself in contact inside the goal perimeter he must immediately take the most direct path out of it. Should a defender make contact with an attacker while in the goal perimeter, their team is penalized with a direct attempt at the goal, with only one attacker on the seven-meter line and the defending goalkeeper involved.

The ball is smaller than a football in order for the players to be able to hold and handle it with a single hand (though contact with both hands is perfectly allowed). Some American versions use a volleyball. It is transported by bouncing it between hands and floor — much as in basketball. A player may only hold the ball for three seconds and may only take three steps with the ball in hand. After taking three steps the player will have to make a dribble with one hand in order to continue moving forward, but if the ball is held in both hands after making a dribble and the player makes another dribble, a free throw will be given to the other team for a "double dribble". There are many unofficial rule variations; a common American version allows only a single step with the ball, after which the player must pass the ball to another teammate or shoot.

Ball movement and possession is similar to basketball. If the attacker commits an infraction, such as charging, the possession of the ball can be awarded to the defending team. Players may also cause the possession to be lost if they make more than three steps without dribbling or after stopping their dribble. However unlike basketball, the player may take three steps instead of two (pivoting on one foot is considered a step) and the ball must be "patted" down instead of the more controlled basketball method.

Game play
A standard match duration consists of two periods of 30 minutes each during which each team may call one time-out. Normal league games are usually allowed to end in a draw, but in knockout tournaments, such as the of the Olympics, two extension periods of 5 minutes are played, and if they also end in a draw another two times 5 minutes has to be played. If each of these ends in a tie after the extra time the winner is determined by an individual shootout from the 7-meter line, where each team is given five shots. The rules of the shootout are similar to soccer shootouts, where, if a winner is not found within the first ten shots, the players return to the shooting, until one team has missed and the other scored. In two Olympic Finals of women's handball penalty shootout had to be used - both of them with Denmark participating (against Hungary in 1996 and South Korea in 2004); and both of them with Denmark as the winner.

The game is quite fast and includes body contact as the defenders try to stop the attackers from approaching the goal. Only frontal contact by the defenders is allowed; when a defender stops an attacker with his or her arms instead of his or her torso, the play is stopped and restarted from the spot of the infraction or on the nine meter line, with the attacking team in possession.

The usual formations of the defense are the so-called 6-0, when all the defense players are within the 6 meter and 9 meter lines; the 5-1, when one of the players cruises outside the 9 meter perimeter, usually targeting the center forwards; and the least common 4-2 when there are two such defenders. The usual attacking formation includes two wingmen, a center-left and a center-right which usually excel at high jumps and shooting over the defenders, and two centers, one of which tends to intermingle with the defense (also known as the pivot or try line player, somewhat similar to the hole set (2-meter) in water polo), disrupting the defense formation, and the other being the playmaker (similar to basketball and tennis). Also the players may use the "box plus one" defense in which the players line up in a box form and the extra player will attack the other team's player who has the ball while the others guard the goal area and try to intercept passes. The formations vary greatly from country to country. The most common formation for the central European teams as well as the Scandinavian teams is 6-0. This formation can be altered to 5-1 by placing a player--usually the far wing--in the middle in front of the 9-meter perimeter to disturb the play of the other team. The Ukrainian team "HC Motor Zaporyshe" plays a 3-3 formations with man marking all over their defensive area. This formation is used by teams outside Eastern Europe only when behind with a few goals with a few minutes left, in the attempt to steal the ball faster.

Goals are much more common in handball than in most other sports; usually, both teams score at least 40 goals, and it is not uncommon to have a match end (say) 33-31. This was not true in the earliest days, when the scores were more akin to that of ice hockey, but as offensive play (in particular in terms of counterattacks after a failed attack from the other team) has improved, more and more goals have been scored after each match.

Penalties
Penalties are given to players, in progressive format, if the contact between the players is particularly rough (even if it is indeed frontal) the referees may award a nine-meter free throw to the attacking team, or if the infraction was during a clear scoring opportunity, a seven-meter penalty shot is given. In more extreme cases they give the defender a yellow card (warning), a 2-minute penalty, or a red card (permanent expulsion). For rough fouls they can also order two-minute expulsions and a red card expulsion without having to warn the player, if a player insults the referee - either by touching him with the intention to push or with verbal abuse, or if a player kicks or hits an opponent deliberately, the referee can expel the player form

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080219185424AAcWg2K

Basics-Standing throw in the run

2009-12-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

Introductory words

The standing throw is definitely the basic technique :whether it be as goal throw, action start or feinted throw, the standing throw must be mastered in order to play handball properly. We will present here 5 steps showing how the standing throw with take-off step can be implemented.

Drills

1st step

The learning of the take-off step is done – as a learning help ! – with the old field handball technique, that is to say the crossing step with the right leg (for right-handed players) is not done forwards, but backwards . Then the player braces for the throw with the next left step ! The advantage is a longer bracing gesture that supports the whole movement ! The foot tip of the left leg must point to the throwing direction during the bracing gesture. When throwing, the ball is at head level.

2nd step

The players run and bounce the ball from the back court, catch the ball after the rebound and throw it to the goal after a crossing step forwards. As a learning help : first bounce the ball slowly, then quicker and quicker. Following drills can be used as variations : various running and direction changes, bouncing with the non-throwing hand or bouncing through a specific course.

3rd step

After handing over / play from a short distance on the throwing arm side, later from the opposite throwing arm side, the take-off throw is played to the goal. It is important that the player does not bend over the take-off leg and the hip during the throw, otherwise the body tension effect is lost and the player only throws "from his arm". It gets more difficult when the trainer plays the balls earlier or later, because the players must then respect a throwing mark.

4th step

From several series of starting passes (from the BL position : pass from a starting player on the LO or BM position), the players throw to the goal against a defender moving exclusively sideways. The throwers have the following monitoring tasks : is the defender acting from the side or head-on ? How is the defender’s arm position, the goalkeeper’s initial position and what is the distance to the opposing player ? Depending on these observations, the standing throw will be carried out inwards or outwards past the opposing player.

5th step

Two players are standing in the back-court area, two in the close throwing area, and three in the defence. The aim of the drill is to pass the ball on in an attacking movement between the back-court players and to learn standing throws as goal throws, closing in to the goal-area line or deception. In this methodically set up basic playing mode the standing throw is also variously used as deception (aims : fix opponents, play a backward pass,...) as well as action start variation. Another variation could also be a situation involving two attackers against a defender.

http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=52&idart=153

Handball: towards 2012

2009-12-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

In the first of a regular series looking at how Britain‘s minority sports are preparing for the Olympic challenge, Time Out finds out why handball is getting a leg-up from the Danes.Compared to the other major court sports, handball seems so, well, simple. One ball, two teams, two goals. Unlike netball, you can move off the spot when you’ve got possession and playing positions aren’t fixed. Unlike basketball, you have to release the ball within three seconds, the net isn’t ten feet above the ground, and – for those who love a bit of rough-and-tumble – body-checking is legal. Why, then, is this fast, exciting, dynamic and skilful Olympic sport virtually unknown in Britain

http://www.timeout.com/london/sport/features/2025/Handball-towards_2012.html

The Philosophy II of mini handball

2009-12-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

A game and a philosophy

Minihandball is more a philosophy than a game.
In many countries minihandball has developed rapidly as an activity for the youngest children (from 5-6 years till 8-9 years)
Minihandball is a kind of education in sport for the youngest.
Only a few and very simplified rules allow all participants a lot of freedom.
Minihandball is a suitable activity for both primary schools and clubs.
The emphasis is put on playing
Neither tactics nor ”winning” are of great importance
The philosophy of minihandball is shaped by the children’s pleasure and their experiences when playing a ball game
The court, the balls and the goals are adapted to the age of the children; the technique of playing is based on the motor skills of children 6-8 years
Positive experiences will support the development of a child’s playing behaviour.
Playing and practising are organized in the form of play, both following pedagogic and methodological principles; the role of the coach is limited to supervising and helping when necessary. When playing matches, there is not a referee – but a supervisor, who teach and help the children during the play.
Fairness is very important in the philosophy of minihandball
Boys and girls will learn to act in a group, accepting their own merits and shortcoming and those of others.
Minihandball contains a lot of rudimentary elements of other sports or sometimes even creates them.

http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=82&idart=179

The Philosophy I of mini hanball

2009-12-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

Mini Handball is a game which is adapted to children op the age up to 8-9 years.

Obviously it is not the children who are adjusted to a finished game. They play on smaller playing areas, with smaller goals, with a smaller ball, and with rules which the children are able to understand.

