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Football vs. Handball — What's the Difference?

By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 18, 2024
Football is a globally popular sport played on a large field with a spherical ball, focusing on foot skills; handball is a fast-paced indoor game emphasizing hand-eye coordination and throwing skills.
Football vs. Handball — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Football and Handball

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Key Differences

Football is played on a large outdoor field where players primarily use their feet to maneuver a spherical ball, aiming to score goals in the opposing team's net. Handball, on the other hand, is predominantly played indoors with a smaller ball, and players use their hands to throw the ball into the opponent's goal.
While football teams consist of eleven players including a goalkeeper, handball teams are made up of seven players, also including a goalkeeper, which makes the dynamics and strategies of team play significantly different.
Football matches are longer, typically consisting of two 45-minute halves, whereas handball matches are shorter, with two halves of 30 minutes each, leading to a faster-paced game in handball.
In football, the use of hands is restricted to the goalkeeper within their penalty area, emphasizing footwork, heading, and tactical positioning. Handball, conversely, revolves around using hands for passing, catching, and shooting, showcasing upper body strength and agility.
Football has a vast global following with major international competitions like the FIFA World Cup, whereas handball has a more concentrated popularity in Europe and participates in competitions like the IHF World Men's Handball Championship.
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Comparison Chart

Playing Surface

Large outdoor field
Indoor court

Main Skill

Footwork and dribbling
Throwing and catching

Team Size

11 players (including goalkeeper)
7 players (including goalkeeper)

Match Duration

90 minutes (2 halves of 45 minutes each)
60 minutes (2 halves of 30 minutes each)

Scoring

Goals scored by kicking or heading
Goals scored by throwing

Use of Hands

Restricted to goalkeepers within their area
Used by all players for handling the ball

Global Popularity

Extremely high, with global following
More concentrated in Europe

Major Competitions

FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League
IHF World Men's Handball Championship

Field/Court Size

Approx. 105x68 meters
40x20 meters

Ball Size

Size 5 (22-23 inches in circumference)
Size 3 (58-60 cm in circumference for men)

Compare with Definitions

Football

Incorporates techniques like dribbling, passing, and shooting to control and advance the ball.
His dribbling skills make him one of the most exciting football players to watch.

Handball

A high-speed team sport where players pass and bounce a ball to throw it into the opposing team's goal.
He scored an impressive goal from the wing position in handball.

Football

Features various playing positions including forwards, midfielders, defenders, and a goalkeeper.
As a midfielder in football, she excels in both defense and attack.

Handball

Includes positions such as wings, backs, a pivot, and a goalkeeper, each with specific roles.
As a pivot in handball, her role is crucial for creating scoring opportunities.

Football

Played in numerous leagues and tournaments worldwide, highlighting its global appeal.
The UEFA Champions League is a prestigious football tournament featuring Europe's top clubs.

Handball

Emphasizes teamwork and quick passing to outmaneuver the opposing defense.
Their handball team's quick passing game is difficult for opponents to counter.

Football

Governed by a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, ensuring fair play and sportsmanship.
The football referee issued a red card for a serious foul play.

Handball

Features international competitions like the Olympic Games, showcasing its competitive nature.
Handball at the Olympics always draws a large crowd due to its fast-paced action.

Football

A team sport played on a rectangular field where players aim to score by driving a ball into the opposing team's goal.
Lionel Messi scored a spectacular goal in the last football match.

Handball

Requires players to exhibit agility, coordination, and tactical understanding.
The handball team's coordinated defense led them to victory.

Football

Association football: a game in which two teams each contend to get a round ball into the other team's goal primarily by kicking the ball. Known as soccer in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Each team scored three goals when they played football.

Handball

(Australian rules football) To (legally) pass a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.

Football

Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word football normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used.

Handball

To insert a hand into someone's anus.

Football

Any of various forms of team game involving kicking (and in some cases also handling) a ball, in particular (in the UK) soccer or (in the US) American football
A football club
A football match

Handball

Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the other team. A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team that scores more goals wins.

Football

A ball used in football, either round (as in soccer) or oval (as in rugby and American football) and typically made of leather or plastic and filled with compressed air.

Handball

A game similar to fives, in which the ball is hit with the hand in a walled court.

Football

A briefcase containing authentication codes and other items that allow the US president to authorize a nuclear strike at any time
Wherever the president travels, a military aide stays close with the football
Whose fingers would we prefer to have on America's nuclear football?

Handball

Touching of the ball with the hand or arm, constituting a foul
A blatant handball
A penalty for handball

Football

A game played by two teams of 11 players each on a rectangular, 100-yard-long field with goal lines and goalposts at either end, the object being to gain possession of a ball and advance it in running or passing plays across the opponent's goal line or kick it through the air between the opponent's goalposts.

