Sport
This guide is about team handball, the seven-a-side Olympic game, indoors and on the beach: not American wall handball, and not football's handball rule. It's sixty minutes of sprints, jumps, feints, throws and body contact: elite players cover 3 to 4.5 km a match, shoot from distance and over defenders, and collide with them all game. Handball has one of the higher injury rates in team sport, about 5 injuries per 1,000 hours across studies and far more in matches, led by knees and ankles, with shoulders the commonest overuse problem and women's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears the most serious.
It's also the sport where some of the best-known injury prevention programmes were tested: a warm-up that halved knee and ankle injuries in young players, and the knee and shoulder programmes that cut injuries in Swedish handball schools. This guide sets them out as they were trialled, with what the pooled results show, alongside strength training for faster throws, the International Handball Federation's rules on ball sizes, protective equipment and dangerous fouls, and concussion. It includes a 20-minute warm-up and a strength workout, with a 3D demo of every move.
Elite players covered 3,664 m a match on average across 17 studies, but most of the time is spent standing or walking between repeated sprints, jumps, duels and throws. The Compendium of Physical Activities lists team handball at 8.0 METs (metabolic equivalents), an estimated value.
Across 16 studies, players had about 5 injuries per 1,000 hours, mostly in matches and mostly to the knee and ankle. In elite Norwegian handball, women tore an ACL about 5 times as often as men.
A warm-up with running, cutting, landing, balance and strength work roughly halved knee and ankle injuries in 1,837 young Norwegian players, and the Knee Control programme cut knee injuries by about a third in Swedish handball schools.
Shoulder Control more than halved shoulder injuries in Swedish handball schools and an Oslo programme cut shoulder problems in elite teams, but a German programme didn't work, and two pooled analyses disagree.
Across 30 trials, resistance training raised throwing speed, most clearly with barbell lifts.
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The International Handball Federation (IHF) bans head protection and jewellery, sets ball sizes by age and punishes fouls to the head. We found no IHF or England Handball concussion protocol, so in England the UK grassroots guidelines apply.
Seven a side, six court players and a goalkeeper, on a 40 by 20 m court, with shots from distance, jump shots over the defence, fast breaks and constant contact between attackers and defenders. Under the IHF's rules (1 July 2025), players aged 16 and over play two halves of 30 minutes, those aged 12 to 16 two halves of 25 minutes, and those aged 8 to 12 two halves of 20 minutes. Beach handball is four a side on sand at least 40 cm deep, played barefoot.
In elite men, about 80% of the time was spent standing or walking; stops, changes of direction and one-on-one duels were the commonest hard actions, heart rate averaged 82% of maximum, and intensity fell in the second half. Across 17 studies, women covered 4,549 m a match (110.5 m a minute) and men 3,333 m (78.4 m a minute). Women worked at a higher share of their aerobic capacity, while men did more high-intensity running and more tackles. Backs threw most, pivots had most body contact and wings made most fast breaks.
Untrained men aged 33 to 55 averaged 82% of their maximum heart rate in recreational games. In 54 inactive men aged about 67, three 60-minute sessions a week for 16 weeks improved aerobic fitness, body fat and insulin, and two a week improved aerobic fitness.
The Compendium lists team handball at 8.0 METs, an estimated value. Its measured value for "handball, general" (12.0 METs) isn't team handball (our reading), so our calories calculator doesn't use either.
Source 3
The sites the studies point to:
Leg strength and landing control for the knees, ankle balance, shoulder-blade and rotator cuff strength for throwing, trunk rotation, repeated sprints and changes of direction, and, for goalkeepers, hip mobility and adductor strength.
Studies counted injuries in different ways: tournament medical teams per match hour, season studies per hour of play or as the share of players injured each week, and surveys by asking players. Figures in different lines aren't directly comparable.