Mini Handball is a game which takes starting point in children’s game and natural movements.

Run
Throw
Catch
Hop on one foot
Balance
Play alone
Jump
Walk
Jump around
Rotate
Dribble
Play together with others

Mini Handball is a game which satisfies children’s natural needs for movement.

The minihandball training is organized is such a way that the children get to learn the handball game through games. It is important that the children are in activity all the time – and that each child gets to play as much with the ball as possible.

Mini Handball is a game which trough games gives experiences where the result of a match is not the most important thing.

Both to training and to the special minihandball festival the children appear to play matches. The purpose of these matches is to give the children the possibility to test their skills. The match must be a positive experience – no matter if you win or loose!!

Therefore the single match is important and you do not “gather points to-gether” to elect a final winner.

Mini Handball is a game which tries to motivate small children to continuous physical activity.

On that assumption that the good and positive experiences in connection with a child’s first acquaintance with sport, will motivate to many years of continuous participation in sport , the association tries to create good conditions as regards the child’s start of going for sport.

http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=82&idart=178

Mini Handball

2009-12-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

What is Mini Handball?

Mini Handball is......a game.

a special philosophy
special equipment
special rules
adapted to children up till 8-9 years

...Mini Handball training.

training more important the matches
fun , high activity
enthusiastic coaches
varied training adapted to the children

...Mini Handball festivals.

a positive experience with sport
minihandball and other adapted activities

...a possibility to involve adults.

as coaches
as parents (supporters – to the child, to the coach, to the club...)

http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=82

Using Mouthguard for the Safety of Your Child

2009-12-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

A mouthguard is made of soft plastic and it should be customized to fit snugly around the upper teeth. Although many sports do not require the use of a mouthguard, it is usually strongly recommended.

It makes sense that participants in high-contact sports like football and hockey should wear mouth or face protection. However, we also encourage the use of mouthguards during any activity where physical contact or a risk of a fall is possible, some of which include: Skiing, Horseback Riding, Rugby, Wrestling, Handball,, Riding a bike, Racquetball, Martial arts, Soccer, Baseball,
Trampolining, Skateboarding, Softball, Gymnastics, Tennis, Basketball, and Surfing.

http://ezinearticles.com/ezinepublisher/?id=359836

About Handball

2009-12-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

Handball is a fast-paced game involving two teams of seven players who pass, throw, catch and dribble a small ball with their hands while trying to score goals. The team with the most goals wins the game. A game consists of two 30-minute halves with a 10-minute half-time break.

Even the ancient Greeks...

The sport of handball as it is played today certainly has a chequered history. The very fact that man has always been more adept at using his hands than his feet lends credibility to the claim made by famous sports historians that he started playing handball much earlier than, say, football.

Ancient forms of handball

The games that were precursors of handball can only said to be distantly related to it in terms of their structure and rules of play. Nonetheless, the games of "Urania" played by the Ancient Greeks (and described by Homer in the Odyssey) and "Harpaston" played by the Romans (and described by the Roman doctor Claudius Galenus in 130 to 200 A.D.) as well as in the "Fangballspiel" (or 'catch ball game') featured in the songs of the German lyrical poet Walther von der Vogelweide (1170-1230) all contained certain features that can be described as ancient forms of handball.

Modern handball

Modern handball was first played towards the end of the 19th century. For instance, one such game was played in the Danish town of Nyborg in 1897. The real impulses emanated from Denmark, Germany and Sweden. The founding fathers of field handball were probably German physical education experts who gained recognition for field handball as a separate sport at the turn of the century, based on the games of "Raffball" ('snatch ball') and "Königsbergerball" (Konrad Koch 1846-1911). In Sweden it was G. Wallström who introduced his country to a certain sport named "handball" in 1910.

http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=52

Handball Helps with unique experiences

2009-12-22T07:13:00.000-08:00

On offer through Handball Hilft (Handball Helps), German handball’s largest charity campaign are a whole host of ‘once in a lifetime’ handball experiences.

Handball fans can bid online for the chance to play against a first division Bundesliga team, have a match report included in the weekly handball newspaper, Handball Woche, be trained by top a top coach and even play a badminton match against a German national team player.

The European Handball Federation is also supporting the charity’s efforts with two very special packages to the EHF FINAL4 in Cologne in May 2010.

The ‘Super Package’ includes two tickets to the weekend event, an original adidas match ball from the semi-final presented by EHF FINAL4 Ambassador, Stefan Lövgren, and also a signed shirt from Stefan Lövgren’s testimonial match.

There is also the chance to bid on two of the very best tickets for the EHF FINAL, from the event’s hospitality partner, booker GmbH. Sit courtside and enjoy the very best service in a unique atmosphere. As well as the hospitality tickets, the package also includes an adidas matchball from the EHF Champions League semi-finals presented by Stefan Lövgren.

Deutsche Krebshilfe is the social partner of the EHF Champions League FINAL4, which takes place on 29 and 30 May 2010 in Cologne, Germany. The Handball Hilft online auction runs until Sunday 20 December.

http://www.eurohandball.com/article/12774

Barcelona Soccer Team Facts

2009-12-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

In addition to hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona hosted parts of the 1982 Football World Cup and has hosted the X FINA World Championship and Eurobasket. The city has two UEFA 5-star rated football stadiums: FC Barcelona's Nou Camp and the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

FC Barcelona's soccer team is almost a way of life in Barcelona. The rivalry with Madrid rises almost to the point where Barcelona can be considered the Catalonia national team. FC Barca was founded on 29 November 1899 by Joan Gamper, who created the team colors of blue and claret from the Swiss canton in which he lived. Barcelona lost its first ever match with some English expatriates 0-1, but within ten years began a string of Catalan and Spanish championships lasting decades. FC Barcelona went though tough times in the rise to the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath, but was able to recover and by the mid 1940s resumed its championship ways.

FC Barcelona is a sports club containing basketball, handball, hockey, ice-hockey, figure skating, indoor football, rugby, baseball, volleyball and women's football, but the jewel in the crown has always been association football, or the Barcelona Soccer Team. The Barcelona team has qualified every year for the European competition since it was founded in 1955.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Barcelona-Soccer-Team-Facts&id=522672

Main Points to Be Considered in Sports Betting

2009-12-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Many individuals like the sports betting as compared to the other types of gambling. There are many sports such as hockey, football, swimming, handball, and basketball, etc. If you want to bet on sports, then here is the basic information that you should keep in mind when you are starting out with sports betting.

• The first thing that you should keep in mind is the selection of appropriate and secure Sports Book. You should select only that sports book which bets only on the sports. So, it will be easy for you to bet on your favorite team. You can bet on your favorite without facing any problem. You can easily find the online sports books which provide the facility to bet only on the sports. So, you will not have to wonder here and there in search of a sports book. You can bet on your favorite team just with the click of your finger. As compared to the other websites, the payout and payment procedure is quite fast. So, you will not have to wait many days for receiving your winning money. So, you have the great opportunity to earn the money through the online sports books, however you should conduct search regarding the reliability of the sports book.

• Before inserting your first wage and stake, you should do some practice. This thing will help you sort out the problems that you may have to face in the future. You should revise the play, the players, the sports teams and most importantly the circumstances that play a very crucial role in the play. If you are aware about the strength of the players, then it will be quite easy for you to bet on the team and there will be great probability of winning the bet. By investigating the various aspects, you will be in a better position to win the game.

• Who is the favorite of the people? Will you bet on the underdog or preferred? Most of the people prefer to bet on their favorite teams. The reason is that they are sure of their favorite teams and they will be in a better position to win the bet. The only thing that you should know is the deep knowledge about the sports betting. If you know the nook and corner of the sports betting, then you will be in a better position that at which team should you bet. If you know how to bet on the underdog, then there is great probability that you will win the bet.

So, when you are going to bet on the sports, these are some of the points that you should keep in mind. If you will see these points and keep them in mind, then it will be easy for you to win the sports bets and you will turn your dreams into reality.

