Korfball
Encyclopedia
Korfball is a mixed gender team sport
Team sport
A team sport includes any sport which involves players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in which a group of individuals, on the same team, work together to accomplish an ultimate goal which is usually to win. This can be done in a number of ways such as...

, with similarities to netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...

 and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

. A team consists of eight players; four female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...

 and four male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...

. A team also includes a coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...

. It was founded in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 in 1902 by Nico Broekhuysen. In the Netherlands there are around 580 clubs, and over a 100,000 people playing korfball. The sport is also very popular in both Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, and is also played in 54 other countries.

Rules

Korfball is played indoors and outdoors. The size of the court is 20 x 40 m (22-44 yd). The court is divided into halves called zones. In each zone is a 3.5 m (11.5 ft) tall post with a basket at the top. This is positioned two thirds of the distance between the center line and the back of the zone. A korfball match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, with a break of 10 minutes in between periods. Every team has their own coach, who can switch players during a match, negotiate with the referee, create the formation for the match and keep up the team's spirit.

The ball is similar in size to that used in football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

, but with more grip and bounce. At the beginning of the match one team chooses one half of the court. That half will be their defending zone, with 'their' basket in it. Players score by throwing the ball through the opponents's basket. After two goals, the teams change zones: defenders become attackers and attackers become defenders. In between those zone-changes, attackers cannot set foot on their defending zone or vice versa. At half-time teams swap halves.

Two men and two women of each team are in one zone, and the others are in the other zone. During the match they cannot switch zones. Men and women play side-by-side, but duels are man to man and woman to woman. However, it is allowed for a player to switch among opponents whom he/she is defending, as long as they are of the same sex.

Each team tries to score using tactics. The rules prevent physical strength dominating the game. Blocking, tackling and holding are not allowed, nor are kicking or punching the ball. Once a player has the ball, one cannot dribble, run or walk with it, however, one can move one foot as long the other remains on the same spot. Therefore tactical and efficient teamwork is required, because players need each other to keep the ball moving. A player may not attempt to score when defended, which occurs when the defender is in between the opponent and the basket, is facing his/her opponent, is at arm's length and attempting to block the ball.

History

Korfball has Dutch origins. In 1902 Nico Broekhuysen, a Dutch school teacher from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

, was sent to Nääs
Naas
Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...

, a town in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, to follow an educational course about teaching gymnastics to children. This is where he was introduced to the Swedish game 'ringboll'. In ringboll one could score points by throwing the ball through a ring that was attached to 3 m pole. Men and women played together, and the field was divided into three zones. Players could not leave their zone.

Broekhuysen was inspired and when he returned to Amsterdam he decided to teach his students a similar game. He replaced the ring with a basket (for which the Dutch word is "korf" or "mand"), so it was easier to see if a player had scored or not. Broekhuysen also simplified the rules so children could also understand and play it. Korfball was born. The main idea was the same as ringboll, but it now stood on its own.

At first there was quite some controversy about the sport, because the players were of both gender. Several sports journalists refused to even pay the slightest bit of attention to the new sport. Korfball-players were accused of being immoral. Even the sportswear was criticized because even the women were showing bare knees and ankles, which was unthinkable at that time. A newspaper even wrote: "Korfball is a monster that spreads its claws to all sides". Yet korfball was featured as a demonstration sport
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...

 in the Summer Olympics of 1920
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....

 and 1928
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...

.

International Korfball

Korfball is played in 57 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, Serbia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, the Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, Germany, Taiwan, Turkey, Hong Kong, Portugal, Pakistan, Sweden, the Philippines, Italy, Spain (mainly in Catalonia), France and Romania. It has been played as a demonstration sport in the Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...

 in 1920 and 1928.

The International Korfball Federation
International Korfball Federation
The International Korfball Federation was founded in Antwerp on the June 11, 1933 as a continuation of the International Korfball Bureau established in 1924 by the Dutch and Belgian Associations...

 was founded in 1933. Korfball has been played in the World Games
Korfball at the World Games
Korfball was introduced as a World Games sport at the 1985 World Games in London. -Medalists:...

 since 1985. IKF World Championships have been held every four years since 1978. The leading nations are Belgium and the Netherlands.
The oldest still existing korfball club to never have merged with any other club is a Dutch korfball-club H.K.C. ALO
H.K.C. ALO
H.K.C. ALO is a Dutch korfball team based in The Hague. Founded on February 1 1906, ALO spent a number of years in the top divisions of the Dutch Korfball league....

 from The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...

, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. H.K.C. ALO was founded on February 1, 1906.

Hong Kong hosted its first international tournament, the Asia Oceania Championship in 2006. New Zealand hosted the Asia Oceania Youth Championships in 2007.

English indie rock group Half Man Half Half Biscuit recorded what is possibly the first ever song about the sport (certainly by an English-based group) on their 2011 CD release 90 Bisodol (Crimond). The affectionate tribute to the game is called Joy in Leeuwarden (We Are Ready). It is the fourth track on the album. http://cobweb.businesscollaborator.com/hmhb/records/Bisodol.htm

Beach play

For beach play, the rules of the game differ slightly from those of indoor play. Each team has 4 starters and 4 substitutes. Only a single basket is used and matches consist of 5 minute halves with 3 minutes rest between. If either team has only two players remaining (1 man and 1 woman) because of injury or other reason during the match, the referee will stop play and terminate the game early.

World Championship

The national teams competition organized by the International Korfball Federation
International Korfball Federation
The International Korfball Federation was founded in Antwerp on the June 11, 1933 as a continuation of the International Korfball Bureau established in 1924 by the Dutch and Belgian Associations...

 has been played roughly every four years since 1978.
Year Host Champion Second place Third place
I Details
1978 Korfball World Championship
The 1st Korfball World Championships was held in The Netherlands on November 6–11, in the cities of Assen, Nuenen, and Amsterdam-Pool matches:Legend-5th–8th places:-7th–8th places:-5th–6th places:-Semi-finals:...

1978   Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

II Details
1984 Korfball World Championship
The 1984 Korfball World Championship was the second edition of the major international korfball competition. It was held in Belgium on April 24–27, in the cities of Antwerp, Louvain la Neuve, Hasselt and Ghent...

1984   Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

III Details
1987 Korfball World Championship
The 1987 Korfball World Championship was the 3rd edition of the major international korfball competition. It was held in the Netherlands on April 20-25, in the cities of Amsterdam, Bennekom, Dordrecht, Papendrecht, Rotterdam and Wormer...

1987   Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

IV Details
1991 Korfball World Championship
The 1991 Korfball World Championship was the 4th edition of the major international korfball competition. It was held in Belgium on April 2-6, in the cities of Antwerp, Berchem, Brussels, Ghent and Turnhout. In a very close final, Belgium defeated Netherlands by 11–10.-Pool matches:Legend* Portugal...

1991   Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

V Details
1995 Korfball World Championship
The 5th Korfball World Championship was held in New Delhi in November 1995, with the participation of 12 national teams.-First round:-Intermediate round:...

1995   India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

VI Details
1999 Korfball World Championship
The 6th Korfball World Championship was held in Adelaide on July 1999, with the participation of 12 national teams.-First round:-Final round:-Final ranking:# # # # # # # # # # # # -External links:*...

1999   Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

VII Details
2003 Korfball World Championship
The 7th Korfball World Championship was held in The Netherlands on 2003, with the participation of 16 national teams.-Preliminary round:-Groups Round:-Final round:-Final ranking:# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #...

2003   Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

VIII Details
2007 Korfball World Championship
The 8th Korfball World Championship was held in Brno on November 1–10, 2007 with 16 national teams in competition.The best 8 teams qualified for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei....

2007   Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

IX Details
2011 Korfball World Championship
The 9th Korfball World Championship is held in Shaoxing, China, on October 27 – November 5, 2011 with 16 national teams in competition.-Teams:-Pool matches:Legend-Title pools:...

2011   China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

X Details
2015 Korfball World Championship
The 10th Korfball World Championship will be held in the Belgian cities of Ghent, Herentals and Antwerp in 2015. The International Korfball Federation chose to award the hosting rights for the tournament to Belgium on November 4th, 2011. The only other hosting candidate was New Zealand, who planned...

2015   Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...


