Competitive games for your everyday handball training

Introduction

Handball needs quick and correct decisions in each game situation. This can be trained playfully and diversely through handball-specific games. These 60 exercises are divided into seven categories and train the playing skills.

The book deals with the following subjects:

- Team ball variants

- Team play with different targets

- Tag games

- Sprint and relay race games

- Ball throwing and transportation games

- Games from other types of sports

- Complex closing game variants

The exercises are illustrated and described in an easy, comprehensible manner. They can be immediately integrated in every training unit. Various difficulty levels, additional notes, and possible variations allow for adjustment to each age group and group size.

Sample figure:

1st English edition released on 31 Mar 2017

German original edition released on 18 Sep 2015

Published by DV Concept

Editors, Design and Layout: Jörg Madinger, Elke Lackner

Proofreading and English translation: Nina-Maria Nahlenz

ISBN: 978-3-95641-185-4

The book and its contents are protected by copyright. No reprinting, photomechanical reproduction, storing or processing in electronic systems without the publisher’s written permission.

Key

Attacker/Player

Defending player

Cone

Small gym mat

Safety mat

Ball box

Small vaulting box

Large vaulting box

Small vaulting box, upside down

Hoop, bucket

Medicine ball, soft ball, tennis ball

soccer ball

Balance bench

Handball pyramid

Dice

Coordination ladder

Bars

Basketball basket

Category: Team ball variants
No. 1: Team ball: Basic version and variant

Minimum number of players: 6

Difficulty level:

Equipment required: 1 handball, 4 cones, playing field suitable for number of players

Setting:

- Define a suitable field with cones (suitable for the number of players and their level of performance).

- Make two teams.

Course (figure 1):

- The team who has the ball tries to play a certain number of passes (5/10) while trying to keep the players of the defending team from touching the ball (A).

- If they manage to play the defined number of passes, they get a point and the other team gets the ball.

- The team who has the fewest points at the end must do a predefined exercise (2 accelerating runs, for example).

Variant (figure 2):

- The team only gets a point if the player ( here) who played a pass (A) to his teammate () receives the ball again immediately (C) – return pass.

- For this purpose, must get into space immediately after he played the pass (B).

- Passing to another teammate () (D) is also allowed; the players do not get a point for this however.

No. 2: Team ball with additional running exercises

Minimum number of players: 6

Difficulty level:

Equipment required: 1 handball, 4 cones, playing field suitable for number of players

Setting:

- Define a suitable field with cones (suitable for the number of players and their level of performance).

- Make two teams.

Course 1 (figure 1) (6-8 players):

- The teams play team ball in the playing field (see exercise no. 1).

- After each pass (A), the players must run around a cone first (B) before they may receive a pass again. If the team who has the ball manages to play 10 passes without the other team touching the ball, the defending players must do 10 quick jumping jacks, for example.

- Without dribbling.

Course 2 (figure 2) (8 or more players):

- The players play on the entire half of the court.

- Following each pass, must leave the playing field first (A) before he may receive a pass again.

- If the team who has the ball manages to play 10 passes without the other team touching the ball, the defending team must do 10 quick jumping jacks, for example.

- Without dribbling.

Additional exercises for the players who left the field after playing the pass before they are allowed to step back into the field and receive a pass again (exercises must be done outside of the field):

- 5 push-ups, 1 somersault on a mat, 5 straight jumps, for example.

No. 3: Team ball with moving 1

Minimum number of players: 8

Difficulty level:

Equipment required: 1 handball, 4 cones, playing field suitable for number of players

Setting:

- Divide the playing field into four smaller fields using cones (I to IV).

- Make two teams.

Course:

- The two teams play team ball against each other.

- The player holding the ball must dribble out of his field first (A and B) before he is allowed to play a pass.

Exercise/objective:

- The attacking players try to play 10 passes. If they succeed, the defending players must do a predefined exercise.

Variants:

- No return passes allowed (for larger groups).

- Jump shot passes.

- Passing with the non-throwing hand.

No. 4: Team ball with mats

Minimum number of players: 8

Difficulty level:

Equipment required: When playing 4-on-4, 6 mats required (2 more mats than players per team), 1 handball, ½ handball court or equivalent playing field

Setting:

- Put several gym mats on the floor of the playing field.

- Make two teams.

Course:

- The teams play team ball against each other.

- The players get a point, if they manage to play a pass to their teammate standing on the mat (A).

- They do not get the point, if a player of the other team touches the mat (B), but are allowed to continue.

- Dribbling is allowed.

Exercise/objective:

- The attacking players try to score 10 points. If they succeed, the defending players must do a predefined exercise.

- The players are not allowed to play passes from one mat to another mat; they must leave the mat first or play a pass to one of the players not standing on a mat.

Variants:

- Without dribbling.

- No return passes.

- Jump shot passes.

- Passing with the non-throwing hand.

No. 5: Team ball with hoops

Minimum number of players: 8

Difficulty level:

Equipment required: 1 handball, 2 more hoops than players per team, playing field suitable for number of players

Setting:

- Make two teams.

- Put the hoops on the floor of the playing field (two more hoops than players per team).

Course:

- Two teams play team ball in the playing field.

- The players score a point, if the player receiving the pass stands in a hoop with one foot (A).

- They do not get a point, if a player of the other team stands in the hoop as well (B).

Variants:

- The player must not only stand in the hoop, but also bounce the ball on the floor inside the hoop one time.

Make sure the distance between the hoops is not too long, so that the game becomes faster.

You need at least one or two more hoops than players per team, since otherwise, the defending players are able to block them all.

No. 6: Team ball with boxes

Minimum number of players: 8

Difficulty level:

Equipment required: 1-2 more boxes than players per team (in the example: 4 players and 5 boxes), 1 handball, playing field suitable for number of players

Setting:

- Make two teams.

- Put small vaulting boxes (at least one more than players per team) on the floor of the playing field.

Course:

- The teams play team ball in the playing field.

- The players get a point, if they manage to play a pass to a teammate standing on a box.

The players are not allowed to stand on a box for more than 3 seconds.

Exercise/objective:

- The attacking players try to score 10 points. If they succeed, the defending players must do 10 push-ups, for example.

Variants:

- Without dribbling.

- Jump shot passes.

- The players must play a double pass with the player standing on the box (the return pass must be played to the player who played the initial pass). This is more challenging for the player receiving the return pass. After playing the pass, he must get into space immediately in order to get the ball. The game becomes much faster!

The players must adjust quickly, if the player on the box cannot be played a pass.

The players must already identify the playing/passing possibilities before they receive a pass → Anticipatory playing.

No. 7: Team ball with 4 targets

Minimum number of players: 8

Difficulty level:

Equipment required: 1 handball, 4 cones, 2 small vaulting boxes, playing field suitable for number of players

Setting:

- Put two cone goals and two small vaulting boxes (upside down) on the floor in the corners of the playing field.

- Make two teams.

Course:

- The two teams play team ball against each other and try to score points by doing the following:

Either:

- plays a bounce pass through the cone goal in such a way that a teammate can catch the ball (A).

Or:

- throws the ball into the box in such a way that he can catch it again (B).

Each team defends one cone goal and one box.

Exercise/objective:

- The attacking players try to score 10 points. If they succeed, the defending players must do a predefined exercise.

- The players must adjust quickly, if a target is covered by an opponent.

Variants:

- Allow dribbling.

- No return passes allowed (for larger groups).

- Jump shot passes.

- Passing with the non-throwing hand.

- Do not assign the targets; the players can score points randomly.

- The players can only score a point, if they hit both “targets” (cone and box) one after another.