- Court, goals and ball sizes
- Squads, the seven on court and substitutions
- Playing time, half-time and extra time
- Moving with the ball: seconds, steps and dribbling
- The goal area and the goalkeeper
- Passive play: the forewarning signal and 4 passes
- Fouls, 2-minute suspensions and the 7-metre throw
- Where I'd start as a new player
- Frequently asked questions
Handball is a fast indoor team game where two teams of up to 7 players on court, one of them a goalkeeper, pass and throw the ball to score in a goal 3 metres wide and 2 metres high. For players aged 16 and above, the IHF rules set 2 halves of 30 minutes, and the team with more goals wins.
This page follows the IHF Rules of the Game for indoor handball, edition 1 July 2025, using the English text hosted by the Italian handball federation, as of November 2026. It's indoor handball only, not beach. The rule book itself says national federations and continental bodies can apply different regulations on some points, such as half-time length (up to 15 minutes), team time-outs and the number of players and officials, so your local league may differ on those.
Court, goals and ball sizes
Here are the measurements the rule book sets:
| What | The rules say |
|---|---|
| Court | A rectangle 40 metres long and 20 metres wide |
| Goal | 2 metres high and 3 metres wide inside, with a net, in the centre of each goal line |
| Goal area line | The 6-metre line |
| Free throw line | The broken 9-metre line |
| 7-metre line | A short line directly in front of the goal |
| Ball, men and youth 16 and older | 58 to 60 cm circumference, 425 to 475 g |
| Ball, women's senior teams (resin ball) | 54 to 56 cm circumference, 325 to 375 g |
The ball is leather or synthetic and must be spherical. The rule book uses he for convenience and says the rules apply equally to men and women, apart from ball size.
Squads, the seven on court and substitutions
A team has no more than 16 players. No more than 7 can be on court at once, and the rest are substitutes. Only one player per team on court can be identified as the goalkeeper at a time. You need at least 5 players on court to start the game.
Substitutes can come on at any time and as often as you like, as long as the player they're replacing has already left the court over their own team's substitution line.
Playing time, half-time and extra time
| Age group | Normal playing time |
|---|---|
| 16 and above | 2 halves of 30 minutes |
| 12 to 16 | 2 halves of 25 minutes |
| 8 to 12 | 2 halves of 20 minutes |
Half-time is normally 10 minutes. A coin toss decides who takes the first throw-off: the winner either takes it or picks ends, and the other team gets the other option. Teams swap ends for the second half.
If a winner is needed and the game's tied, overtime is played after a 5-minute break: 2 halves of 5 minutes with a 1-minute half-time. Still tied? A second overtime of the same length follows. After that, the rules of the competition decide. If 7-metre throwing is used, each team nominates 5 players who take one throw each, alternating.
Moving with the ball: seconds, steps and dribbling
Play starts with a throw-off from the centre line, taken within 3 seconds of the referee's whistle. After a goal, the team that conceded restarts with a throw-off. Then the handling rules kick in, and this sequence is where beginners lose the ball most:
- Once you have the ball, you can hold it for a maximum of 3 seconds.
- You can take a maximum of 3 steps with it.
- You can bounce it once and catch it, or dribble repeatedly with one hand and then catch it.
- Once you're holding it again, you must play it within 3 seconds or no more than 3 steps. No second dribble.
- After controlling the ball, you can't touch it more than once unless it's touched the floor, another player or the goal in between.
- You can't play it with a foot or a leg below the knee, unless an opponent threw the ball at you.
The goal area and the goalkeeper
Only the goalkeeper is allowed in the goal area, the space inside the 6-metre line. A court player counts as having entered it the moment any part of the body touches it, so a toe on the line is enough. Inside that area, the goalkeeper can move with the ball without the 3 seconds and 3 steps limits that apply to court players, but mustn't delay the goalkeeper throw.
A goal counts when the whole ball has completely crossed the goal line, as long as the thrower, a teammate or a team official didn't break a rule before or during the throw. If a defender broke a rule but the ball went in anyway, the goal still stands. Play the ball into your own goal and it's awarded to the opponents. Equal goals, or none, means a tie.
Passive play: the forewarning signal and 4 passes
This is the rule people don't expect. A team can't keep the ball without a recognisable attempt to attack or shoot. When referees spot it, they first show a forewarning signal, which gives the team a chance to change its attack.
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After that signal, if no shot is taken after a maximum of 4 passes (that is, when the 5th pass is received by a teammate), a free throw is called against the team in possession. So passing it around at the back to run down the clock simply doesn't work in handball.
Fouls, 2-minute suspensions and the 7-metre throw
Holding an opponent, pushing him away or running into him are all fouls. Fouls aimed mainly at the body lead to a warning, then 2-minute suspensions, then disqualification. A suspension is always for 2 minutes of playing time, and a third suspension for the same player always leads to a disqualification.
A 7-metre throw is awarded when a clear chance of scoring is illegally destroyed. It must be taken as a shot on goal within 3 seconds of the referee's whistle.
Where I'd start as a new player
I'd drill two things before anything else: count your steps and seconds with the ball, and keep your feet out of the goal area. Those two cause most of the turnovers you'll see in a first season. Once that's automatic, learn the passive play signal, because it changes how your team has to attack.
I'd skip the overtime and 7-metre shoot-out details until you're playing in a league where they apply. If you like fast court games with strict rules on movement, netball has a similar footwork discipline, and volleyball's rules are another good indoor option for mixed groups.
Frequently asked questions
How many players are on a handball team?
A team has no more than 16 players, and no more than 7 may be on the court at once, one of whom can be the goalkeeper. A team must have at least 5 players on the court at the start.
How long is a handball game?
For teams with players aged 16 and above, normal playing time is 2 halves of 30 minutes, with a half-time break normally 10 minutes.
How many steps can you take in handball?
A maximum of 3 steps with the ball, and you may hold it for a maximum of 3 seconds.
What is passive play in handball?
Keeping the ball without a recognisable attempt to attack or shoot. After a forewarning signal, a free throw is called if no shot is taken after a maximum of 4 passes.
How does a handball game end in a tie?
If a winner is needed, overtime is played after a 5-minute break: 2 halves of 5 minutes. If still tied, a second period follows, then the competition rules decide, for example 7-metre throwing.