The numbers, by group:
In elite Norwegian handball, women tore an ACL at 0.31 per 1,000 hours against 0.06 for men, and 25 of 28 tears happened without contact, while planting and cutting. In the Danish registry, 55% of 4,540 handball ACL injuries happened without contact and 80% with the ball, mostly while feinting or shooting. In one cohort, women's ACL tears were more common on artificial floors than wooden ones, an association. A drop-jump test couldn't pick out who would tear an ACL in 710 elite female football and handball players, and leg strength wasn't linked with ACL tears. Our ACL injury, knee pain and meniscus tear guides cover these injuries.
Ankle injuries were the commonest at the 2015 World Championship and 29% of traumatic injuries in Danish elite players, often from contact with another player's foot. Our sprained ankle and chronic ankle instability guides cover these.
Before the season, 36% of elite female players had shoulder pain. In elite men, 28% had shoulder problems at any one time in a season. In Swedish adolescent elite players, 23% had substantial shoulder problems during a season, girls and backcourt players more often, and in Norwegian junior men the shoulder was the commonest overuse problem (17% at any one time). Our shoulder pain, shoulder impingement and dislocated shoulder guides cover these.
In 296 German youth elite players, 42% had a hand or wrist injury in the previous season, nearly half at the middle finger joints and 29% at the thumb, mostly sprains, and over a third of the moderate and severe ones weren't seen by a doctor. Our broken or jammed finger, mallet finger and skier's thumb guides cover these.
Head injuries were 23% of injuries at major tournaments. Of 100 professional players, 49% had a head or face injury in a year and 22% a dental injury. In German professional handball, head, hand, shoulder and ankle injuries mostly came from contact.
Danish youth players aged 11 to 17 had 0.8 concussions per 1,000 hours, the older age groups more, and 49% of them played on, almost all by their own decision. In French amateur adults, suspected concussions were 0.885 per 1,000 match hours, more often in women and wingers. Our concussion guide covers the graduated return.
In an old survey of 729 Norwegian goalkeepers, 45% had current or previous elbow problems from blocking shots with a straight arm, known as handball goalie's elbow. At the 2017 World Championship, goalkeepers had higher odds of match injury than wings. We don't have a guide to it yet; our elbow pain guide covers elbow pain in general.
At the 2017 European Beach Handball Championships, injuries that stopped players training or playing were 49.3 per 1,000 match hours, lower than indoors. In a survey of 651 beach players, there were 53.5 injuries per 1,000 athletes a year.
Matches, about 10 times training in youth players; a previous injury; girls and women for ACL and shoulder injuries; backs and goalkeepers in World Championship matches; players given a 2-minute suspension in the same match; the last 10 minutes of each half; sudden jumps in weekly handball hours; and weak outward rotation of the throwing shoulder. These are associations.
These programmes were trialled in handball itself. The hamstring, groin and ankle evidence comes from other sports, and each note says so. The shoulder programmes have their own section below.
Five trials in handball players:
Pooling randomised and cohort studies in handball, prevention programmes went with fewer knee, ACL and ankle injuries. Across sports, warm-ups with strength and landing work halve ACL injuries, and Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA) estimates about 60% fewer ACL injuries in adolescent female football, basketball and handball players, with programmes of 10 to 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week.
In 945 Danish youth players aged 11 to 17, adding coach workshops and support from health professionals to online material didn't raise how often teams did the programme or cut injuries. In the Swedish trial, players did the programmes about half as often as asked, and injuries still fell.
In a small, older trial of young women, ankle disc training at every practice cut injuries, and a German balance and jumping programme had falls in ACL tears and ankle sprains that weren't significant. Lace-up braces cut ankle sprains in other sports; no handball trial has tested them.
Programmes including the Nordic hamstring exercise went with about half as many hamstring injuries across sports, though the effect is uncertain when only properly randomised trials are pooled. The Copenhagen adductor exercise cut groin problems by 41% in semi-professional footballers. Neither has been tested in handball.