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Handball Facts

2009-12-22T06:56:00.000-08:00

Handball is a team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team.
The game is similar to football (soccer), regardless of the basic method of handling the ball which is inverse from football. It has been played internationally since the first half of the 20th century.
Handball is played on a court forty meters long by twenty meters wide, with a dividing line in the middle and a goal in the center of either end. The goals are surrounded by a near-semicircular line that is generally six meters away from the goal.
A standard match duration consists of two periods of 30 minutes. Normal league games are usually allowed to end in a draw, but in knockout tournaments, such as the final stages of the Olympics, two extension periods of 10 minutes are played. If each of these ends in a tie after the extra time the winner is determined by an individual shootout from the 7-meter line.
A player may only hold the ball for three seconds and may only take three steps with the ball in hand. There are many rule variations; a common American version allows only a single step with the ball, after which the player must pass the ball or shoot.
The game is quite fast and includes body contact as the defenders try to stop the attackers from approaching the goal.
Penalties are given to players, in progressive format, if the contact between the players is particularly rough. The referees may award a nine-meter free throw to the attacking team, or if the infraction was during a clear scoring opportunity, a seven-meter penalty shot is given. In more extreme cases they give the defender a yellow card (warning), a 2-minute penalty, or a red card. For rough fouls they can also order two-minute expulsions and a red card expulsion without having to warn the player first.
Team handball has origins reaching as far back as the antiquity: urania in ancient Greece, harpaston in ancient Rome, fangballspiel in medieval Germany, etc. There are also records of handball-like games in medieval France, and among the Inuit on Greenland, in the Middle Ages. By the 19th century, there existed similar games of haandbold from Denmark, hazena in Bohemia and Slovakia, gandbol in Ukraine, torball in Germany, as well as versions in Ireland and Uruguay.

http://www.hotsportslinks.com/sports_facts/handball.htm

Unwind Your Energy by Getting Involved in Different Sports Activities

2009-12-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

The twentieth century has turned the corner and more and more people are flocking towards adopting and involving themselves in different sports activities. And the sport has taken on an International flavor and various new sports are evolving with each passing day.

Sports events are being organized and large scale and competitions are being held.When people involve in sports activities they use up their muscles and joints to the maximum and involve in different physical exercises.

People who involve themselves in sports activities can easily ward of the extra accumulation of fat in their body and instead have a slim and toned body. Plus when you get involved in physical activity your physical skills, stamina and energy levels are enhanced.

There are different types of Sports Activities that you can take part in according to your convenience. Some people like to indulge in water sports while others prefer to do exercise workouts or play different game like playing Football or Handball. Some people like to ride on a bicycle and tone their muscles while other start of with body building exercises that also helps them to be active and energetic throughout their life.

The Different types of Sports are:

Football is a very competitive sport that youngsters enjoy and the main object of this game is to score more points than their rival team this way the best one wins. Whoever makes the most goals wins the game. This game is played on a grass field and each team has 11 members. You can make points by running and catching the ball and making goals.

Baseball is another favorite American game and it is played with a bat and a small hard ball. The points in the games are won by the team who has crossed the home plate. In this game one team starts to bat while the other pitches. There are basically nine players in each team and the unique thing about this game is that it is played on a diamond shaped field.

Basketball is played with a round ball and a hoop or basket. The players have to throw the ball into the hoop and to win you need to throw the ball into the hops more than the other team. This game is played in a solid flat ground.

The most competitive team game is soccer and this gem is played with a round ball and the way to win this game is to score more points than the other team. You have to score points by kicking the ball in your opponent's goal and the players are not allowed to use their hands in this game but only the goal keeper who guards the goal net can use his hands.

These are different ball games that people enjoy playing and these games are also included in the school sports activities which also help and encourage children to participate and make their body active and healthy. Competitions and test matches held between different teams encourage sand motivate youngsters to be a part of these sports activities.

It's never too late to involve yourself in sports as there are many different sports activities for you to choose from.

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Fun Facts About Egypt - The Birthplace of Cleopatra!

2009-12-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

The handball national team reached the fame when they won the Junior World Championship in 1993,ahead of some of the world's top teams, among them Denmark and Russia. This Olympic sport is one of the most popular in the country.

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2009 World Men's Handball Championship

2009-12-22T06:48:00.000-08:00

In 1938, the first indoor handball world championship was played in the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin,Germany on 5 February and 6 February. This first Tournament was held with only four participating teams and played as a Single-Group-Tournament without a knockout-system. Germany became the champion by defeating each of its opponents, one of which was Austria which would become a part of Germany only a month later. The other competitors were Sweden and Denmark, which sent the club team of Ajax Kobenhavn to the championship. Indoor handball was spread only in Scandinavia at this point in time and there had only been one single official international match played indoor before the Championship. In Germany, where the Tournament took place, the indoor game was practically unknown to this point. Nevertheless the Deutschlandhalle was attended by 18,000 spectators in the two days, who were reportedly very pleased by the fast and exciting model of handball. The first World Championship can be said to have been an obscure spectaculum for pure entertaining purposes. Matches lasted only 20 minutes (10 per half-time) and the players were recruited from field handball teams which sought an opportunity to perform their sport during winter. A first field handball WC was held in July of the same year in Berlin and other German cities, which was also won by Germany who were then olympic champions (in 1936) and dual world champions. Both WC tournaments were administered by the IAHF (International Amateur Handball Federation), the forerunner organisation of 1946 founded IHF, which was founded in 1928, and meant to be celebrational events for the 10th "birthday" of the Organisation.[1]
In 1946, at the initiative and invitation of Denmark and Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland founded the International Handball Federation (IHF). The IHF's official birthday is 11 July.
Five months after the IHF was founded, the first official international match was played under its aegis, with Sweden beating Denmark 9-7 in Gothenburg on 6 November 1946. In those days, the classic eleven-a-side outdoor game of field handball, so dear to the central Europeans, and the still-up-and-coming sport of seven-a-side handball, played indoors on a small court the form preferred in Scandinavia, were equally popular. Both disciplines had their fans: in 1955, 50,000 spectators watched the final of the field handball World Championships between Germany and Switzerland (25-13) in Berlin, but the indoor final between Sweden and Czechoslovakia in East Berlin in 1958, which ended 22-12, was also played in a packed hall in front of 6,500 spectators. The dominating nations at that time were Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Denmark.
[edit] Tournaments
The first World Championship took place in Germany in 1938, involving four teams from Europe. Throughout their history, the World Championships has been dominated by European teams, any medals have yet to be won by non-Europeans.
Over the years, the organisation of the World Championships has changed. Initially, there were group games in both the preliminary and main rounds, but more recently a knockout system has been applied after the preliminary round.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Men%27s_Handball_Championship

Team handball

2009-12-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Handball (also known as team handball, Olympic handball or European handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outfield players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball to throw it into the goal of the opposing team. The team with the most goals after two periods of 30 minutes wins.

Modern handball is usually played indoors, but outdoors variants exist in the form of field handball (which was more common in the past) and beach handball. American handball is a completely different sport.

The game is quite fast and includes body contact as the defenders try to stop the attackers from approaching the goal. Contact is only allowed when the defensive player is completely in front of the offensive player, i.e. between the offensive player and the goal. This is referred to as a player sandwich. Any contact from the side or especially from behind is considered dangerous and is usually met with penalties. When a defender successfully stops an attacking player, the play is stopped and restarted by the attacking team from the spot of the infraction or on the nine meter line. Unlike in basketball where players are allowed to commit only 5 fouls in a game (6 in the NBA), handball players are allowed an unlimited number of "faults," which are considered good defense and disruptive to the attacking team's rhythm.

Goals are scored quite frequently in handball; usually both teams score at least 20 goals each, and it is not uncommon to have a match end 33-31. This was not true in the earliest history of the game, when the scores were more akin to that of ice hockey. But, as offensive play has improved since the late 1980s, particularly the use of counterattacks (fast breaks) after a failed attack from the other team, goal scoring has increased.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_handball

Who Invented Soccer? - A History of the Sport

2009-12-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

More accurately it is known that sport that would lay the foundations of modern football was practiced since the eighth century in the British Isles, with variations in the place and time. Initially almost without rules, and even unrestricted players sometimes play the ball was very popular and even violent. King Edward II banned it in 1314, so as to dump his subjects to the practice of archery, where the army needed soldiers trained and skilled.

Historians agree that the origin of football is related to fertility rituals. So the ball symbolizes the sun, and the playing field for sown, which must be done by crossing the sun to ensure a good harvest.

These years are highly rich in stories and anecdotes. What happened to half of the nineteenth century, is the source of all the groups most popular sports today: soccer, rugby, football, basketball, handball, among many, many others.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Who-Invented-Soccer?---A-History-of-the-Sport&id=165185

Olympic Facts - Female Athletes

2009-12-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

The Russian women's handball team won the World Championship in 2001. There were 24 teams. Final standings: 1.Russia; 2.Norway; 3.Yugoslavia; 4.Denmark; 5.France; 6.Hungary; 7.Austria; 8.Sweden; 9.China; 10.Holland; 11.South Korea; 12.Italy; 13.Slovenia; 14.Spain; 15.Angola (Africa); 16.Brazil; 17.Romania; 18.Ukraine; 19.Tunisia; 20.Japan; 21.Macedonia; 22.Congo (Africa); 23.Uruguay; 24.Greenland (Danish territory).

