Handball History
Handball is a team sport played with seven players, six on the field and one on the goal. Play time consists of two thirty-minute halves. Handball, which was played on the grass in teams of 11 in football stadiums in its early years, became a common indoor sport after the 1950s.

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Danish gym teacher Holger Nielsen established rules and methods at his school in Ortrup in 1848 and allowed a game called Handball spiel to be played. Max Heiser, who was the director of the Berlin sports school between 1915 and 1917, was the first to think and establish the real structure of this game.

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The defending team tries not to let the attacking team approach their goal in front of the penalty area. Players other than the goalkeeper are not allowed to enter the D-shaped penalty area, which is 6 m away. While defending, defenders may come into contact with opposing players to a certain extent. In case of excessive foul contact, the player will be penalized with a two-minute exit penalty and a player may not replace the penalized player. Another player may enter instead of the player whose penalty is over. The handball court is a rectangular area 40 meters long and 20 meters wide. The dotted lines at a distance of 9 m from the goal are the free throw line. Fouls between this line and the goal area line are used from this line and the attackers must stay outside this area while being used. Penalty decision is made in fouls on a player who is shooting in the goal area, and if there is a defender who prevents the goal clearance within the goal area. used. Penalty kicks are taken exactly 7 m from the goal. These throws are also called 7m throws. Each team takes the field with 14 players. At the start of the match, there are 7 players in total, including 6 players and 1 goalkeeper, from a team. 7 substitutes sit on the edge. During the game time, as many players as they want can be changed among themselves in the section determined by the line. The aim of the game is to score a goal into the opponent's goal. If a player can throw the ball into the opponent's goal within the rules, it is considered a "goal". While the teams try to throw the ball into each other's goals and turn it into a goal, they protect their own castles with the defense to avoid scoring. In handball, players can handle, punch or throw the ball. It is forbidden to touch the ball with any part of the body below the knee. Only the goalkeeper can protect his goal with his whole body. The player can hold the ball for a maximum of 3 seconds and take only 3 steps with the ball. The team with the most goals at the end of two halves wins. If the number of goals is equal, the match ends in a draw. 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, no points for a defeat.

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The game starts with a coin toss. The team that wins the coin toss chooses whether they want to start the game with the ball or which castle they want to defend first. The circumference of the ball is 54-56 in women's competitions, while it is 58-60 cm in men. The weight of the ball should not exceed 425 to 475 grams for men and 325 to 400 grams for women. Players can hold the ball twice while dribbling, but must release it within three seconds after catching the ball and can take a maximum of three steps with the ball. The game is governed by two referees. The foundations of modern handball played today are based on handball played in Germany, Denmark and Sweden in the 1920s. Handball, which took part in the 1936 and 1952 Olympics for demonstration purposes, took an official place in the 1972 Olympics.

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Today, handball attracts great attention, especially in the European continent. ASOBAL Liga in Spain, Handball Bundesliga in Germany, Handball ElitSerien in Sweden and TDC Ligaen in Denmark are defined as local leagues where sports are played at the highest level.

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Handball in Turkey was played for the first time in 1927 in Istanbul. In 1942, regional tournaments were started to be organized in Istanbul. The first national tournament across Turkey was held in 1945. The Turkish Military Academy team won this tournament in which a total of 4 teams participated. In Turkey, the handball federation was established in 1976, and the Displaced Handball League was formed with the participation of 12 teams in the 1982-83 season. In women, the Turkish League started in 1986-87.