Germanycountry of origin
1915first recorded
1936Olympic debut
4disciplines & variants
7international bodies
Handball is a team sport and ball game. It originated in German Empire (Germany), with its first record dating to 1915. The sport is governed internationally by International Handball Federation (IHF). It has featured at the Olympic Games since 1936 (16 editions). Wikidata lists 4 disciplines or variants under it.
TypeTeam sports, Ball games
Country of originGerman Empire (Germany)
First recorded1915
PractitionersHandball referee, Handball player, Handball coach, Handball national coach
Governing bodyInternational Handball Federation (IHF), African Handball Confederation (CAHB), Oceania Continent Handball Federation
Olympic statusOn the programme · since 1936
Family tree
Disciplines and variants
4
Beach handballHandball played on sandCzech handballCzech variant of handballField handball11 player handball played on a grass field
Wheelchair handballParalympic variant of handball
Olympic Games
Olympic history
Editions where Handball or one of its disciplines was on the programme. Filled boxes mark the sport itself, outlined ones its disciplines; the small number is the count of medal events where recorded.
Multi-sport events
At other multi-sport games
| Games | Editions | First | Latest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Youth Olympic Games | 2 | 2014 | 2026 | 2014, 2026 |
| World Games | 5 | 2001 | 2022 | 2001, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2022 |
| Mediterranean Games | 15 | 1967 | 2026 | 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2022, 2026 … |
| African Games | 13 | 1965 | 2024 | 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2024 … |
| Asian Games | 12 | 1982 | 2026 | 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2023, 2026 … |
| European Youth Olympic Festival | 12 | 2003 | 2025 | 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025 … |
| Pan American Games | 10 | 1987 | 2023 | 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023 … |
| Central American and Caribbean Games | 8 | 1993 | 2026 | 1993, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2023, 2026 |
| South American Games | 7 | 2002 | 2026 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| Goodwill Games | 3 | 1986 | 1994 | 1986, 1990, 1994 |
| Bolivarian Games | 3 | 2013 | 2022 | 2013, 2017, 2022 |
| South Asian Games | 2 | 2016 | 2019 | 2016, 2019 |
| Arab Games | 2 | 2007 | 2011 | 2007, 2011 |
| Islamic Solidarity Games | 2 | 2005 | 2017 | 2005, 2017 |
| Summer World University Games | 1 | 2015 | 2015 | 2015 |
| World Beach Games | 1 | 2019 | 2019 | 2019 |
| Military World Games | 1 | 2007 | 2007 | 2007 |
World level
World championships
| Championship | Organiser | First held | Every | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Men's Handball Championship | International Handball Federation (IHF) | 1938 | 2 yr | 32 |
| World Women's Handball Championship | International Handball Federation (IHF) | 1957 | 2 yr | 31 |
| World Men's Handball Championship Group C until 1990 | International Handball Federation (IHF) | 1976 | — | 8 |
| World Men's Handball Championship Group B until 1992 | International Handball Federation (IHF) | 1977 | — | 8 |
| IHF Men's U17 Handball World Championship | International Handball Federation (IHF) | — | — | 1 |
| IHF Women's U16 Handball World Championship | International Handball Federation (IHF) | — | — | 1 |
Editions — seasons or tournaments recorded as separate entries in Wikidata.Nothing found — try another filter.
Governance
Governing bodies
IHFInternational Handball FederationIHF · founded 1946 · 104 membersCAHBAfrican Handball ConfederationCAHB · founded 1973 · 12 membersOceaOceania Continent Handball Federationfounded 2011 · 15 members
European Handball FederationEHF · founded 1991 · 41 membersAHFAsian Handball FederationAHF · founded 1974 · 23 membersNortNorth America and the Caribbean Handball Confederationfounded 2019 · 10 membersSoutSouth and Central America Handball Confederationfounded 2019 · 6 members
European Handball FederationEHF · founded 1991 · 41 membersAHFAsian Handball FederationAHF · founded 1974 · 23 membersNortNorth America and the Caribbean Handball Confederationfounded 2019 · 10 membersSoutSouth and Central America Handball Confederationfounded 2019 · 6 membersWhat you need
Equipment and playing area
Equipment