Handball

A game that is played, often on a four-walled court, by two or more players who alternately hit a small rubber ball against the front wall with the hand, with play stopping if the ball bounces twice on the floor or does not reach the front wall.

Football

The inflated oval ball, slightly pointed at both ends, that is used in this game.

Handball

The ball used in this game.

Football

Soccer.

Handball

Team handball.

Football

Rugby.

Handball

Often hand ball A violation of the rules in soccer in which a player other than the goalie inside the penalty area carries, strikes, or propels the ball with the hand or arm. A hand ball is usually called when the hand or arm is away from the body and touches the ball.

Football

The ball used in soccer or rugby.

Handball

(uncountable) A team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team.

Football

(Informal) A problem or issue that is discussed among groups or persons without being settled
The issue of tax reform became a political football.

Handball

(countable) The medium-sized inflated ball used in this sport.

Football

(general) A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone defended by the other team.
Roman and medieval football matches were more violent than any modern type of football.

Handball

The offence of a player other than the goalkeeper touching the ball with the hand or arm on the field during play.

Football

American football: a game played on a field of 100 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide in which two teams of 11 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
Each team scored two touchdowns when they played football.

Handball

A sport in which players alternately strike the ball against a wall with their hand. Irish and American variants have slightly different rules.

Football

Canadian football: a game played on a field of 110 yards long and 65 yards wide in which two teams of 12 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
They played football in the snow.

Handball

The small rubber ball used in this sport.

Football

Australian rules football.

Handball

An act of passing a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.

Football

Gaelic football: a field game played with similar rules to hurling, but using hands and feet rather than a stick, and a ball, similar to, yet smaller than a soccer ball.

Handball

A schoolyard game in which a tennis ball is struck with the hand, played on a improvised court on the asphalt or pavement.

Football

Rugby league.

Handball

To manually load or unload a container, trailer, or to otherwise manually move bulk goods (often on pallets) from one type of transport receptacle to another.

Football

Rugby union.

Handball

(soccer) To illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm.
If the defender handballs in the penalty area, a penalty is awarded.

Football

(countable) The ball used in any game called "football".
The player kicked the football.

Handball

A small ball, usually made of rubber, thrown or struck with the hand in various games.

Football

(uncountable) Practice of these particular games, or techniques used in them.

Handball

A game played with such a ball, as by players striking it to and fro between them with the hands, or, when played in a walled court or against a single wall, striking it in turns against a wall, until one side or the other fails to return the ball.

Football

An item of discussion, particularly in a back-and-forth manner
That budget item became a political football.

Handball

A small rubber ball used in the game of handball

Football

The leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President.

Handball

A game played in a walled court or against a single wall by two or four players who strike a rubber ball with their hands

Football

To play football.

Football

An inflated ball to be kicked in sport, usually made in India rubber, or a bladder incased in Leather.

Football

The game played with a football{1}, by two opposing teams of players moving the ball between goals at opposite ends of a rectangular playing field. Outside the United States football refers to soccer, and in England, also to rugby, but in the United States the shape of the ball and the rules of the game are different.

Football

Soccer or rugby.

Football

Something which is treated in a rough manner, usually as part of a dispute; as, a political football.

Football

Any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal

Football

The inflated oblong ball used in playing American football

Common Curiosities

What is the duration of a football match?

A standard football match lasts 90 minutes, divided into two halves.

What are some major football competitions?

Major competitions include the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

How many players are on a handball team?

A handball team consists of 7 players, including a goalkeeper.

Can football players use their hands during the game?

Only the goalkeeper is allowed to use their hands, and only within their penalty area.

What skills are emphasized in handball?

Handball emphasizes throwing, catching, and agility.

What positions are unique to football?

Unique positions in football include midfielders, forwards, and defenders.

What is the primary playing surface for football?

Football is primarily played on a grassy outdoor field.

What is the size of a handball court?

A standard handball court is 40 by 20 meters.

How does the global popularity of football compare to handball?

Football enjoys a higher global popularity and following compared to handball.

How is scoring achieved in handball?

Scoring in handball is achieved by throwing the ball into the opponent's goal.

Is handball an Olympic sport?

Yes, handball is included in the Olympic Games.

How long is a handball match?

A handball match is 60 minutes long, divided into two halves.

What is the size of a football field?

A standard football field is about 105 by 68 meters.

Are there any specific defensive strategies unique to handball?

Handball defense strategies often involve high agility and coordination to block shots and interrupt passing lanes.

How does the ball differ between football and handball?

The football is spherical and larger, while the handball is smaller and designed for hand gripping.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.

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