Czech handball
Encyclopedia
Czech handball is an outdoor ball game which was created in 1905 in Prague
and up to this date is played. This sport is very similar to the Team handball
.
in 1905. Soon after, rule changes were effected by other teachers, by the name of Klenka and Kristof. Thanks to Kristof, the first Czech handball association was established (in Prague) and the rules were made public in 1908.
Students from Russia
and Yugoslavia
, who had become acquainted with Czech handball in Prague, brought this sport to their countries. In Yugoslavia, the sport expanded very fast, and became very popular. Czech teachers were teaching the Czech handball in Russian middle schools and there was a competition with 14 teams in Charkov in 1915, but efforts to expand the sport ended after the October Revolution
.
In 1921, the Czechoslovakian Association of Handball and Women's Sports became a member of the International Women's Sports Federation
. In this federation, the rules of Czech handball were made official (in those times, there was also one similar sport, Field handball
in Germany. Some international federations preferred Czech handball, others preferred Field handball). The first international matches were played.
The first women's Czech handball world cup was organised in 1930. Czechoslovakians won this competition, Yugoslavia came in second, and Poland was third.
The second world cup was held in London in 1934, but only two teams participated: Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. Yugoslavians won the match 6-4 and became the champions. After this event, the IWSF was abolished.
Czech handball became very popular during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia
in WWII. The sport was originally Czech, so most people understood its play as a show of patriotism. In early 40s, there were 25,884 players in Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
.
In 1947, there was a plan by the International Handball Federation
to promote the expansion of Team handball
, and there were no more new foreign countries where Czech handball would be played.
In 1954, there were 26,125 registered players in 447 clubs, the largest number of registered player to date.
Since 1941, a men's and women's 1st league have been competing. There is also the men's 2nd league and regional championships.
, but there are also some very different things. Here is the list of the main differences:
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and up to this date is played. This sport is very similar to the Team handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
.
History
The Czech handball was first mentioned by Vaclav Karas, a teacher a Prague, in a sports journal in BrnoBrno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in 1905. Soon after, rule changes were effected by other teachers, by the name of Klenka and Kristof. Thanks to Kristof, the first Czech handball association was established (in Prague) and the rules were made public in 1908.
Students from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, who had become acquainted with Czech handball in Prague, brought this sport to their countries. In Yugoslavia, the sport expanded very fast, and became very popular. Czech teachers were teaching the Czech handball in Russian middle schools and there was a competition with 14 teams in Charkov in 1915, but efforts to expand the sport ended after the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
.
In 1921, the Czechoslovakian Association of Handball and Women's Sports became a member of the International Women's Sports Federation
International Women's Sports Federation
The Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale - or, in English, the International Women's Sports Federation - was founded in October 1921 because of the unwillingness of existing sports organisations, such as the International Olympic Committee and the International Amateur Athletics Federation,...
. In this federation, the rules of Czech handball were made official (in those times, there was also one similar sport, Field handball
Field handball
Field handball was the original form of what is now team handball and was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin....
in Germany. Some international federations preferred Czech handball, others preferred Field handball). The first international matches were played.
The first women's Czech handball world cup was organised in 1930. Czechoslovakians won this competition, Yugoslavia came in second, and Poland was third.
The second world cup was held in London in 1934, but only two teams participated: Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. Yugoslavians won the match 6-4 and became the champions. After this event, the IWSF was abolished.
Czech handball became very popular during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
in WWII. The sport was originally Czech, so most people understood its play as a show of patriotism. In early 40s, there were 25,884 players in Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
.
In 1947, there was a plan by the International Handball Federation
International Handball Federation
The International Handball Federation, often referred to by the acronym IHF, is the administrative and controlling body for International team handball.- Championships :*World Men's Handball Championship*World Women's Handball Championship...
to promote the expansion of Team handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, and there were no more new foreign countries where Czech handball would be played.
In 1954, there were 26,125 registered players in 447 clubs, the largest number of registered player to date.
Since 1941, a men's and women's 1st league have been competing. There is also the men's 2nd league and regional championships.
Rules
More or less, there are very similar rules to the Team handballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, but there are also some very different things. Here is the list of the main differences:
- size of the field: 45 × 30 meters
- size of the goal: height 240 cm, width 200 cm
- size of the ball: 580 to 605 mm
- the field is divided into 3 areas: defence third, middle third, offense third
- players are called: goalkeeper (1), defender (1), halfbacks (2), forwards (3)
- the player can't hold the ball longer than 2 seconds, he can throw the ball upon the head or bounce ball back off ground - max. 2 times, no limits in steps
- shooting on the goal is made in front of the goal area - leaning out or jumping is possible, but the fall has to be outside the goal area
- goalkeeper and defender can step in the own goal area, forwards can step in the opponent's goal area, but they can't shoot from there
- defender and halfbacks can't step in the offense third, forwards can't step in the defense third, and there are some more rules for crossing between the thirds
- the player can be sent off for 5 or 10 minutes