Stretching programmes didn't prevent sports injuries, while strength training cut them to about a third. Screening tests such as drop jumps and leg strength can't pick out who will tear an ACL, so the programmes are for everyone. No study has tested taping fingers to prevent finger injuries (our search).
Across 30 trials (727 players), resistance training raised throwing speed, with large effects on standing, jump and running throws, and barbell training in compound lifts gave the clearest results. Medicine balls, bands, core and ballistic training had too few studies to judge, and medicine-ball and band training didn't improve accuracy. In elite men, resistance training was the most effective method, and training with heavy lowering phases didn't help.
Across 20 studies (563 players), plyometric training improved jumps, sprints, repeated sprints with changes of direction, agility, strength and power, but not balance, and programmes longer than 8 weeks improved sprints more. Our jump guide explains how to build landings first.
Source 66
Before the 2008 Olympics, Denmark's men did 5 weeks of muscle-building work with long running intervals, then 3 weeks of strength, power and short intervals. Their score on an intermittent running test rose by 25%, agility by 2.5% and bench press by 6%; squat strength and jumps didn't change significantly. This is a case report, not a trial.
Source 67
In a small trial (10 players against 10 controls), cutting training intensity by 60% for 2 weeks after a 10-week strength block kept strength, sprint and throwing gains rising. In Norway's national women's team, three matches in 3 days cut sprint and jump performance by 4 to 7%, with incomplete recovery between matches, and the authors advise spreading playing time.
Every session: the knee and shoulder programmes in the warm-up, at least 3 times a week, as trialled. Shoulder Control takes 10 to 15 minutes; doing both, or alternating them, is our suggestion. Off-season and pre-season: 2 to 3 strength sessions a week (our suggestion), with jump training for more than 8 weeks.
In season: 1 or 2 shorter strength sessions, with no heavy legs or maximal jumps in the 48 hours before a match (our suggestion). Before tournaments, keep a few heavy, fast sets and cut the volume, and spread playing time over congested match days. Raise weekly handball hours gradually after breaks, with extra care for girls' knees and sore shoulders.
In the Swedish handball schools trial, 199 players aged 15 to 19 did Shoulder Control: five exercise groups for the shoulder blade, the rotator cuff and the trunk, each at four levels, in sets of 15 to 30 seconds, moving 1 to 2 seconds each way. They did 3 sets 3 times a week off-season and 2 sets 3 times a week in season, taking 10 to 15 minutes, with a throwing progression in the summer.
Shoulder injuries fell by 56% (0.8 against 1.8 per 1,000 hours), about 1 injury prevented for every 9 players, although players did it about 1.3 times a week. The Knee Control group didn't have fewer shoulder injuries, so the effect seems to need shoulder exercises.
Source 7
In 660 elite Norwegian players in 45 teams over a 7-month season, the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC) programme, done in the warm-up 3 times a week to improve inward rotation, outward-rotation strength, shoulder-blade strength and upper-back mobility, cut the average share of players with shoulder problems from 23% to 17%. Substantial problems fell from 8% to 5%, not significantly, and teams did it about 1.6 times a week.
In 579 German players, five blocks of band strengthening and stretching 3 times a week didn't reduce overuse shoulder injuries, in a season cut short by COVID-19 and with low questionnaire response. A push-up programme didn't reduce shoulder pain in junior girls, and in another trial the Oslo programme didn't change outward-rotation strength, so how these programmes work isn't known.
Pooling the three randomised trials, the effect wasn't significant (odds ratio 0.73, 0.45 to 1.17), with low certainty; without the German trial, it was (0.58). A review that also pooled non-randomised studies found 40% lower odds of shoulder injury (odds ratio 0.60). Our grade: promising, not settled. Our throwing events page grades the same programme mixed, because it has never been tested in throwers.
In 679 Danish elite youth players, a week in which handball hours rose by more than 60% over the previous four weeks' average went with nearly twice the rate of shoulder injury, and smaller rises did harm in players with weak outward rotation or a poorly controlled shoulder blade. In the same players, girls whose hours jumped by more than 60% had a 31.2% risk of a knee injury the next week, against 10.5% in boys.
