Glossary of handball terms and expressions

Contents:
I. Technique & Tactics
II. Defence
III. Offence
IV. Rules of the Game
V. Event Management

I. Technique & Tactics

Basic movement Set of movements carried out by a player on

with/without the ball court.
Bouncing the ball Rebounding the ball from the court.
Take hold of the ball after a pass from another
Catching the ball
player.
A player positioned largely around the midcourt
Centre back (CB) who initiates the offensive play, shoots or tries to
penetrate the defence; also called a "playmaker".
Altering the position towards which someone
Changing direction
moves.
Referee behind the attacking team watching for
Court referee (CR) any defensive or offensive fouls by the court
players or any possession violations.
Referee on the outer goal line who watches for
Goal line referee
any violations and verifies if the ball completely
(GR)
crossed the goal line for a goal.
A player positioned inside the goalkeeping area
Goalkeeper who is – opposed to field players – allowed to use
his legs.
Handling the ball Dribbling, catching or passing the ball.
A player positioned on the left hand side of the
Left back (LB) middle back carrying out action in the second line
of the attack.
Left-handed player Player using and throwing with his left hand.
Left wing (LW) A player positioned on the left side of the court
Playing position in attack. A player who is active
Line player (LP) largely around the six-metre line among the
defenders; also called "pivot"
There are up to five officials controlling and
administering an EHF handball game: two
EHF Officials
referees, a timekeeper, a scorekeeper, an EHF
observer and an EHF supervisor
The seven playing positions are: goalkeeper, left
Playing positions wing, left back, middle back, line player, right
back and right wing.
Passing the ball Throwing he ball to another player from the team.
 Basic attacking movement by moving continuously
Piston movement
forwards and backwards.
A player positioned on the right hand side of the
Right back (RB) middle back carrying out action in the second line
of the attack.
The ball bouncing back after e.g. hitting the bar of
Rebound
the goal.
Right-handed player Player using and throwing with his right hand.
Right wing (RW) A player positioned on the right side of the court
A technical element of the attacker’s basic
Sidestepping movement executed by continually moving
sideways mainly in width.
Throwing in the ball Passing or shooting the ball.
Turning Changing the direction or movement on court.
II. Defence

Basic defensive element: stopping a shot by using

Blocking the ball
hands.
Defensive strategy where a defender is assigned a
Man marking specific opposition player to guard rather than
covering an area of the court.
Getting the rebound Catching the ball that bounces back after a shot.
Physical contact to stop the opponent’s movement
Holding the opponent
towards a scoring opportunity.
Interception of the Stop and catch the ball before it reaches a
ball particular place (e.g. to intercept a pass).
Opposed to zone defence, here the players try to
Man-to-man defence
mark the opponents closely and prevent them
systems
from even getting the ball.
Combined defence Player(s) in the defending team have man
system marking tasks, the others use a zone defence.
Taking ball possession when the opponent is
Stealing the ball
holding or bouncing the ball.
Physically holding the opponent in order to
Tackling
prevent shooting.
Can be 6:0 (six players on the goal area line), 5:
Zone defence 1 (5 players on the goal area line, one player in
systems front of them), 4: 2, 3:2: 1 (open defence), 3:3,
1: 5 (open defence)
III. Offence

Set play with the activity of the players and the

Combination
path of the ball determined.
Dribble the ball Manoeuvring the ball by bouncing it on the floor
Fast attack with first and second wave of players
Extended fast break
supported by the entire team.
The attacker pretends to run in one direction, but
Fake run movement
moves in another
Tricking the opponent with a hand or body
Faking movement, e.g. body fake, pass fake, shooting
fake, rotation fake, etc.
Offensive play that involves passing the ball (give)
Give-and-go and then running (go) to an open spot to receive
the ball back.
Throwing on goal with an overarm shot, side bend
Shooting on goal shot, underarm shot, falling jump shot, jump shot,
jumping with both feet, etc
A shooting technique carried out with the arm
Overarm shot
moving above the shoulder level.
A shooting technique carried out with the arm
Underarm shot
moving below shoulder level.
A shooting technique performed having the
Jump shot
players feet off the floor.
Shooting on goal with the ball hitting the floor on
Bounced shot
its way.
A type of shot with the ball changing direction
Spin shot
when bounces back from the floor.
A set of planned game elements to be used in
Tactics attack and in defence by a team during the given
game.
Throw through/over Overtime free throw with the defensive wall three
the wall metres from the shooting player.
IV. Rules of the Game

