The World Games: Beach Handball

Beach Handball is a team sport played on sand where players pass, bounce or roll a ball, trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team. Each team features three standard players, and a goalie or specialist on each side. During defensive possessions, teams are made up of three defenders and one goalie. However, on offense, three different players sub in and the extra spot the goalie filled on defense is filled by the specialist on offense. Games are split into two 10-minute halves which serve as individual games within the overall match. Each match is a best-out-of-two scenario. The goal is to win both halves to secure the victory — however, if each team wins one game, then the game goes into a sudden death shootout. The score system is based on a one- or two-point structure. A goal scored by any of the players, excluding the specialist or goalie, is worth one point. There are three ways for a goal to be worth two points. The first is an “alley-oop,” which involves the ball being passed to a teammate who catches and shoots the ball without their feet touching the ground. The second is the goalie or specialist scoring a goal. If he or she scores — no matter how they score — it is an automatic two points. The third way is by making a “spectacular” or 360-degree shot. As these names imply, these types of goals involve the offensive player doing an acrobatic aerial maneuver, spinning their bodies around in a 360-degree turn and hitting the ball.