Weak outward rotation, less rotation range and a poorly controlled shoulder blade went with shoulder problems in elite men, and weak outward rotation in youth players, but a larger cohort of men and women couldn't confirm the earlier findings. A review rated the evidence strongest for weak outward rotators and for female sex.
Do a shoulder programme at least 3 times a week, raise handball load gradually after breaks, and get shoulder pain that lasts, or keeps coming back, checked. Our shoulder pain guide explains what to do in the meantime.
Finger and thumb sprains are common, but no study has tested taping or catching drills to prevent them (our search). Buddy strapping after an injury, and the signs that need an X-ray, are in our broken or jammed finger guide.
Source 25
The IHF's rules don't require them. In 100 professional players, those who wore a mouthguard had 5.55 times lower odds of a dental injury, an association, but only 28% wore one regularly. Across sports, people without mouthguards had over twice the risk of mouth and face injuries.
No training trial has studied goalkeepers. With elbows bent backwards by shots and more injuries in matches, hip mobility, adductor strength and a gradual build-up of shot-blocking make sense (our suggestion). Elbow pain when blocking with a straight arm needs checking.
We found no concussion protocol from the IHF, the European Handball Federation (EHF) or England Handball. In England, the UK grassroots guidelines apply: if in doubt, sit them out; no return to play, training or physical education within 24 hours; National Health Service (NHS) 111 or a healthcare professional within 24 hours; a graduated return; and no competition before day 21. The NHS also advises no contact sport for at least 3 weeks after a head injury. French amateur handball uses a "white card" to take off a player with a suspected concussion, as a 2026 study describes it.
The IHF's Rules of the Game (1 July 2025):
Source 13
Rule 4:9: "It is not permitted to wear objects that could be dangerous to the players or give players improper advantages. This includes, for instance, head protection, face masks, gloves, bracelets, watches, rings, visible piercing, necklaces or chains, earrings, glasses without restraining bands or with solid frames, objects that could cause cuts or abrasions (fingernails must be shortly trimmed)." The IHF's equipment regulations (1 July 2025) allow soft nose protection, sports glasses or goggles with special headbands and plastic lenses, ankle braces without uncovered hard parts and soft knee protectors, and say "Masks are not allowed" and "Helmets are not allowed".
Fouls "against the head, throat or neck" are among those that earn a direct 2-minute suspension (Rule 8:4); a player attacking an opponent "in a way that is dangerous to his health" is disqualified (Rule 8:5); and a 2-minute suspension follows when an unhindered shot or a 7-metre throw hits the head of a goalkeeper who wasn't moving the head into the ball (Rule 8:8). Players with 2-minute suspensions were more likely to be injured at the 2017 World Championship, and foul play caused 28.4% of moderate and severe injuries in German professional handball. No study has measured these rules' effect on injuries.
Rule 4:10: "A player who is bleeding or has blood on the body or uniform must leave the court immediately and voluntarily", and may not return until it's dealt with. Under Rule 4:11, a player treated on court must leave and can't return until the team's third attack, though national federations may suspend that in youth categories.
Source 13
The IHF's beach rules (1 April 2026): sand at least 40 cm deep, levelled, and free of rocks, shells and anything that could cut; "The weather must not present any danger of injury to the players"; all players barefoot, with cloth socks or support bandages allowed; and caps, sunglasses with restraining bands and therapeutic braces allowed.
Source 17
Built on the two programmes trialled in Swedish handball schools, Knee Control and Shoulder Control, and on our warm-up guide (editorial). The trial tested the two separately; doing both is our suggestion, and the doses for the knee exercises are ours. Do it at least 3 times a week.
Loading the 3D figure…
The movement on the figure: Scaption raise
Shoulder Control's exercises as our figure shows them, the knee and landing work, and the strength workout's main lifts. Each has a 3D demo.
