Handball has elements of both football and basketball – but it’s probably older than both. There are references to a sport very similar to handball in ancient Greek literature.
The game was developed in Europe in the late 19th century, in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. Originally played as 'field handball' on a football pitch and 11-a-side, handball was based on the games of 'Raffball' and 'Königsbergerball'.
An indoor seven-a-side version of the game was also very popular, with world championships taking place regularly since 1938 (men) and 1957 (women).
During the 1960s, despite numerous rule changes intended to make the 11-a-side game more attractive, the faster, seven-a-side indoor version of handball dominated. The last world championship for field handball was played in Austria in 1966.
Today, fast-moving, high-scoring matches make Handball one of the most popular Olympic sports.
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