Danes defend crown in style

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

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

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

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

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

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

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