handball

American  

[hand-bawl] / ˈhændˌbɔl /

noun

1. a game, similar to squash, played by two or four persons who strike a small ball against a wall or walls with the hand.

2. the small, hard rubber ball used in this game.

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handball British  

/ ˈhændˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a game in which two teams of seven players try to throw a ball into their opponent's goal

2. a game in which two or four people strike a ball against a wall or walls with the hand, usually gloved

3. the small hard rubber ball used in this game

4. soccer the offence committed when a player other than a goalkeeper in his own penalty area touches the ball with a hand

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verb

1. Australian rules football to pass (the ball) with a blow of the fist

Usage

What does handball mean? Perhaps the most common use of the word handball is to refer to the rules violation in soccer (football) in which a player (other than the goalkeeper) touches the ball with their hand or part of their arm. Unrelatedly, there are two sports called handball: one is a team game in which two teams try to score points by throwing a ball into the opposing team’s goal, and another involves players striking a rubber ball against a wall with their hands. The word handball is also used to refer to the ball used in each of these games. The team sport that’s known as handball (or team handball) is similar to soccer in that scoring is achieved by getting the ball in the goal, except that the ball is handled with the hands and not the feet—and it’s played on a court similar to a basketball court. There are seven players on a team, including a goalkeeper, and players can run with the ball and dribble it. It is featured as an event in the Summer Olympic Games and is sometimes called Olympic handball. Another, less common version of team handball is played on a field. The other kind of handball, sometimes called wallball, is similar to squash or racquetball, except that players hit the ball with their (usually gloved) hands instead of a racket. Points are scored when one’s opponents cannot successfully hit the ball back against the wall. This kind of handball can be played on a court with four walls, three walls, or just one. It’s typically played one-on-one (singles) or with two teams of two (doubles). Example: I’ve never played team handball, but I used to play the one-on-one version with my cousin in Brooklyn.

Other Word Forms

• handballer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of handball

First recorded in 1400–50, handball is from the late Middle English word handballe. See hand, ball ¹

Example Sentences

In the past it has led to a tweak to handball, for instance.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Match of the Day pundit and ex-Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock doesn't believe Atletico's penalty for handball would have been awarded in an English domestic game.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

On the handball decision, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said referee Makkelie was "influenced" by the similar choice to award PSG a penalty against Bayern Munich.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The Premier League is more relaxed than Europe even when it comes to deflections before a handball.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

My sister, Dell, reads and reads and never learns to jump rope or play handball against the factory wall on the corner.

From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson