Indoor Handball: Court, Steps, Seconds, Positions

An indoor handball court is 40 meters long and 20 meters wide, with a goal area marked by a 6-meter line and a 9-meter free-throw line. A player may take three steps while holding the ball and may hold it for three seconds before passing, shooting or dribbling. The game is played by seven players per side, and youth categories shorten the court, reduce the team size and relax the rules.

What are the dimensions of an indoor handball court?

The standard indoor court measures 40 meters by 20 meters. The goal is 3 meters wide and 2 meters high, and it sits on the goal line. In front of each goal, the goal area is marked by a line 6 meters from the goal, drawn as a rectangle with rounded corners. The free-throw line stands 9 meters out, and the 7-meter line is used for penalty throws. The substitution area runs along one side, and the goal area belongs to the goalkeeper alone: an outfield player may not stand inside it, though a player may jump over it and release the ball before landing.

A court of this size is the reference point for adult competition, and it is the measurement that most rulebooks quote first. The same layout is used in the Dutch amateur game, from the national pyramid down to the lower divisions. For readers who want a Dutch-language overview of the sport as it is played in the Limburg region, the club site of the indoor handball court guide covers the court, the rules and the youth categories in plain language.

How does the three-step rule work in handball?

The three-step rule limits how far a player may travel while holding the ball. A player who catches the ball may take three steps, then must pass, shoot or start dribbling. The count begins when the player has control of the ball, and the steps are counted, not the distance covered. A player who jumps and lands on both feet may then take three steps, but a player who lands on one foot and then puts the other foot down has used part of the allowance.

Once a player stops and holds the ball, the three-step allowance is spent. The player may not take three more steps after a dribble: dribbling, picking the ball up and walking again is a traveling violation. The same applies to a player who receives the ball while standing still and then takes three steps, stops, and tries to move again. The referee signals a free throw for the opposing team.

A common misunderstanding is that the three steps are measured from the moment of the catch. In practice, the referee watches the feet and the hands together. A player who catches the ball in the air, lands, and takes three steps has used the allowance. A player who catches the ball while already moving may take the three steps as part of that movement, provided the ball is released or the dribble begins within the limit.

How long may a player hold the ball under the three-second rule?

A player may hold the ball for three seconds. The count starts when the player gains control and stops when the ball leaves the hand, whether by pass, shot or bounce. Standing still with the ball for longer than three seconds is a violation, and the referee awards a free throw to the other team. The three-second limit and the three-step limit run alongside each other: a player who stands still for three seconds cannot then take three steps, because the ball must have been released or the dribble started within the time.

The rule is often described as a way to keep the game moving. It prevents a player from holding the ball while waiting for a teammate to break free, and it forces a decision. A player who is closely guarded and cannot pass or shoot must dribble, and once the dribble ends, the ball must leave the hand quickly. The three-second count is not usually announced by the referee; it is applied as a judgment of time.

Which seven positions make up a handball team?

A team fields seven players: one goalkeeper and six outfield players. The outfield positions are usually described by where they play in the attacking formation. On the left and right wings, players attack from the wide areas near the goal line. The left and right backs play further out and often take the long-range shots. The center back is the playmaker, positioned in the middle and responsible for organizing the attack. The pivot plays closest to the goal area, among the defenders, looking for openings and rebounds.

Defensively, the same seven players form a line in front of the goal area, typically a 6-0 formation with all six outfield players along the 6-meter line, or a 5-1 with one player pushed forward. The goalkeeper stays in the goal area and is the only player allowed to touch the ball with the feet, and only inside that area. Substitutions are made on the fly, without stopping play, through the substitution area on the sideline.

How do youth categories adapt the game?

Youth handball changes the court, the team size and the rules to suit younger players. In the F category, the youngest group, the game is often played on a smaller court with fewer players per side, and the emphasis is on movement and ball contact rather than on strict positional play. In the E category, the court and team size increase, and the rules move closer to the adult game. In the D category, the game is played on a full or nearly full court with six outfield players and a goalkeeper, and the standard rules apply with some adjustments.

Mixed teams are common up to the D category, after which boys and girls usually play in separate competitions. The adaptations are not only about size: the form of the game itself is modified, with shorter playing periods, more frequent substitutions and a simpler approach to fouls. The aim is to let young players learn the three-step and three-second limits, the positions and the basic defensive shape without the physical demands of the adult game.

What about the ball, the goal and the playing time?

The ball size changes with the age group. Adult men use a ball with a circumference of 58 to 60 centimeters, adult women use 54 to 56 centimeters, and youth categories use smaller balls. The goal remains 3 meters by 2 meters at most levels, though some youth games use smaller goals. Playing time is usually two halves of 30 minutes for adults, with shorter halves in youth categories. The clock stops for injuries and for certain interruptions, and the referee controls the time.

A player who commits a foul may be warned, suspended for two minutes, disqualified or expelled, depending on the seriousness of the action. A two-minute suspension reduces the team to six players for the duration. The referee shows a card to indicate the sanction: a yellow card for a warning, a red card for a disqualification. These sanctions apply across the age groups, with some flexibility for the youngest players.

The court, the steps, the seconds and the positions are the four elements that define the indoor game. Once a player understands them, the rest of the rulebook follows from the same logic: keep the ball moving, keep the game fair, and let the team with the better shape and the quicker decisions win.

Youth categories shrink the court and shorten the clock, but the three-step and three-second limits still shape every possession, and the seven positions still have to be filled. Coaches who work with small squads often borrow ideas from other confined playing spaces, where a Ten by eleven metre street pitch has to hold a crowd, a first aid plan and a touring schedule. The question of what a ten by eleven metre street playing area actually requires is answered in detail elsewhere on this site.