The opponents are not allowed to stay closer than

3 metres from the
three meters to the player taking a free throw or
thrower
throw-in.
A player holding the ball is only allowed to make
3 steps three steps, afterwards he has to dribble or pass
the ball.
A line 7 metres from the goal marking the spot
7m line
where the penalty throw is to be executed.
Direct shot taken from 7 metres. Form of
7m-shot / Penalty- punishment awarded for a foul when a player with
throw the ball in his hand is fouled in clear scoring
opportunity.
A forceful and deliberate attack against the body
Assault
of another person.
Round object used in handball in different sizes for
Ball women and men and for the different age
categories
A bench in the substitution area where the
Bench for substitutes
substitute players have to remain seated.
Line cutting the court in two halves marking the
Centre line
spot of the throw off
Centre of the court The circle where the throw off is carried out.
The goalkeeper leaves court to be replaced by the
Changing
substitute goalkeeper. This can occur during the
goalkeepers
game or before a penalty is executed
After the halftime break (or sometimes after coin
Change of sides
toss) the teams change sides.
After the coin toss the teams are allowed to decide
Choice of sides which side they want to have their substitution
area and goal.
The head of the team who gives instructions,
Coach makes substitutions and creates the tactics during
the game.
Before the match the referees carry out a coin
Coin toss toss to determine who will start the game and
who can choose ends.
Court player All the players except for the goalkeepers.
Cross the sideline The ball leaves the playing court on the side.
Crossed the goal line The ball is in the goal
The referee decides not to validate a score for any
Disallowing a goal
irregularity preceding it
A player may be disqualified by the referees for a
number of cases specified in the regulations. In
Disqualification this case the referee shows the player the red
card and he cannot return on court for the
remaining part of the game.
 To cause danger of injury to the opponent with
Endanger
any physical contact.
Equipment The uniform and sports shoes of the players.
Exclusion may be given for assault and the
Exclusion excluded player's team has to play one player
short for the rest of the game.
The playing time ends with the automatic final
signal from the scoreboard or from the
Final signal
timekeeper. If no such signal comes, the referee
whistles to indicate that the playing time is over.
A foul when a player touches the ball with his foot
Foot
or shin and the ball is given to the opponent team.
A signal that warns the teams that the time-out
Forewarning signal
will end within ten seconds.
Irregular action usually punished with a free
Fouls
throw.
Free-throw is awarded by the referee for fouls or
Free throw
violations from the exact spot it took place.
Nine-meter line that the players have to leave
Free throw line before executing a free throw after a foul that
occurred inside the nine-meter line
The area marked by two posts and a crossbar on
Goal
the two ends of the playing court.
A D-shaped area six metres from the goal that is
Goal area
used only by the goalkeeper.
The line that defines the goal area; also called the
Goal area line
"six-metre line".
A net attached to the goalposts in a way that the
Goal net
ball cannot rebound or pass through the goal.
When the ball crosses the outer goal line a
Goalkeeper throw
goalkeeper throw is awarded
A line four metres from the goal line that marks
Goalkeeper’s the limit where a goalkeeper may advance to
restraining line defend against a penalty throw; also known as the
"four-metre line".
10-minutes break after the first 30 minutes of the
Halftime break
game
Inspecting the The referees checking the goals and the playing
playing court court before the game.
Interruption Stopping the game.
The referees may consult each other during a
Joint decision
game to reach a common decision.
When the ball is out of play, the game restarts
Out of play with a throw corresponding to the reason of the
interruption.
A line marking the end of the court, not including
Outer goal line the goal line; also called the "back line”.
 According to the competition regulations, when a
match ends in a draw, an overtime period may
Overtime
follow. This is played in two halves of five minutes
with a one-minute break between them.
Violations to the rule may lead to personal
punishment awarded by the referee. This may
Personal punishment
begin with a warning, followed by more severe
punishments such as disqualification, etc.
Players Members of a team taking part in the game.
Playing court Area where the game is played.
Keeping the ball in a team's possession without
Passive play making a recognisable attempt to attack and
score.
Playing time Two halftimes of 30 minutes.
A clock usually fixed on the wall of the sports hall
Public scoreboard
where the spectators can see the results and the
clock
playing time.
A player that has been punished with a two-
Re-enter minute suspension is allowed to enter the playing
court again.
A person in charge of a game who has to make
Referees
sure that the rules are followed.
Sanction Any form of penalisation by the referee
The goalkeeper stops a shot with hands, legs or
Save
any other body part.
Scoreboard clock The board fixed on the wall that shows the score
with automatic signal and signals at the end of 30 and 60 minutes.
Score The result of the game.
Serving a 2-minute The player stays on the substitution bench for two
suspension minutes after receiving a suspension.
Sideline The line that marks the side of the playing court
Player entering the court to replace a teammate.
A substitution may not be made until the other
Substitution player has left the court. Players must enter and
leave the playing area on their own half of the
court and inside the substitution area.
Line that marks the area where the substitutions
Substitution line
are allowed.
Form of personal punishment, a 2-minute
Suspension
suspension.
A unit of players with a maximum number of 14
Team
on the match report.
A person representing the team, registered in the
Team official
match report.