IKF U23 World Championship

  • 2008 Kaohsiung
    Kaohsiung
    Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

    , Taiwan
    Taiwan
    Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

     - Netherlands
    Netherlands
    The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

  • 2012 Barcelona
    Barcelona
    Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

    , Catalonia
    Catalonia
    Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...

     -

Coverage via www.korfball.tv

Continental championships

IKF promotes two continental championships: European Korfball Championship
European Korfball Championship
European Korfball Championship is a competition organized by the International Korfball Federation for the European national teams. Is played every four years.-External links:*...

 and Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship
Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship
Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship is the korfball competition played by the Asian and Oceanian national teams, organized by the Asia-Oceania Korfball Federation and the International Korfball Federation.- History :-External links:*...

.

Europa Cup for Clubs

Every year the IKF
International Korfball Federation
The International Korfball Federation was founded in Antwerp on the June 11, 1933 as a continuation of the International Korfball Bureau established in 1924 by the Dutch and Belgian Associations...

 organises the European Cup for clubs. The winner in 2009 was Koog Zaandijk from Koog aan de Zaan
Koog aan de Zaan
Koog aan de Zaan is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zaanstad, and lies about 11 km northwest of Amsterdam....

, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. The winner in 2007 and 2008 was DOS '46 from Nijeveen
Nijeveen
Nijeveen is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Meppel, and lies about 5 km northwest of Meppel.Nijeveen was a separate municipality until 1998, when it was merged with Meppel....

, the Netherlands. DOS'46 won their first European Cup in 1982. Ons Eibernest from The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...

, the Netherlands won the first championship in 1967. PKC from Papendrecht
Papendrecht
Papendrecht is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, at the crossing of the River Beneden Merwede and the Noord River...

, the Netherlands, have won the championship the most times, a record 10 wins in total. The Europa Cup is the only official international competition for clubs.

Until now, the winning team was either from the Netherlands or Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, with respectively 39 and 6 championships. The only club from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 to reach the final was Mitcham Korfball Club
Mitcham Korfball Club
Mitcham Korfball Club is one of the oldest and most successful korfball clubs in the United Kingdom. Formed in 1946 , it has been based in South London for decades. Mitcham's home games are now played at Trinity School of John Whitgift, Croydon with green being the primary Mitcham Korfball colour...

 from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. Mitcham lost the final against Catbavrienden from Belgium in 1998.

See also

  • European Korfball Championship
    European Korfball Championship
    European Korfball Championship is a competition organized by the International Korfball Federation for the European national teams. Is played every four years.-External links:*...

  • Korfball European Bowl
    Korfball European Bowl
    The European Bowl is the Korfball European Championship "B", played by the countries that have not qualified for the World Championships.In 2005, the International Korfball Federation named the trophy for the European Bowl championship after Jan Hanekroot, one of its longest serving development...

  • Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship
    Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship
    Asia-Oceania Korfball Championship is the korfball competition played by the Asian and Oceanian national teams, organized by the Asia-Oceania Korfball Federation and the International Korfball Federation.- History :-External links:*...

  • Commonwealth Korfball Championships
    Commonwealth Korfball Championships
    The first Commonwealth Korfball Championships were held in Croydon from 14 July to 16 July 2006.This was a tournament recognised by the International Korfball Federation, and hosted by the British Korfball Association, at the Whitgift School, Croydon....

  • British Student Korfball Nationals
    British Student Korfball Nationals
    The BUCS Nationals take place every year, it is a chance for the student community to show off their skills in a competitive environment.-Awards:The winners receive the accolade of being crowned top university korfball club in Britain...

  • International Korfball Federation
    International Korfball Federation
    The International Korfball Federation was founded in Antwerp on the June 11, 1933 as a continuation of the International Korfball Bureau established in 1924 by the Dutch and Belgian Associations...

  • Korfball European Cup
    Korfball European Cup
    The Korfball European Cup is the main korfball competition for clubs in Europe. The first Europa Cup took place in 1967 in London , with two teams from The Netherlands, Belgium and the host nation England. Ons Eibernest from The Hague won the first tournament...

  • Korfball Europa Shield
    Korfball Europa Shield
    Europa Shield is the second European competition for korfball clubs. Include the second and third classified for the "B" countries and first classified for "C" countries. It was first played in 2001.-Europa Shield standings:...


External links

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