| Handball
(Irish: Liathróid Láimhe) (also known as Gaelic
handball, Irish handball, court handball or wall handball)
is a sport similar to racquetball and squash. The game may
be played with two, three, or four players. The important difference
between it and racquetball and squash is that the players hit
the ball with a gloved hand instead of a racquet. Either the
left and right hand can be used, depending on where the ball
is hit. This major difference is what makes handball a much
more complex and difficult game. American handball is essentially
identical to Irish handball, except for certain minor rule
differences. The undisputed number one player in the world
today is Paul Brady of Cavan.
Rules
Handball is played in a court, or "alley", the most common form of
which measures 12.2 m by 6.1 m (40 feet by 20 feet) with a front wall 6.1 m
(20 feet) high, off which the ball must be struck. In Ireland, there is a version
of the game which uses a larger court, measuring 18.3 m by 9.15 m (60 feet
by 30 feet).
The objective
of a game is to score a set total of points before your opponent
does. Points are only scored by the person serving the ball.
In other words, if a player wins a rally but did not serve
at the start of that rally they only win the right to serve,
and thus the chance to score after a subsequent rally. The
serving player has two opportunities to hit the ball, from
the "service area" (between the two parallel lines),
off the "front wall" and across the "service
line" (which is located exactly half-way down the court
from the front wall).
Players
take turns at hitting the ball off the "front wall" before
the ball bounces twice following their opponent's previous
shot. Most handball games take place in a four-walled court
but there are also three-walled and one-wall versions of
the game.
History
Handball-like games have originated in several places at different times. Hieroglyphs
in the temple of Osiris in Egypt portray priests taking part in a game
very similar to handball. Mesoamerica civilizations in South and Central
America had a form of handball-like game, which was a large part of pre-Columbian
culture.
The modern
game of handball originated in Ireland and Scotland. The
earliest written record of a handball game is in the town
statutes of Galway, which in 1527 forbade the playing of
ball games against the walls of the town. On the west coast
of Ireland, Galway had many trading links with Spain, especially
the Basque regions, where the similar game of Pelota is played.
It is highly likely that one game is derived from or influenced
by the other.
Irish immigrants
brought the game to many countries in the 18th, 19th and
20th centuries. It is still played in the United States,
Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Wales and England.
Gaelic handball. (2007, January 6). In Wikipedia,
The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:58, January 9, 2007,
from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gaelic_handball&oldid=98847985
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