Handball (schoolyard game)

Last updated
Handball
Players2 minimum
Skills Manual dexterity
Strategy
Social skills
Hand-eye coordination
Endurance
Strength
Determination

Handball is a children's ball game widely documented in Australian schools, similar to downball. The rules of the game vary considerably across different sites and conditions, but it is generally played on a flat game court with lined square zones (occasionally with a wall for rebounds), and involves at least two players, who each occupies a square and take turns hitting a ball (often a tennis ball, squash ball or, occasionally, a bouncy ball) with their bare hands into other player's square(s). The game is very easy to set up and can be conveniently adapted to any environments where square/rectangular-lined flat grounds can be found, such as other gyms/arenas, parking spaces and even concrete slabbed driveways and footpaths.

Contents

In Australia and New Zealand, the sport is sometimes confused with European handball, an Olympic sport that is not widely played in either country. In New Zealand, where the game has been played since at least the 1970s, it is also known as four square, and handball may well have developed from the court sport of the same name.

History

On July 4, 1954, the American folklorist Dorothy Howard arrived in Australia. In the next nine months, she visited nineteen primary schools across the country to painstakingly document the folk games the children played. Among the children's games Howard recorded was four square, also known as handball, which was played in seven of the schools. The rules of the game varied between them, and many schools played with considerable deviations. [1] [2]

Rules

Note: only the main, basic rules that are used universally in almost every handball game are included. There are hundreds of deviation rules, which can be found on other websites online.

Ways to become 'out'

Ways for a 'replay' to happen

A Spaldeen autographed by Kevin Rudd Rubber handball autographed by Kevin Rudd.jpg
A Spaldeen autographed by Kevin Rudd

Handball has entered the meme culture. In March 2013, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd released a video of him playing handball at Brisbane State High School, [5] which led to him becoming part of a "handball meme". In late November 2017, Rudd played handball with students in a school in Brisbane, and the accompanying video - claiming he was the "king of handball" - reached 40,000 views on Facebook.[ when? ] [6]

Handball is the main theme of the children's television series, Handball Heroes, which aired on ABC Me (Then ABC 3) in 2013, as well as Hardball which aired on ABC Me in 2019. [7] [8]

References

  1. McKinty, Judy (December 2016). "Losing our marbles: what's happening to children's folklore in schools?". Play and Folklore (66).
  2. Darian-Smith, Kate; Factor, June, eds. (2011). "Four Square". Childhood, Tradition & Change. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  3. "High School Handball Tournament Grand Finale". Youtube. MontFilms. April 3, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  4. "Handball Rules for Kids". familiesmagazine.com.au. February 22, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  5. Kevin Rudd (2013-03-10), Playing handball at Brisbane State High School , retrieved 2017-10-31
  6. "Handball Memes". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  7. "Handball Heroes". ABC Television. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  8. "Hardball". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-10-31.