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Five Olympics Sports I Was Surprised I Loved

2009-12-22T06:01:00.000-08:00

As a lover of sports, the best part of attending the Olympics is the ability to see amateur athletes participate in events that I would never get a chance to see at home in North America. Many sports that take center stage at the Olympics are not shown on TV in Canada and the US and watching the Olympics is a fantastic way to expand my knowledge of some of these lesser-known sports.
I was surprised at how much I loved watching some of the events. Here is a list of five Olympic sports that I never would have expected to enjoy as much as I do.
Field Hockey
In Canada, field hockey is a sport usually played for about a week in gym class by the female students and the fact that both men and women play professionally worldwide is something that has been missed by us ice hockey-crazed Canadians. Played on a grass field that is a lot larger than an ice hockey rink. Actually, field and ice hockey have very little to do with each other besides a shared name. Field hockey (simply called 'hockey' in most countries that play it) is fast and the ball-handling skills of the athletes are impressive, especially during set plays and penalties.
Handball
This sport is popular in Europe but virtually non-existent in most of the rest of the world. I remember playing it in gym class as a child, but that's about all I know about the game so when I attended handball at the Beijing Olympics I had no idea what to expect. The goal of the sport is simple: throw ball into goal. The game is high-scoring and fast-paced and the athletes who play this sport are tall, fit and most importantly, amazingly agile for their size. It is a hugely exciting sport with people flying through the air all over the place and I was happy to have discovered this sport.
Volleyball
Every kid grows up playing volleyball in school but that's about as far as any interest in the sport usually goes. There's almost no coverage of volleyball in North America and it seems to have been overshadowed by the more sexy version of beach volleyball. Well if you like beach volleyball then you will love the team version. There are six players on each team which makes for long, exciting rallies and some amazing saves. I was on the edge of my seat while watching volleyball and I didn't even care who won.
Weightlifting
Like wrestling, weightlifting can be a bit slow, but it's all about the buildup combined with a fast flurry of action that makes it exciting. The venue was small and you could practically see the beads of sweat forming on the athlete's brow as they stepped up to attempt their lift. The amounts they were able to lift was amazing and it is even more impressive seeing it in person.
Wrestling
Wrestling as I know it involves monster-sized men with freak muscles jumping off of ropes and doing a lot of great acting. Fortunately, wrestling at the Olympics is nothing like this except maybe for the level of drama. The intensity is amazing and, while the sport itself can be a bit slow to watch at times, when the action happens it's extremely exciting, especially if your country's athlete is involved.
So if you find yourself at the Olympics in person or even if you're just watching at home, make sure to branch out a bit from your usual favorite sports to see what else there is. I wasn't disappointed and I'm sure you won't be either!
Kirsty had attended two Olympics so far and has plans to attend the London 2012 Games. She hopes people check out some sports that are new to them like Olympic weightlifting, Olympic volleyball, and her favorite, Olympic handball.
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Deliberately handling the ball

2009-12-22T05:46:00.000-08:00

Deliberately handling the ball

Among all fouls arising during the course of the game, handballs—or deliberately handling the ball, in the terminology of the Laws—may well cause the most disagreements, misunderstandings, and trouble for the referee.

Handling is the only foul not committed against an opposing player. It is, instead, committed against the opposing team. But it is also the only penal foul requiring a deliberate intent by the player committing the foul. The foul is not, after all, “letting the ball touch the hand” but rather “deliberately handling the ball.” Consequently, it is often said that if the ball plays the hand it is not a foul, but if the hand plays the ball, then it is.

This rule of thumb is, however, much more easily said than put into practice. In addition, it also conflicts with the far more conventional rule, which is loudly proclaimed by players, coaches, and spectators around the world: If it hits the hand of an opposing player, it is a handball. But given the fact that most players are blessed with at least two arms—which must be placed somewhere during the course of a match, if only to be available for throw-ins—it would be unfair to penalize players for accidental touches which are neither intended nor avoidable. A few moments of thought should be enough for us to understand the basic concepts:

Above all else, handling fouls require deliberate contact between the ball and a player’s hand or arm. This means that the player either chose not to avoid touching the ball or placed his arms in an unnatural playing position to make it likely that he would touch the ball. And there are many aspects of hand-to-ball contact for the referee to consider when deciding whether a handball is deliberate. An uneven playing surfaces can cause the ball to deflect at odd angles, making it hard for players to know how it will bounce. Players who are unchallenged in the open field have no incentive to handle the ball, since it will be easily detected—which often suggests an unintentional handling, especially on the fields where the playing surface itself not quite putting-green smooth. On the other hand, because players intending to commit a foul often try to hide their actions from the officials, many intentional handballs will occur just out of sight of the referee, a factor which makes cooperation between the officials all-the-more essential.

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Team Handball - Handball Rule - Handball Game

2009-12-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

The handball history vouches that the handball games always bounce back whenever they are down. The handball games have captured the imagination of the people all over the world. Team handball is a combination of soccer, basketball and ice hockey and is as popular as all these games. Handball tournaments have been held all over the world with the patronage of the International handball federation. The United states handball association has made handball equipments accessible to the players. It has also given tips about the handball rules.

Handball History

The handball originated in the 11th century. The history of handball also states that this sport was developed in Ireland before being popularized in North America. Handball was played outdoors and it had a prominent place in the Irish legends. The ball was made of cloth wrapped in leather. The British soldiers and police along with the Irish players ensured the survival of the game. The handball history points out that handball was a one-wall game though the three-wall and the four-wall versions also existed. The Irish immigrants were responsible for developing the game in the U.S. The ball developed in the U.S was softer than the ball used in Ireland. The handballs are made from rubber or synthetic material. The handball has a hollow center which would enable it to bounce faster. The one-wall courts, which were forgotten, came into vogue again in the American bathing beaches. They were emulated by the athletic courts.

World war II saw a decline in the handball sports. But, the sport managed to sustain its' glory when U.S. held its' first handball national championship in the year 1959. The history of handball points out that the team handball is similar to soccer. But, the difference is that soccer is played with legs whereas hands are used in the team handball. The handball is advanced by batting or throwing and not by kicking.

Handball Game

Handball is a game in which the ball is struck against the wall with the hand or the fist. The handball games can be played in a single wall as well as in a three or four-walled court. The single wall handball court has sides with lines drawn on court. The sides will be the walls of the court in a three-walled handball. The ball should be served from the service line in the court. The game of handball is played by two players in the case of singles and four players in the case of doubles. The aim of the game is to make the ball rebound off the wall so as to make it difficult for the opponent to return the ball.

The handball game starts with a serve. Serve has become an important aspect of the game. If the service technique is good, it would be difficult for the opponent to return the ball. 'Roller' is an exciting technique where the ball hits the intersection of the wall and the ground. Here, the handball rolls on the ground earning an additional point to the server. Court handball necessitates the use of the hand. The game has 21 points and the player who manages to get 21 points is declared the winner.

Team Handball

Team Handball improves the physical fitness of the players. It is challenging and minimum equipments are required for it. The team handball is played with a 32 panel leather ball. There are 7 players on each team. The guidelines of team handball state that it is foul to have possession of the ball without throwing or trying to attack. The use of torso is allowed to obstruct the ball but the use of outstretched legs or arms is not permitted. The player is not permitted to dive on the floor to hit the ball.

Handball Tip

Handball tips have been provided by experts over a period of time. The handball experts feel that the players should try to capitalize on their specific skills. It is necessary to set goals for the future and seek efficient training partners. Unique handball swing bring fame to the players. It is the duty of the referee to make decisions regarding the handball rules.

Handball Rule

The handball rule states that if the player makes a delay in starting the game, his opponent will be awarded more points. The judgment regarding the rule should be protested before the next serve. A match would be forfeited if the players do not comply with the handball rules.

Handball Equipment - Handball Court - Handball Tournament

The handball equipment should be user-friendly in order to attract more people towards it. The experts in the handball tournament concentrate on developing a large, soft ball. The big, blue ball is popular in outdoor tournaments as well as school gymnasiums. The Olympic handball tournaments require the players to possess at least two sets of clothing. The players' numbers should be prominently displayed and it should be 20 cm high on their back and 10 cm high on their chest.