3D demoScaption raiseBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoScapular push-up (push-up plus)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSingle-leg Romanian deadliftAdvanced · A dumbbell
3D demoCable press and rotationIntermediate · A cable machine
3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoPatrick step-downIntermediate · A step
3D demoSingle-leg hop and stickIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoBarbell back squatAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoBarbell bench pressIntermediate · A barbell + A bench or box
3D demoWeighted jump squatAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoTwo-hand overhead throwIntermediate · Medicine ball
3D demoNordic curlAdvanced · An anchor point
3D demoCopenhagen plankAdvanced · A bench or boxThe first two are new: a warm-up built on Knee Control and Shoulder Control, and a strength workout. The throwing arm and tennis routines share the Shoulder Control block; the others add knee control and landings, the hamstring and groin programmes, jumps, sprints, fitness and grip, and light exercise after a concussion.
A 20-minute handball warm-up: easy running, leg swings, Knee Control, landings and cuts, Shoulder Control, then build-up runs before passes and shots.
20 minBeginner18 movesCardio machine, A wallA 55-minute handball gym session: jump squats, landings, ball throws, squats, bench press, pull-ups, split squats, Shoulder Control, Nordics and Copenhagens.
55 minIntermediate20 movesA wall, A barbellA 35-minute session for baseball and softball players: the five Shoulder Control exercises, rotator cuff and forearm work, medicine-ball throws and legs.
35 minIntermediate17 movesA dumbbell, A cable machineA 25-minute routine for racket players: the five-part Shoulder Control programme from handball trials, band rotations, forearm lowering, hops and balance.
25 minBeginner12 movesA dumbbell, A cable machineA 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.
25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A bandA 30-minute volleyball routine: balance board work for ankles, the five-part Shoulder Control programme, Nordics, lunges and calf raises, and trunk work.
30 minBeginner13 movesA wall, Other / check instructionsA 10-minute basketball warm-up from a Canadian programme: runs, shuffles, line hops, jump landings, planks, Nordics, lunges and one-leg balance with a ball.
10 minBeginner12 movesCardio machine, A wallA 35-minute netball session: drop landings, hop-and-sticks, lateral bounds and jumps, then goblet squats, split squats, single-leg hinges, Nordics and hip work.
35 minIntermediate15 movesA wall, A stepA 20-minute warm-up that trains your knees to track over your toes: side-hip strength, squats and lunges with alignment practice, balance and quiet landings.
20 minBeginner10 movesA wall, A bandFIFA's 11+ injury prevention warm-up as its manual sets it out: running drills, strength, balance and jumping at three levels, then faster running.
20 minBeginner20 movesCardio machine, A wallThe Nordic hamstring and Copenhagen adduction programmes from the football trials: a 10-week build, three adductor levels, then once a week in season.
15 minIntermediate6 movesA wall, An anchor pointAn advanced jump training session: pogo hops, box jumps, split squat jumps, broad jumps and depth jumps.
30 minAdvanced8 movesA bench or box, A stepA 45-minute speed session: running drills, five short accelerations and three flying sprints with full rest, then Nordic curls and calf raises.
45 minIntermediate11 movesCardio machine, A wallA 25-minute interval session on a bike or rower: one-minute hard efforts with two minutes easy, building from 4 to 8 rounds.
25 minIntermediate1 movesCardio machineA 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.
20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A bandA 20-minute light session after a concussion: a symptom check, 10 to 15 minutes of easy cycling or walking, gentle bodyweight moves and a cool-down.
20 minBeginner8 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxTwo or three strength sessions a week fit the off-season; drop to one or two in season.
Two full-body strength sessions a week: the minimum that meets health guidelines, with every set, rep and rest, and an 8-week progression.
2 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA beginner gym plan: three full-body sessions a week, alternating workouts A and B, with sets, reps, rest and an 8-week progression.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekFor after about 8 weeks of a beginner plan: three full-body sessions a week, one heavy, one moderate and one light, in a gym or at home, for 12 weeks.
