What does handball mean?
Handball names a family of ball sports played with the hands rather than a racquet. In its widely recognized team-game sense, two teams pass, catch, and throw a ball while trying to score in the opposing goal; the sport is especially prominent in Europe and is played under Olympic rules. In North American usage, handball also, and often primarily, denotes a court game in which players strike a rubber ball against a wall with one hand and use the other hand to catch or control it. Team versions of the court game are also common. The word therefore has a useful geographic distinction: a British or international speaker may understand handball to mean the Olympic team sport, while an American speaker may think of the enclosed court game unless team handball is specified. Outside sport, the term is uncommon and is not a general synonym for passing or throwing a ball. Its transparent name makes the basic distinction easy to remember: the defining implement is the hand, not a bat or racquet.
nounHandball is a ball sport played with the hands. It may refer to the team sport in which two teams pass and throw a ball to score in the opposing goal, or, especially in North American English, to a court game in which players strike a ball against a wall with their hands.
- A team sport in which two teams of players pass, catch, and throw a ball with their hands, scoring by sending it into the opposing team's goal.
- A court game, especially in North American usage, in which players strike a ball against a wall with one hand and may catch or control it with the other.
"He has played team handball since childhood and now competes at regional level."
"Handball is especially popular in many European countries, where it generally means the team sport."
"In the United States, she plays handball in an indoor court."
Used for separate games or instances of the sport; handball remains the normal form when referring to the activity or sport as a whole.
"Several handballs were played before the rain stopped the tournament."
The name states the rule: the ball meets a hand, not a racquet—and two very different sports share it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does handball come from?
The English noun is a compound formed in the 19th century from hand and ball, a construction paralleled in several European languages, including German Handball. Its early sporting use referred broadly to games in which a ball was played or struck by hand. The modern English senses reflect the subsequent development of the team game and the North American court game as distinct traditions.
Related word forms
How handball is actually used
In British and much international usage, handball usually denotes the team sport, while North American speakers may use it primarily for the court game. The team sport can be specified unambiguously as team handball, and the court game as court handball.
Easily confused with handball
In handball, the ball is struck with a hand, whereas in racquetball, players strike it with a racquet.