United States Handball Association

The first US handball association was brought about in 1951. The aim of the United states hand ball association is to organize the game and promote it successfully. It has a membership of over 8,500 and its' national office is located in Arizona. This handball association is a non-profit corporation operating with the sole purpose of promoting the game. This association has the responsibility of sanctioning hundred tournaments per year. The U.S. Handball association also assists and supports men, women as well as juniors in the development of their game. It also administers the regional and the state level competitions held every year. The United states association for handball promotes it as a game that helps in developing the brain as well as the body.

The members get discounts off their entry fees in all the tournaments sponsored by this association. The United states handball association also publishes a handball magazine which provides interesting details about the game. The magazine publishes tournament dates and guidelines from the best handball players. It also elaborates on the major handball events. The U.S. handball association also conducts many youth programs and sponsors players from the age group of 9 to 90.

International Handball Federation

The International handball federation came into existence in July 11,1946. Denmark and Sweden were the initiators of this association. The International amateur handball federation, which came about in 1928, was the precursor of the IHF. This federation gained its' popularity in the Berlin Olympic games. Now, the federation for international handball is said to have a membership of 19 million men and women.

The International handball federation has also planned to allocate more funds to the developing and under-developed countries as they do not have the facilities to develop handball. Records show that many members have profited from the development aid given to them by the federation. The IHF announces the financial conditions before organizing a competition. The dates and the location shall be left for a public draw which shall be supervised by a IHF representative. It is also necessary to display the flags of the International handball federation, the member federation and the participants in the world championships. The website for the international handball federation provides the latest information on the Olympic handball games.

http://www.clearleadinc.com/site/game-handball.html

Thierry Henry Wins Hands Down!

2009-12-22T05:30:00.001-08:00

It all happened during extra time in the 180th minute when the ball touched Henry's hand during the buildup to William Gallas' goal that assured France a 2-1 win. And, of course, a place in the World Cup next year at South Africa. Henry openly admitted to ball handling and later apologized for it. Though his latest remarks on Twitter might not go down well with the fans: "I'm not the referee, but if I hurt someone I'm sorry. The Irishmen could have doubled their lead two or three times. The ball ran up against my hand and I continued to play, the referee did not whistle and there was a goal. I would have preferred that it happened differently but this is not down to me - it is the referee. However, I do not believe our qualification is stolen. I said to Richard Dunne that the ball had touched my hand, but he told me, 'you are not to blame'."
Meanwhile, Henry has also admitted that the Republic of Ireland deserve a berth at the World Cup finals. He has even gone so far as to support calls for a replay! The Football Association of Ireland made a complaint to FIFA, but the governing body remained firm in their decision that a replay was out of the question. Henry strongly feels that a replay would've been the best way to defuse the tension, "Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa. Of course, the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control.''
Though Henry is in the line of fire, he keeps repeating that the handball was an 'instinctive reaction'. He further clarifies, "I have said at the time and I will say again that yes I handled the ball. I am not a cheat and never have been. As a footballer you do not have the luxury of the television to slow the pace of the ball down 100 times to be able to make a conscious decision. People are viewing a slow motion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game. If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction. It is impossible to be anything other than that."
Henry also approached the Irish players, wearing white soccer uniforms, the referee and the media right after the game in order to express his embarrassment at having qualified this way... With his constant and open admission to a handball and his past record of fairness, it's important not to single out Henry and humiliate him for a mistake. Remember, to err is human, to forgive divine... As for FIFA, maybe it's time it introduced goal line technology.
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Sport in Our Life

2009-12-22T05:16:00.000-08:00

Sport has become an integral part of human life.The word 'Sport' had originated between 1910 and 1915. Sport connotes a physical activity governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Over the years Sport has undergone an amazing metamorphosis. Sport was initially developed for recreation of the human beings. It has grown monstrously in the modern days and become high-tech.

Sport, athletic games or tests of skill have been undertaken primarily for the diversion or recreation of the participants or spectators. Sport has great and varied manifestations. It has been restricted to any play, pastime, exercise, game or contest performed under the given rules.

It has been played either indoor or outdoor, on individual or team basis, with or without competition, but requiring skill and some form of physical exertion. Some Sports, such as hunting, fishing, running and swimming have evolved out of the primitive ways and lifestyle of human life. Some Sports, such as riding, shooting, throwing the javelin or archery have derived from early military practices and background. Sports like boxing, wrestling and jumping, had arisen from the spontaneous human outbursts and challenges and occasional hostilities that had accompanied human interaction.

The development of sport in the ancient, middle ages and in the modern days has been phenomenal. In the ancient days, the Greek and Roman had evinced a keen interest in developing sport. It was the Greek who organized the Olympics and interestingly people from all over the world participated and witnessed it. Thus modern Olympics had originated in Athens city of Greece. The feudal system of the middle ages had hampered the growth of sport that was revived only in the days of renaissance. In the modern days, especially in the 20th century, sport has witnessed an organized growth and development of games.Baseball in the US, cricket in England, hockey in countries like India and Pakistan are some of the games that developed rapidly in the 20 th century.Olympic games, Pan-American games, Commonwealth Games and Afro-Asian Games etc have been organized and held at periodic intervals, making the sport as an international event in the 20 th century.

In the 21 century, sport has turned ultra-modern and developed with high tech facilities.The games like cricket , football and hockey have increasingly become global.Frequent changes in the rules of the games have been further complicated by the umpiring controversies due to human errors.The building of ultramodern stadia, provision of adequate infrastructure facilities etc had further increased their problems manifold and put them under a heavy financial stake.On the other hand technology has facilitated live telecasting and viewing of the matches and games so easy, thereby easing the common mans' burden to some extent.The Olympic events have been held under the auspices of International Olympic Association. Almost all countries of the world have become members of International Olympic Association and participate in Olympics, which is periodically held once in four years. Similarly cricket has a governing body called International Cricket Council to hold the premiere events like the world cup and the champions trophy etc with the object of spreading cricket throughout the world. Hockey has an International governing council known as International Hockey Federation, enrolling all hockey playing members in the world. Similarly soccer world cup has been held under the auspices of an international organization once in four years.The soccer playing member countries have to go through rigorous qualifying rounds before participating in the soccer world cup. Modern sport has also witnessed the evolution of multimillionaires like Sachin Tendulkar in cricket, Ronaldo in soccer, William sisters in Tennis, who have risen to prominence by dint of their hard work, skill and passion for their respective games.

The modern Sport has also witnessed the growth and development of sport and its allied industries. Media industry like Sports journalism, Sports education and online games etc have evolved and developed out of sports. Each country has a separate Sports ministry. For example India has a separate Sports Authority of India with sufficient funds to function separately and independently. Sports goods and apparels like tennis ball, rocket etc in tennis, bat, ball, flannels, Sport wears etc in cricket, hockey sticks, balls and synthetic astroturf etc in hockey have been the money spinning projects globally. Sponsorship has been a modern feature in popular games like cricket, soccer, tennis etc involving millions of dollars. Similarly popular players of cricket, soccer and tennis etc are engaged by the multinational companies to advertise their products, spending millions of dollars. Last but not least, Sport has been not only meant for recreation but also has the object of keeping the individual concerned in good health and stamina. We are all aware that a healthy person is a wealthy person and Sport has been the secret of ones' health as well as wealth.

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South Korea - The Olympic Revolution of the New Millennium

2009-12-22T05:07:00.001-08:00

I -Eva Peron, Korea and the OlympicsBefore Korea became one of the most industrialized nations on the entire Asian continent, Argentina -it is about 26 times the size of SK- was one of the world's six richest countries. Around the same time, they were getting off on the right foot in the Olympic Games. Argentina -now a football-loving nation- was home to sixty percent of Latin America's Olympic winners-aquatics, boxing, polo, rowing, track-field. At the 1948 London Games, they finished 13th in the medal standings. In contrast to its neighbours, Argentina had an Olympic champ to cheer in that year , when Delfo Cabrera won a gold medal. On that occasion, Korea was certainly not lucky,and finished 32nd in the medal table. Korea's first Olympic national team was formed in the late 40s. But Koreans dare to dream the impossible. At the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires, the host country finished first in the count medal- where America was ousted from the number one spot for the first time in Continental Games history by Argentina. But Argentina is now history. In the last Olympics, the Latin American nation only won two golds-soccer & cycling. Ironically, Argentina-where there are snow-mountains- has never won an Olympic medal in the Winter Games. Then, in April 2009, the Bolivian men's soccer squad upset team Argentina, which was trained by soccer player-turned-coach Diego Armando Maradona, 6-1. Different from Argentina, Japan, Australia and Canada, SK is ranked among the five best Olympic teams, along with China, America, Russia and Germany. This superb team is a paradigm on Earth. Korea expects to send about 50 champs to the XXI Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. The country's athletic rulers also expect to send 250 champs to the London 2012 Olympics. II-A Small Nation With A Big AmbitionFrom my perspective I think that South Korea is the most successful Olympic nation in history. Now SK became a source of inspiration for many Olympic countries around the world. Certainly, it is a role model for small countries -from Austria to Brunei Darussalam- and multiparty States -e.g. India, Taiwan, Chile, Peru, Argentina. The Republic of Korea, also known as South Korea, is about the size of Indiana. More than 49 million people live there-it is not far off the total in Ukraine. Unlike Venezuela-it has had the benefit of high oil prices, Peru and Angola, Korea has few natural resources. This nation does not have oil, diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, gas, and uranium. But in the last decades of the 20th century, the Korean State introduced an industrialization program and expand education. The rulers devoted more than 20 percent of its national budget to the development human-education, culture, welfare, sports. Now SK has one of the world's strongest economies. III-The Difficult YearsIn the 1940s and 1950s, SK was a war-torn nation-World War II and Korean War. Because of this, it became one of the world's poorest nations. After World War II ended 35 years of Japanese domination and Korea gained its independence (1948). From 1950 to '53 nearly three million Koreans died. On the other hand, there were, 500,000 Koreans living overseas. In the following decades Korea was governed by military warlords. In the 1990s SK became a democratic nation. IV- A Nation of Sports LoversDuring the 1960s and 1970s, the rule introduced many sports reforms -a strong emphasis on physical education into educational system- and did many things to improve sporting life in the nation-an official policy that continued in the 1990s and 2000s. In just a few years, they also promoted the sports that were not well-known in the country. Success came slowly at first. The number of Asian awards increased from around 27 in 1958 to more than 65 in 1978. From 1964 to '76, the country's champs earned 12 Olympic medals. Another example, Korea's boxers, led by Moon Sung-Kil, won many global titles in the 1980s. Unlike Cuba -which had a lot of coaches from the USSR, East Germany, Bulgaria, North Korea and Poland- SK did not have foreign coaches. All its Olympic awards were produced by Korean coaches. To support Seoul's bid to host the 1988 Olympics, the Korean chairmans hosted many international events -the 1979 Shooting World Championships, the 1982 Baseball World Cup, the 1982 Boxing Global Championships and the Korea Cup (volleyball)-and built world-class stadiums. V- The Boycott Against South KoreaDuring Cold War, especially between 1950 and 1985, Korea was an isolated Olympic nation. This Asian country was considered an international pariah by the World Marxist and several anti-American states (Korea became a UN member in 1991). The 1979 Seoul FIBA Women's World Championships were boycotted by the Soviet Union and its allies. Three years later, Cuba's boxers, world & Olympic champions, were not allowed to compete in the World Cup by Fidel Castro. That same year, Cuba also did not send baseball players to the World Championships in South Korea. In 1986 North Korea boycotted the Asian Games. The Democratic People' s Republic of Korea refused to send champs to SK. Subsequently, the XXIV Seoul Summer Olympic Games were boycotted by seven nations-Albania, Cuba, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nicaragua, North Korea, and Seychelles. However, the sports officials sent several champs to Moscow, Varna, Havana and Prague. VI - Seoul Olympic Games- A Gold Medal for KoreaDuring the IOC Session in Germany in 1981, Seoul was selected as host country for the 1988 Summer Olympics, and began a new era for the country's sports development. Seoul beat Nagoya, Japan's city. That decision caused surprise around the world.
Thirty-eight years ago, Seoul had been destroyed by Korean War, but it had been rebuilt in record time. In the '70s and early '80s, Seoul was a successful host to several international tournaments. The IOC awarded Seoul the Olympics by a margin of 15 votes. Kim Un-Yong -one of the world's best Olympic czars- was a key figure behind South Korea's bid to host the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was runner-up when Jacques Rogge was elected IOC chairman. SK, an anti-Marxist state in the 20th century, did not have full diplomatic ties with the World Soviet-which had won the last three Olympics- and the People's Republic of China-the new Olympic member. Moscow could have boycotted the Games in South Korea. Secondly, Korea was not a multiparty-state on the Asian region. In 1980, a demonstration organized by the pro-democratic groups turned into the bloody riot known as the "Kwangju Massacre". In 1974 South Korea's First Lady had been assassinated. Some time later, ruler Park Chung Hee was killed by the head of South Korea CIA in Seoul. At the 24th Summer Games, SK won 12 gold medals and was one of the four best sports teams on the planet.
The Opening ceremony was spectacular. The next day, the photos were seen all over the world and from that moment the name Korea was known everywhere. Meanwhile, representatives from 159 countries attended the Olympics, including the USSR and China. Seoul'88 was a political-blow to the Communist Movement. The Kremlin sent 514 champs to the 1988 Games. That travel had the blessing of the Soviet regime, which had boycotted the Summer Olympics in the States in 1984. Then, more than 290 champs -e.g Petra Felke, Heike Drechsler, Kristin Otto- were sent by the East German warlords- a landslide victory for the Korean chairmans. But there were other friends too: The Vietnamese rule allowed champs from Vietnam to attend the Summer Games. Certainly, sports was an important diplomatic tool for Korea. VII- Democracy & SportsIn the country's first multiparty presidential election, in December 1992, Kim Young Sam -a passionate human-rights advocate-, was elected, and the Asian nation returned to civilian rule. It was a watershed moment. Now South Korea is one of the most outstanding democracies -human development and democracy- in Asia and a role model for several post-dictatorship states. From then on, Korea has one of the world's most ambitious educational projects-many young people study more than 11 hours. Under the new democratic rulers, SK has reinforced its sporting system. Certainly they wanted to be the centre of excellence in Asia. The Olympic Korean team surprised the world when it emerged as a "new world power" in the 21st century. On the other hand, the country staged successful 2002 World Cup and 2003 World University Games. In the two-year period between the 2006 Winter Games and 2008 Summer Olympics, Korea won 42 awards (19 golds, 13 silvers, 10 bronzes) and finished five in the unofficial team standings, behind China, Russia, Germany and the U.S. Korea's delegation was backed up by President Roh Moo-Hyn. In addition to the Olympic and world titles, South Korea has won several Asian gold medals. They competed with 45 countries in the Olympic-type Asian Games. Before the 1992 Winter Olympic Games, Korea had not won any medal. Without the sporting tradition of Czechoslovakia and Sweden, Korea has more Winter Olympic medals than Spain and Japan. For this reason, the government lent its support to a bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. In Guatemala City, Pyongchang was only beaten for the Winter Games by Sochi (Russia). VIII- From Archery to WrestlingSince the 2000s Korea is powerhouse in aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, handball, judo, shooting, short-track, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling,and other sports. Archers With Olympic HonoursKorea has produced world-beating archers in recent years. From 1984 to 2008 they have won 16 gold medals. The country's archers, inspired by Seo Hyang-Soon, won 3 of the 4 events at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Athletics-Fusion of Past, Present and FutureIn the first half of the 20th century, two Koreans, Suh Yun Bok & Ham Kee Yong, won the Boston Marathon. In 2001 Bong-Ju Lee became the first non-African to win the Boston Marathon since 1991. The country's marathon runner Hwang Young-Cho - one of Korea's most well-known champs- claimed a gold medal at the 25th Summer Olympics in Spain. Hwang is the second sportsman from an Asian nation to win an event in this competition. Korean-born Kijung Son won the Olympic title in 1936. At the Berlin 1936 Games, he had been forced to run in the colors of the occupying Japanese forces. Badminton-Stage of StarsSince 1985 SK became one of the world's best teams. Lee Yong-Dae and Lee Hyo-Jung defeated Lilyana Natsir and Nova Widianto (Indonesia) in the mixed doubles final at the China Summer Olympics in 2008. Korea placed first at the 1996 Olympic Badminton Tournament in the States-it collected two gold and silver medals. Baseball- SK vs CubaBaseball has come a long away in South Korea. Its greatest year was 2008, when Korea