The Complete Guide to Handball

Chapter 1: What Is Handball and Why People Love It

Let's get one thing straight right away: handball is not the sport you might be picturing from gym class in middle school, where you whacked a red rubber ball with the palm of your hand and mostly just hurt yourself. That was probably American handball or a simplified version of it. The handball this book is about is the real, full-court game that has been played for centuries across Ireland, Spain, France, Mexico, and the United States. It is fast, deceptively simple, and genuinely addictive once you get the hang of it.

At its core, handball is exactly what it sounds like: you hit a small ball with your hand, usually against a wall, in a way that makes it difficult for your opponent to return. That's the whole concept. There is no net, no racket, and no paddle. Just you, a ball, a wall, and a court. The game is played in a rectangular court with one, three, or four walls depending on the version you are playing. The most common version for beginners is the one-wall game, because it's easy to find a wall, and the rules are simpler.

Here is what a typical session actually looks like, the kind of thing that draws people back week after week. You show up at a public court, which in most cities is just a smooth concrete wall with a painted floor. You have a ball about the size of