3 training days50 minIntermediate3 days a weekA 12-week beginner barbell program: squat every session, alternate bench and row with press and deadlift, and add weight each time until it stalls.
3 training days50 minBeginner3 days a weekA weekly workout plan for women: three strength days, cardio and pelvic floor training, with the evidence on periods, pregnancy and menopause.
3 training days45 minBeginnerThe PAR-Q+ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone) asks about a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or losing consciousness, other long-term conditions and their medicines, a bone or joint problem that activity could make worse, and being told to exercise only under supervision. If you answer yes to any, check with your doctor or a qualified exercise professional first. If you're over 45 and not used to hard exercise, ask a qualified exercise professional before the hardest sessions, and delay if you're ill.
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Half of concussed Danish youth players played on. Follow the UK guidelines: off at once, an assessment within 24 hours, a graduated return and no competition before day 21. Our concussion guide has the stages.
Women tear an ACL about 5 times as often as men in elite handball, and a previous ACL injury raised the risk almost 4 times. Do the knee programme at every session, and follow the return-to-sport checks in our ACL injury guide.
Shoulder problems are common, especially in girls and backcourt players. Do Shoulder Control, raise your handball hours gradually, and get pain that lasts, or keeps coming back, checked; our shoulder pain guide explains what to do.
Elbow problems from blocking shots are common in goalkeepers. Build shot-blocking up gradually (our suggestion), and see our elbow pain guide.
Source 27
Sudden jumps in weekly handball went with more shoulder injuries, and in girls more knee injuries. Count all handball across teams and raise it gradually; our children's guide explains why total hours matter.
The NHS advises seeing a GP if you've fainted, and calling 999 if someone faints while exercising; the PAR-Q+ asks you to check first if you get chest pain or dizziness. Do that before you play.
The NHS advises against sports with a risk of falling or bumping your tummy, naming hockey and rugby. Handball is a contact sport, so leave out contact and matches (our suggestion), talk to your midwife or GP, and see our pregnancy guide.
Source 81
Our epilepsy guide explains that in the International League Against Epilepsy's grouping, most team sports add no significant extra risk. Handball isn't named, but it's played the same way (our reading).
The NHS says to call 999 if someone has hit their head and:
Source 77
If in doubt, sit them out: off at once, and no return that day. Get help from NHS 111 (the NHS's urgent advice line) if they're being sick, feel dizzy or take medicine that thins the blood. With a suspected neck injury, the player should only be moved by trained healthcare professionals.
Stop playing. Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) if you heard a crack, the joint has changed shape or is numb, or the skin is blue, grey or cold. Get help from NHS 111 if it's very painful, the swelling is getting worse, or you can't put weight on it or walk more than a few steps.
Source 82
Go to A&E if you can't move your arm, or the shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape. Don't try to put it back in yourself.
Source 83
Go to A&E if a finger or thumb points at an odd angle, looks blue or feels numb, or bone can be seen. Get help from NHS 111 if it's painful, swollen and bruised, or stiff and hard to move.
Source 84
Go to A&E or call 999 if the eye was hit at high speed, your sight has changed, it's very painful, you have a headache or are sensitive to light, you feel or are being sick, you can't move the eye or keep it open, or blood or pus is coming from it.
Source 85
A chipped or broken tooth needs a dentist: keep any piece in milk or saliva. Call 999 or go to A&E for a nosebleed that won't stop, clear, watery fluid from the nose, a cut that won't stop bleeding, or a bad cut on the face. The IHF's rules send a bleeding player off the court at once.
If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999 or 112, start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) straight away, and ask a helper to find and bring a defibrillator.
Source 89
The IHF's beach rules say the weather must not put players in danger. Call 999 if someone is still unwell after 30 minutes of rest, cooling and fluids, or has a very high temperature, hot skin that isn't sweating, a fast heartbeat or breathing, confusion, a fit or loss of consciousness.