won the gold at the Beijing Olympic Games, beating Cuba, former world champion (1984-2005). Eight years ago, they had earned a bronze medal in Sydney 2000. When the Games were opened in China, the States-2007 world champion- and Cuba were contending odds-on favorites.The year 1982 was very happy for Korea too. That year they became the first Asian team to win a World Cup. The national team came close to winning the Global Championships in 2005. Women's Basketball-Asian SuperstarSurprisingly SK was runner-up at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s.In 1979, Korea, host country, placed second at the Global Championships. They caused an upset in the second round of the World Cup by beating the favorite America (94-82). Four years later, Korea was one of the semi-finalist in the Universal Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil-behind the USSR, America and the People's Republic. But they did not stop there. The following year it earned silver at the Summer Olympic Games in California, USA. The team became the first women's basket team in Asia to win an Olympic award. Fencing-New Olympic AwardsIn 2000 Young Ho Kim lived up to reputation as one of the most popular Asian fencers by winning a gold medal at the Summer Games. He is the first fencer from an Asian country to win an Olympic title. Field Hockey- A Major Asian TalentIn the past few decades, the Korean teams have won three Olympic silver medals. During this period of time, SK became the first Asian female team to qualify for the Olympic finals. The national men's team won silver at the 2000 Sydney Games and were fourth at the 2002 World Championships. In Australia they, spearheaded by Song Seung-Tae, defeated India (2-0), Poland (3-2), and Pakistan (1-0) before losing to the Netherlands (4-5). Amazing silver medal! Women's Handball- Two Olympic GoldsThis country is the only successful Asian team in the world. In 1984 they became the second Korean players in history to win a team Olympic medal at the Summer Games.
In 1988 Korea made history when it won the Olympic gold medal without ever having won a World Cup title. The national team, host country, became the first non-European handball team to win a global title in history. After the winning the Asian Tournament in 1990, Korea qualified for the 1992 Olympics and won its second Olympic medal in a row.
At its fourth Olympic appearance, they claimed silver medal at the 26th Olympiad-only Denmark could beat SK. During the 14th Asian Games in 2002, Korea won both the men's and women's handball tournaments. This sport was completely unknown in the 1960s. Judo- A Gold Mine for MedalsFrom 1981 to 2007, Korea has won a total of 21 gold medals in the World Championships. At the 1996 Atlanta Games, the national team won seven judo medals (2 golds, 3 silvers, 2 bronzes), behind only Japan (8 awards). In 1981 Park Chung Hak became the first judoka in SK to win a world trophy. Short-Track Speed Skating-New Olympic record!SK is the only country to have 17 Olympic gold medals. At the 2006 Turin Winter Games, the national team dominated the medal table, with a total of 10 awards (6 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals). Shooting-SurprisesIn Barceolona'92 it earned two Olympic golds, Lee Eun Chol (men's free rifle) & Yeo Kab Soon (women's air rifle). Soccer- Cha Bum-Kun, the LegendAccording to Park Pil-Soon, Director of the Korean Olympic Committee, soccer is the most popular sport in the country. "The most popular sport in Korea these days is football. While baseball used to take the top spot in terms of popularity and the number of spectators in the past, football gained many fans after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which we hosted with Japan. Korea advanced to the semifinals, which made us very excited about this sport".
In the early 80s, Korea placed fourth at the FIFA Junior World Cup and became the second Asian football team to qualify for the semi-finals in a global tournament.
They have qualified for the FIFA World Cup since 1986. At the 2002 Japan-South Korea, Cha Bum-Kun became one of the best football players on the planet. Korea has won five regional tournaments (two Asian Cups and three continental gold medals). At the 1948 Olympics in the UK, South Korea placed 8th. Swimming- The Road to BejingPark Tae-Hwan became the first swimmer in SK to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games when he won the men's 400m freestyle at the 29th Summer Olympics in Beijing (China).Park's first major international success came at the 2007 FINA World Championships, where he won a gold medal. The Korean star is the country's pre-eminent sporting icon. Table Tennis- A Traditional SportThis sport is one of the oldest sports in the nation.In the early 1970s, Korea made history when it won a gold medal in the Global Tournament. Between 1987 and 1993 it also earned four world trophies. Taekwondo-Unbeatable RecordsSome famous taekwondo athletes have born in South Korea: Hwang Kyung-Seon, Kim Kyong-Hun, Lee Sun-Hee, and Moon Dae-Saung.
For many decades these athletes were unbeatable in the world. Korea has won more than 140 world titles (1975-2007). They have also dominated the Olympic Taekwondo Tournament. Since 2000 it has won nine golds. Volleyball- A Strong National TeamThis sport is one of the most popular in the country. In 1987 the national team claimed the FIVB Men's Junior World Championship in the Persian Gulf, and was the third Korean team to win a global title since 1977.
When they arrived in Manama, Bahrain's capital, the Korean team was not favorite.Some time later Korea defeated Brazil, which won the silver medal in 1984, 3-2 (19-17, 15-8, 6-15, 11-15, 15-12), at the Olympic Men's Volleyball Tournament. In the late 70s, Korea was semi-finalist at the World Championships in Italy. In the qualifying rounds, they defeated Poland, Olympic champion, 3-1 (15-7, 11-15, 16-14, 15-10).
The Korean women's national team have also won many international trophies. Between 1973 and 1977 they earned three world bronze medals. Weightlifting- A Dark HorseIn 2006, Jang Mi-Ran, 2004 Olympic silver medalist, broke the world record in the + 75 kg category in the Middle East.In the early 90s, Chun Byong Kwan, an unknown weightlifter, came to the Barcelona Games and won the Olympic trophy. Wrestling-Heroes of the GamesKorea's wrestlers have a long tradition of winning awards. In the mid-60s, Sun Jang Chang earned a gold medal at the World Cup in the States. He became one of the first Koreans to win a global title. In the last decade of the 20th century, the national team won nine universal awards. IX - Man Bok Park- A Superb CoachDespite attractive offers from many nations, he remained in Peru. In the mid-1970s, Man Bok Park came to Lima and became one of the world's best coaches. Led by Park, Peru was runner-up at the 1982 FIVB World Championships and silver medal at the 24th Summer Olympics. Korea's Man Bok Park became the first coach to lead a Latin American female team to the Olympic finals in 1988. In 1980 Cuba, Olympic's favorite, failed to qualify for the semi-finals at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Under the advice of Man Bok Park, the Peruvian women's volleyball squad defeated Brazil several times and won more than six South American Championships. After the Golden Age for Peru, country's volleyball team were never as successful again at the World Championships. X -Young Wang Sonh's LegacyBut Man Bok Park was not alone! At the same time, the Argentine men's volleyball squad was trained by Young Wang Sonh.This South Korean is a pioneer of Argentina's volleyball.Young Wang Sonh led the South American team to win the bronze medal at the 1982 Global Championships. He has become the most successful coach in the history of Argentine volleyball.
Today Argentina is producing an ever-increasing number of world-class coaches-Julio Velasco (Italy), Jon Uriarte (Argentina & Australia), Carlos Cardona (Puerto Rico), Marcelo R. Mendez (Spain), and Raúl Lozano (Poland). XI -A Statistical ComparisonSK: 2006 Winter OlympicsNation..........Gold......Silver.....Bronze...RankingSK....................6...........3..........2..............7thItaly..................5............0.........6.............9thFrance.............3............2..........4............10thChina..............2............4.........5.............14thJapan..............1.............0.........0.............18th Asian Games MedalsHosts............Gold......Silver.......Bronze....Total...RankDoha 2008......58.........52............82.........192........2Busan 2002....96.........80.............84.........260........2Bangkok'98.....65.........46............53..........164.........2Japan'94........63.........56............64...........183........3China'90........54.........54.............73............181........2Korea'86........93.........55.............76............224........2India'82...........28.......28.............37.............93.........3Bangkok '78.....18.......13.............23.............54.........2Iran'74.............15.......14...........17..............46.........5Bangkok'70.......18.......13...........23..............54.........2Bangkok'66.......12.......18............21..............51........,2Jakarta'62.........4.........4.............7..............15..........5Japan'58...........8.........7...........12..............27.........3Manila'54...........8.........6............5..............19.........3 XII -ReferencesAlmanaque Deportivo Mundial 1976, Editorial America, 1977 Almanaque Deportivo Mundial 1977, Editorial America, 1978 El Grafico. "Este Podio Vale una Lagrima y un Grito", 19 de octubre de 1982 Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. "Historia del Deporte en America Latina"-------------------------"El Deporte en el Sur" Leipziger, Danny & Thomas Vinad. "Las Bases del Exito del Asia Oriental", Revista Finanzas y Desarrollo, marzo 1994 White, Peter. T. "South Korea: What Next?", National Geographic, September 1975 Yun-han Chu, Larry Diamond, Doh Chull Shin. "Halting Progress in Korea and Taiwan", Journal of Democracy, January 2001 1988 Seoul Official Report Volume 2, IOC, 1989 2000 Sydney Official Report Volume 2, IOC, 2001 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games Official Results,IOC, 2007
Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.
He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), José Gamarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee ,1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: "The person who I admire the most is José Gamarra . He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. José played an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting". The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. "This African-American sportswoman is my idol... "
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Confusion With Some Soccer Rules - Laws