When the ball leaves the playing court on the

Throw in
sides, a throw in is to be taken from the sideline.
 A throw taken from the centre line to start the
Throw-off game or restart after a goal.

People sitting at the jury table responsible for

Timekeeper and
measuring the time and registering the scores for
scorekeeper
the match report.
Each team can call a 1-minute time-out in both
halftimes of the game. This can be done by the
Team time-out
team official putting the green card on the jury
table when the team is in ball possession.
A set of clothes worn by all court players of a
Uniform team to differentiate themselves from the
goalkeeper and from the opponent team.
Physical and verbal expressions that are
Unsportsmanlike incompatible with the spirit of good sportsmanship
conduct are regarded as constituting unsportsmanlike
conduct.
Yellow card punishment awarded by the referee as
Warning
a first measure of progressive punishment.
Whistle for the
The referee gives the signal to start the game.
throw-off
Whistle signal Signal of the referee.
V. Event Management

Accident and health

Coverage by contract for cases of injuries.
insurance
A pass that officials, team members, media
Accreditation representatives, etc. receive to move freely in
certain areas of the sports hall.
Arrangements and tasks undertaken to guarantee
Administration
the game or event organisation.
Announcement Information released by officials.
Process for requesting a formal change to an
Appeal
official decision.
Arbitration The rules and process of the resolution of
regulations disputes.
Arena details Information and data on the playing hall
The exact time that the teams or officials reach
Arrival
the venue.
A formal event for the participants of a
Banquet
tournament, usually as a closing act.
Any of the meetings between the officials and the
Briefing local organisers (e.g. key personnel meeting,
security briefing or meeting the floor manager).
The rooms in the playing hall where the players
Changing rooms
can change before and after the games.
An organised event (cup or tournament) where
Competitions
club teams or national teams take part.
An official communication from participants stating
Complaints
problems concerning a matter.
Games taking place after Main Round (e.g. the
Cross matches winners of the groups play against the second
ranked teams of the other group).
Results and statistics of the match day published
Daily bulletin
in a booklet at the end of it.
A time and date by which something is to be
Deadline
done.
Officials carrying out tasks of event supervision.
Delegates
EHF delegates are observers and supervisors.
Date and time of participating teams and officials
Departure
leaving the venue of the game or tournament.
Random drug testing for performance enhancing
Doping control
substances in the organism of athletes.
The procedure of pairing teams and deciding
Draw
about the competition schedule.
The place where the event or tournament takes
Event venue
place.
Expenses for board
and lodging Money spent on accommodation and food.
 Information and evaluation provided about an
Feedback
event or a game afterwards.
Finals The last and decisive games of a competition.
Finances Budgetary questions of a competition or event.
The provision of basic treatment for an injured
First aid
player immediately after an injury.
The material that covers the surface of the playing
Flooring
court.
Food and beverage
Nutriments provided for the athletes.
for teams
General provisions Basic infrastructure conditions and facilities.
Coverage by a contract binding a party to
Insurance
indemnify another against specified losses.
Key-personnel meeting; a meeting between EHF
Introductory meeting
representatives and local organisers.
Know how Theoretical knowledge of a certain task.
The ability to communicate with the officials and
Language command
organisers in a commonly spoken language.
Competition phase; usually games after the Group
