Handball Game Situation
Senior 3 · Physical Education
Handball Game Situation
3 lessons
Lesson 2 of 3
Introduction to defensive play: systems, legal contact and blocking
25 min
A wall in front of the goal
Only the goalkeeper may stand in the goal area, so every outfield defender must stop shots from outside it. A good handball defence works like a moving wall: it slides across with the ball, steps out to meet the shooter, and closes again before the next pass arrives. In this lesson you learn the main defensive systems, how much body contact the rules allow, and how to block a shot.
Definition
Zone defence: each defender looks after an area in front of the goal and the attacker who enters it. Man-to-man defence: each defender marks one attacker wherever he goes.
Stepping out: a defender moves forward to meet the attacker with the ball, then drops back to the line.
Block: a defender raises the arms in the path of a shot to stop it reaching the goal.
Progressive punishment: the increasing sanctions for fouls and bad behaviour: warning (yellow card), 2-minute suspension, disqualification (red card).
Defensive systems
| System | How it works | Strong against | Weak against |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-0 | Six defenders along the 6 m line, stepping out in turn | A strong pivot and wing play | Long-range shooters from 9 m |
| 5-1 | Five on the line; one "advanced" defender disrupts the centre back | A team that depends on one playmaker | Quick crosses into the spaces beside the advanced defender |
| 3-2-1 | Three deep, two at about 8 m, one at about 10 m: very active | Good long-range shooters | Passes to the pivot behind the defence |
| Man-to-man | Each defender follows one attacker over the whole court | Late in a match, to win the ball back quickly | Fast, fit attackers who run past their markers |
Technique and legal contact
- Stance: low, feet staggered, weight on the balls of the feet, arms up and slightly bent.
- Step out to meet the attacker with the ball between about 8 and 9 m, then drop back as soon as he passes.
- Legal contact (IHF Rules of the Game): you may use bent arms to make body contact with an opponent, and block his path with your torso, as long as you face him.
- Not allowed: pulling or hitting the ball out of his hands, holding his arms or body, pushing, running or jumping into him, or any action that endangers him.
- Help: when your neighbour steps out, close the gap beside you; when attackers cross, call "Switch!" or "Stay!" so that every attacker is covered.
Blocking a shot
Stand between the shooter and the goal, jump with him, arms straight up and close together, hands spread. Block the side of the goal agreed with your goalkeeper; the goalkeeper covers the other side. Do not reach towards the shooting arm: hitting it is a foul.
Sanctions
A foul that destroys a clear chance of scoring gives a 7 m throw. Progressive punishment then adds: a warning (yellow card, at most one per player and three per team), a 2-minute suspension, during which the team plays one player short, and disqualification (red card), which also follows a player's third suspension.
Video: "6-0 defence tactic system 1 | Handball at school", IHF Education Centre. Watch how the defenders slide with each pass and step out to the player with the ball.
Worked example
Worked example: progressive punishment. Mugisha has already received a yellow card. He then holds an attacker's arm on purpose.
- Holding an opponent is a foul; deliberately repeating fouls calls for progressive punishment.
- He already has his one warning, so the next sanction is a 2-minute suspension.
- His team plays with one fewer player for 2 minutes. A third suspension would mean disqualification.
Worked example
Worked example: did the block help? In the first half the opponents take 20 shots from beyond 9 m and score 12. In the second half, with one defender blocking the long shots, they take 18 and score 7.
- First half: scored.
- Second half: scored.
- Blocking with the goalkeeper's help cut their long-range success by about 21 percentage points.
Tip
Face, feet, arms. Face the attacker, move your feet to stay in front of him, and keep your arms bent and up. If your feet stop and your hands reach, you will foul.
Warning
Safety. Never pull a shooter's arm or push a player who is in the air: these are dangerous and are punished with a suspension or disqualification. Blockers keep their arms straight up, not across the face, and stay out of the goal area: a defender who enters it to gain an advantage gives away a free throw or a 7 m throw.
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Practice
- What is the difference between a zone defence and man-to-man defence?
- Describe the positions of a 6-0 and a 5-1 defence.
- Name two kinds of contact that are allowed and two that are not.
- What are the three steps of progressive punishment?
- A defender enters his own goal area to stop a shot. What is awarded?
- The opponents' centre back sets up every attack. Which system would you choose, and why?
- The opponents have two strong long-range shooters but a weak pivot. Evaluate the 6-0 defence against them.
- Plan a 15-minute stepping-out drill for 12 pupils.
Show answersHide answers
- In zone defence each defender covers an area and whoever enters it; in man-to-man each follows one attacker everywhere.
- 6-0: all six defenders spread along the 6 m line. 5-1: five along the 6 m line and one advanced to about 9 m in front of the centre.
- Allowed: body contact with bent arms; blocking the path with the torso while facing the opponent. Not allowed: pulling or holding; pushing; hitting the ball from his hands; running or jumping into him.
- Warning (yellow card), 2-minute suspension, disqualification (red card).
- A free throw, or a 7 m throw if he destroyed a clear chance of scoring.
- A 5-1 defence: the advanced defender disrupts the centre back's passes and set-up.
- Weak: a 6-0 lets long-range shooters shoot from 9 m with little pressure. A 3-2-1 or a 5-1, which meets the shooters further out, would be better, accepting more risk near the weak pivot.
- Example: three back attackers and three defenders on the 6 m line; each defender steps out to meet the ball-holder at 8 to 9 m, then drops back; rotate roles every 3 minutes; add shooting in the last 5 minutes.
Remember
- Systems: 6-0, 5-1, 3-2-1, man-to-man; choose by the opponents' strengths.
- Step out to the ball, then drop back; help and talk.
- Legal: facing, bent arms, torso. Illegal: pulling, holding, pushing, hitting.
- Progressive punishment: yellow card, 2 minutes, red card.
Sources and credits
- Handball, Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted by Ganzaa.
- Rules of the Game: Indoor Handball (1 March 2025 edition), International Handball Federation: contact rules and sanctions summarised.
- Video: "6-0 defence tactic system 1 | Handball at school", IHF Education Centre, embedded from YouTube.
- Defence diagrams, systems table, worked examples and practice: written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.