Across 16 studies, players had about 5 injuries per 1,000 hours, far more in matches, with around 100 per 1,000 player-hours at major tournaments, and at Tokyo 2020 handball's injury rate was the sixth highest of all events.
A warm-up with running, cutting, landing and strength work roughly halved knee and ankle injuries in young players, and Knee Control cut knee injuries by 31%.
Shoulder Control more than halved shoulder injuries and the Oslo programme cut shoulder problems, though a German programme didn't work and the pooled result of the randomised trials isn't significant. Something helps; how much isn't settled.
Across 30 trials, resistance training made throws faster, most clearly with barbell lifts.
Source 12
A drop-jump test couldn't pick out which of 710 elite female football and handball players would tear an ACL, and leg strength wasn't linked with ACL tears. The knee programme is for everyone.
Stretching programmes didn't prevent sports injuries, while strength training did. Short stretches in a warm-up are fine for range (our warm-up guide).
Source 63
Finger and thumb sprains are common, but no study has tested taping to prevent them (our search). Buddy taping after an injury is another matter.
Source 25
Half of concussed Danish youth players played on, almost all by their own choice. The UK guidelines say no return within 24 hours and no competition before day 21.
Barbell lifts such as squats, bench presses and pulls made throws faster across 30 trials, and jump training improved jumps, sprints and agility. Add Shoulder Control for the throwing shoulder, and the Nordic and Copenhagen exercises that cut hamstring and groin injuries in footballers. Our strength workout puts them together.
Do a shoulder programme in your warm-up at least 3 times a week: Shoulder Control, five exercise groups in sets of 15 to 30 seconds, cut shoulder injuries by 56% in Swedish handball schools, and the Oslo programme cut shoulder problems in elite teams. Pooled across three trials the effect wasn't significant, so it's promising rather than proven. Raise your weekly handball load gradually too.
Use a warm-up with strength, balance, landing and cutting work at every session: in young Norwegian players one roughly halved knee and ankle injuries, and Knee Control cut knee injuries by 31%. Exercise and Sport Science Australia estimates about 60% fewer ACL injuries in adolescent female handball, football and basketball players, with programmes of 10 to 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week.
Knee and ankle sprains and bruises are the commonest injuries, mostly in matches, and shoulder pain is the commonest overuse problem. Finger and thumb sprains are very common, and women tear an ACL about 5 times as often as men.
Strength training raises throwing speed: across 30 trials the effect was large, and barbell training in compound lifts gave the clearest results. Medicine-ball and band training on their own had too few studies to show an effect. Combine gym work with throwing practice, and keep your shoulder programme going.
It's a contact sport with a high injury rate, especially in matches: about 5 injuries per 1,000 hours across studies, and at Tokyo 2020 handball had the sixth highest injury rate of all events. Most injuries are sprains and bruises, and warm-up programmes cut knee and shoulder injuries.
The IHF's rules (1 July 2025) set size 3 for men and boys aged 16 and over, size 2 for women, girls aged 14 and over and boys aged 12 to 16, and size 1 for girls aged 8 to 14 and boys aged 8 to 12. Mini-handball balls aren't regulated.
We found none from the IHF, the European Handball Federation or England Handball. In England, the UK grassroots guidelines apply: if in doubt, sit them out, an assessment within 24 hours, a graduated return and no competition before day 21. French amateur handball uses a white card to take off a player with a suspected concussion.
Yes: recreational handball for untrained men averaged 82% of maximum heart rate, and three 60-minute sessions a week for 16 weeks improved fitness, body fat and insulin in inactive men aged about 67. That's vigorous activity, which counts towards the NHS's 75 minutes a week for adults.
No training trial has studied goalkeepers. They had higher odds of injury in World Championship matches, and in an old survey 45% had elbow problems from blocking with a straight arm, so hip mobility, adductor strength and a gradual build-up of shot-blocking make sense.
Exercise education for people who play sport, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP or physiotherapist before hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or an injury that isn't settling, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