Main round
Phase.
Post-match tasks, such as sending the result to
Match follow up the EHF, finalisation of match report or feedback
to the referees.
The official document containing the list of
participants, the score, the remarks of the
Match report
referees, etc. The match report is done by the
officials seated at the jury table.
An isolated section of the spectators’ area with
Media workplaces seats and tables provided for the press to carry
out their work.
A suitable room where the medical treatment can
Medical room
take place.
The status of belonging to a particular nation by
Nationality
origin, birth, or naturalization
Appointing officials and referees for a certain
Nomination
event or game.
Obligations Duties, responsibilities
Official events and Events organised during an event for the
representation participants.
An association, federation or a club granting the
Organiser
venues and the frameworks for a tournament.
Athletes, officials and referees taking part at the
Participants
event or game.
Physical conditions The status of fitness of a player.
Games played to determine the final ranking of
Placement matches
teams.
Playing eligibility in a The status whether an athlete fulfils all conditions
certain competition to take part in a game or competition.
Playing hall The venue of the match.
The initial phase of a tournament with all teams
Preliminary round
competing.
Pre-match A kind of briefing between the delegate and the
conversation referees prior to the game.
An official event organised for the press with the
participation of the team coaches and player(s)
Press conference
where the media can ask their questions regarding
the game.
The infrastructure provided for the media, e.g.
Press facilities
tables, computers, internet, etc.
The awards won by the teams, e.g. medals,
Prizes
money.
Post match A short official ceremony at the end of the game
procedure (not necessarily after every game).
Official complaint about irregularities experienced
Protest and appeals
during a game, made by a team.
Games played to decide which teams can take
Qualification
part in a competition.
Advice and directions given to the referees by
senior refereeing experts, mentors; or also the
Referee guidance
observer’s help given for the referees during the
game.
Referee observation Officials controlling the job done by the referees.
Condition under which a team are eligible to take
Right of participation
part at an event.
Conditions to be guaranteed for the participants of
Safety and security an event or game to secure that they are not in
danger.
One of the two games played to decide who will
Semi-finals take part in the final of a tournament or
competition.
Prohibition of smoking in an area, e.g. inside the
Smoking ban
sports halls.
People watching the sports event inside the sports
Spectators
hall.
Supervision Official control.
All the equipment guaranteed for a smooth
Technical
organisation of a game or event, e.g. computers,
infrastructure
loudspeakers, etc.
An event preceding the match(es) where the
officials and team officials check and agree on
Technical Meeting
technical details, such as the clothing or the team
lists, etc.
Entry passes allowing the holder to take a seat in
Tickets
the spectators’ area.
A document containing the times of the training
Training schedule
sessions of all the teams of a competition.
Travel expenses The travel costs of officials.
Various legal entitlement, e.g. to broadcast the
TV, radio, film, video
games in TV, to show pictures in print media, to
and advertising
broadcast the games on radio, or to place
rights
advertisement on and around the playing court.
Venue The sports hall where a game takes place.
An area or room separated for special guests,
VIP area
usually offering special hospitality services.
Visa costs Costs of the permission to enter the country.
Younger age Various competition categories for players below
categories the age of 19 for women and 20 for men.