Beach Handball
Beach handball, which is also called sandball, is a team sport similar to European team handball, but is played on sand instead of a hard court. Unlike the physicality of team handball, Beach Handball emphasizes flair and creativity.
kids playing beach handballThe sport is played by two teams with four players on each team, rather than seven players per team on the indoor version. Beach Handball is also played on a smaller field, and has a focus on quick, acrobatic plays.
The aim is for the teams to pass and bounce the ball, and then attempt to throw it in the opposing team’s goal. As it is difficult to bounce the ball on the sand, players tend to pass the ball more often. For scoring, when a goalkeeper scores, the team is given 2 points, when the court player scores, it is only 1 point. Players are also awarded two points for stylish goals, such as 360-degree spins or alley-oops.
The game is divided into two sets, and if each team wins a set, a "shootout" determines the winner, which is more akin to penalty shots in other sports.
The overall atmosphere of Beach Handball is more relaxed and informal, reflecting its roots as a beach sport, contrasting with the more structured and intense environment of indoor team handball.
Beach Handball at the World Games
Beach handball was first featured at the 2001 Akita World Games in Japan as an invitational sport. It remained an invitational sport in the 2005 Duisburg World Games and the 2009 Kaohsiung World Games until the 2013 Cali World Games, where it was featured as one of the main sports for the competition.
Subsequently, beach handball featured in the 2017 Wroclaw World Games, the 2022 Birmingham World Games, and the 2025 Chengdu World Games in China. Here are the medalists who won gold at the end of the event:
| Event | Medal | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Gold | WORMANN Lennart LIEBECK Lennart ZELSER Lars Thomas GUNTHER Timo Felix HERR Jannis Michel ZEYEN Tobias HENRICH Severin Henner PRAHST Hendrik JOHN Robin EBERT Moritz Nikolaus |
Germany |
| Women | Gold | GAMBA Giuliana BALSAS Lucila CORIMBERTO Fiorella MOLINA Alma TURNES Zoe ARCAJO Agostina SUAREZ Constanza BONOMI Gisella GALLO Florencia SCORDAMAGLIA Luciana |
Argentina |
Similar Sports
- (Team) Handball — a sport usually played indoors played between teams of seven players, who pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team.
- Beach Handball — a variation of handball played on sand instead of indoors. This sport is sometimes called Sandball.
- Field Handball — the original version of handball played outdoors on a larger field and with more players. It is also known as Outdoor Handball or Grass Handball.
- Czech Handball — a very similar game to Team Handball, played outdoors
Related Pages
- About Beach Sports
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports — a list of every sport from around the world.
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