2009-12-22T04:59:00.000-08:00

There are several rules (aka laws) that seem to confuse the American spectator, especially the spectator of youth soccer. Among the most commonly misunderstood rules are:

Handball
Off-Side
Goalkeeper Possession

Now, one must also bear in mind that the referees who are officiating youth soccer games may, themselves, just be learning the game, and they may also not fully understand these particular rules. Therefore, you may find that some of the calls are not consistent with the interpretations given here, but the FIFA laws are written as represented in this article.

Handball

A handball violation is to be called only when the hand plays the ball. If the ball is kicked into the hand and the ball bounces away without the hand (or arm) redirecting or otherwise controlling the ball, then there is no handball violation. A particular case in point is on the occasion of a free kick and the defenders align themselves into a defensive wall. They may position their hands and arms to protect themselves and, if the ball is kicked into them and hits the arm or hand without the player moving from the protective position, then no handball violation is to be called. There is also no handball violation called when a player is very close to an opponent who kicks the ball directly into his/her hand or arm. Clearly, there is no violation if the ball hits the hand or arm when the player is not even facing the ball when the incident occurs and, therefore could not have known that the ball was going to strike the hand.

Off-Side

The first point to be made is that the judgement of whether or not a player has committed an off-side violation is made at the moment that the ball touches or is played by a member of his/her team. Further, the player in the off-side position must, in the opinion of the referee, be:

interfering with play
interfering with an opponent
gaining an advantage by being in that position

There is no off-side violation when a player in an off-side position receives the ball directly from:

a throw-in
a goal kick
a corner kick

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The Olympic Games - Beyond the Tabloid Scaremongering

2009-10-16T02:11:00.001-07:00

And the winning city, hosting the 2012 Olympic Games is... Cue: sharp intake of breath from everyone across the globe and a long, dramatic pause from the man on the stage... London.

Whilst Paris wept, London, in the main, rejoiced. There were winners and losers in London and the UK too. The tax payers saw their money go on Olympic villages and stadiums. In hindsight, the Olympics was probably a better use of tax payers money than over exuberant MP expenses on bizarre whims.

But the big winners were those charged with actually making it happen. These lucky people are getting to build a dynasty for the Stratford and the East End of London which will stand for many years to come. And they're getting paid for it too. Then there's the ripple effect as so many industries feel the benefit. The benefits of the Olympics can have far reaching positives that stretch deep into the whole economy. As an example, looking beyond the obvious, there's a huge demand for skilled labour - so think of the recruitment companies, safety equipment, clothing manufacturers and training companies involved. Virtually every company within these sectors can experience growth and with that wonderful stepping-stone now in place, that expansion can continue long after the sound of winners' national anthems have died out.

Imagine the demand for something as critical as plumbing courses, electrical courses and gas courses. Without these, there'd be no skilled labour, and without that, there'd be no Olympic games. A sobering thought.

The reality is that, despite the negativity expressed in the tabloids, the Olympics is far more than just about taxpayers money, it's about jobs, growth, economic expansion and of course gold medals. The world's focus will be on London in 2012. That kind of PR for tourism alone is worth billions, although it's largely ignored in the calculations of financial types fascinated more by the short-term chase for £-signs than the deeper-rooted feel-good-factor of a nation.

The recession has bitten many, but many believe that once achieving growth in a recession can place a company in a better position once the economic comes back from the brink. With the natural economic expansion occurring around 2012, the future appears brighter for many of our companies in related (and many unrelated) industries.

So in summary, even though the outlay may initially seem high, it's worth considering how big an impact the winning of a few gold medals has on a nation, its businesses, its employees and therefore our public.

Paul Keene works together with OLCI Construction Training who offer a range of electrical, gas and [http://www.olci.info/]plumbing courses from their 13 national training centres.

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The History of Sports Uniforms

2009-10-16T02:10:00.001-07:00

It's time to play ball! Your favorite team takes the field. You love the colors of the uniform and the cool mascot on the jersey. Have you ever wondered what some team colors mean and how their uniforms were chosen? Here are the histories behind the uniforms of some sports teams.

Duke University's Blue Devils

During World War I, the Chasseurs Alpins, also knows as "les Diables Bleus," were popular French soldiers who gained attention when their unique skills were relied upon to bring an end to trench warfare in their native region of the French Alps. Their presence didn't affect the cause that much but the Blue Devils were recognized for their courage, and their unique blue uniform with flowing cape and beret captivated the public interest. After the United States entered the war, some units of the French Blue Devils helped to raise money for the war effort by touring the country. Trinity College, now know as Duke University, chose the Blue Devils mascot and blue/white colors from nominations that included Blue Titans, Polar Bears, Royal Blazes and Blue Warriors.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers, originally founded as the Pittsburgh Pirates, changed their name to generate fan support since the steel industry was the city's primary source of employment. In 1962, Republic Steel of Cleveland asked the Steelers to use the Steelmark, the logo used by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), to honor the Pittsburgh steel heritage. The logo's colors represent the three materials used to produce steel: orange for iron ore, yellow for coal and blue for steel scrap. The Steelers are the only NFL team to sport its logo on only one side of the helmet.

Anaheim Ducks

How did a hockey team choose the "Ducks" for its uniforms? The Mighty Ducks were actually founded in 1993 by The Walt Disney Company. The team's name was chosen from the popular Disney movie The Mighty Ducks, a story about a group of troubled kids that turned their losing youth hockey team around and became winners. Disney created an animated series called Mighty Ducks that included a fictional Mighty Ducks of Anaheim team. The real team uses the Mighty Ducks logo on its uniforms to this day.

Other quick [http://www.unifirst.com]uniform facts:

• The Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first baseball team to wear knickers instead of pants. The reason for this choice was to show off the team's high red socks that had been designed by the owner's wife.
• In 1976, the Chicago White Sox wore shorts during the first game of a doubleheader. The players hated the shorts so much that they all switched back to pants for the night game.

Crystal is an Account Manager with Location3 Media.

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The Fascinating History of Handball

2009-10-16T02:05:00.000-07:00

Variations on the game of handball have been played all over the world for thousands of years. Known as one of the oldest ball games, handball was played in Egypt over four thousand years ago, in ancient Rome, and by many South American cultures.

The ancient Egyptians played a variety of ball games. Drawings of Egyptians playing handball have been found decorating five thousand year old tombs at Saqqara, which depict girls in teams of two playing the game. Balls used in Egyptian handballs were designed to be both light and durable – they were made of a leather skin stuffed with hay or other plant fibers such as papyrus.

In the Roman Empire, the game was called expulsim ludere, and was played on courts called sphaeristas. Alexander the Great is said to have been responsible for spreading the game amongst Greek colonies in Italy in the first millennium BC, and from there it spread to other countries of the Roman Empire. Details of how the game was played during this era are sketchy, but it is believed it was similar to what is known today as one-wall handball.

In France during the Middle Ages, the game was called jeux de paume (palm play) and was popular with both nobility and peasants. The ball was made from pieces of tightly-rolled cloth stitched together, and as the game evolved gloves were used to allow more forceful hitting of the ball. This form of handball is thought to be an early precursor of tennis – as the game evolved in France, players began to use larger and larger gloves, until eventually they began to use items which resembled early tennis racquets.

In America, handball is over three thousand years old, and originated in Mexico. Handball players are depicted on painted pottery items, sculptures, and wall paintings found at archeological sites in many parts of Central America. Of the games played by these ancient civilizations, the one which most closely resembles modern handball is Rebotea a mano con pelota dura, or “Hardball pelota rebounded with the hand”. This game was played by the Chichimeca people, on courts measuring 20 feet by 40 feet. Many ancient ruins sites in Central America contain such courts, and together with the multitude of art which depicts the game, indicates that it was an important part of life for these ancient cultures.

These days, handball is an increasingly popular sport – it has become part of the Olympic Games, and many international tournaments are dedicated to handball – not surprisingly, the Egyptian team is known to be very talented, perhaps because of all the civilizations in the world, they have been playing it the longest!

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Dr. Josef Reindl is doing research in sports and sports equipment. He is owner of http://www.sport-bandagen-doc.de where sports bandages and sports clothes are available. He is also running http://www.handball-nachrichten.de and http://www.basketball-nachrichten.de where he publishes daily news on handball and basketball.
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Igor Stojanov

2009-10-16T02:03:00.000-07:00

Igor Stojanov 08443