Handball Techniques

Lessons

Senior 4 · Physical Education

Handball Techniques

4 lessons

Lesson 2 of 4

Dribbling the ball

25 min

The slowest way to move the ball, used at the right moment

In basketball almost every attack includes dribbling. In handball a pass at 15 m s⁻¹ crosses the court far faster than a player can run with the ball, so good teams dribble much less. Yet a dribble is the only way a player can carry the ball further than three steps, and at the right moment it beats a defender, escapes pressure or carries a fast break into scoring range. This lesson refines the dribble you met in Senior 1, adds the IHF rules that limit it, and asks the tactical question: when is a dribble the right choice?

Definition

Dribble (handball): bouncing the ball repeatedly with one hand while standing or running, then catching it or picking it up again (IHF Rule 7:4b). It starts when the player directs the ball towards the floor with any part of the body.

Single bounce: bouncing the ball once and catching it again with one or both hands (Rule 7:4a).

Double dribble: starting a second dribble after the ball has been held again; once a dribble ends, the ball must be passed or shot within 3 seconds or 3 steps. Penalised with a free throw to the opponents.

Protected dribble: a low dribble with the body between the ball and the defender and the free arm used to feel, not push, the opponent.

Penetration dribble: one or two quick bounces to drive through a gap between two defenders towards the goal area.

Technique

Point	Detail
Hand	Push the ball with the spread fingers and the pads, not the palm; the wrist and forearm guide it.
Height	About hip height when running freely; lower, near the knee, when a defender is close.
Position	In front of and slightly to the side of the leading foot when running; beside the body, away from the defender, when protecting the ball.
Eyes	Up, on team-mates, defenders and goal; feel the ball, do not watch it.
Hands	Practise with both hands. Dribbling with the throwing hand lets you catch and throw at once; dribbling with the other hand keeps the throwing hand free.
Change of direction	Plant the outside foot, lower the hips and push the ball across to the new side, keeping the body between ball and defender.

What the rules allow

(IHF Rules 7:2–7:4 and 7:7, summarised.) A player holding the ball may take at most 3 steps and hold it for at most 3 seconds. Then the player may dribble, with any number of steps during the dribble. When the ball is held again, it must be passed or shot within 3 seconds or 3 steps. A player may also bounce the ball once and catch it, and may move the ball from one hand to the other. After the ball has touched another player or the goal, the player may bounce it again. The longest legal carry is therefore: catch, 3 steps, dribble, catch, 3 steps, pass or shot.

Worked example

Worked example 1: pass or dribble across the court? A player must move the ball 15 m to a free team-mate. A pass travels at about $15\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ ; dribbling at full speed, the player runs at about $6\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ (both illustrative).

Pass: $t = \frac{15}{15} = 1.0\,\mathrm{s}$ .
Dribble: $t = \frac{15}{6} = 2.5\,\mathrm{s}$ .

The pass is two and a half times faster, and in the extra 1.5 s a defender moving at about $3\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ can shift $3 \times 1.5 = 4.5\,\mathrm{m}$ , more than enough to close the gap. That is why handball teams pass first and dribble only when the dribble gains something a pass cannot.

Worked example

Worked example 2: legal or not? Apply the rules to three sequences.

Amina catches the ball standing, takes 2 steps, dribbles 4 times, catches the ball, takes 3 steps and shoots. Legal: at most 3 steps before and after the dribble.
Jean catches the ball, dribbles twice, catches it, then dribbles again because a defender blocks him. Double dribble: after holding the ball again he must pass or shoot. Free throw to the opponents.
Keza catches the ball in the air, lands on both feet, takes 3 steps and passes. Legal: the two-footed landing after catching in the air is not counted as a step.

Video: "Dribble and changes of direction | Training", IHF Education Centre. As you watch, check the height of the dribble, which hand is used and how the player lowers the hips to change direction.

Tip

When to dribble: "space ahead, nobody free, or no time to pass". Dribble when there is open space between you and the goal (a fast break), when no team-mate is free, or to escape a defender who has closed you down. Otherwise, pass.

Warning

Common mistakes. Bouncing the ball high and in front of a defender. Watching the ball. Dribbling straight after catching the ball when a pass was on, which slows the attack and lets the defence set. Catching the ball after the dribble and then dribbling again. Counting the steps wrongly after a catch in the air.

Safety. On outdoor courts, check for stones, holes and loose gravel before play: a ball that hits a stone bounces unpredictably, and a slip on gravel causes grazes and ankle sprains.

✦

Practice

Give four teaching points for dribbling while running.
State the longest legal sequence of steps and dribbles one player may use under the IHF rules.
A player catches the ball, takes 3 steps, bounces the ball once, catches it, takes 3 steps and shoots. Is this legal? Explain.
A pass travels 12 m at 16 m s⁻¹; a dribbler covers the same distance at 5 m s⁻¹. Calculate both times and the difference.
During the extra time in question 4, how far can a defender move at 3 m s⁻¹?
Give two situations in which a dribble is a better choice than a pass.
A defender knocks the ball out of a player's hand after his dribble has ended; he gathers it. May he dribble again? Explain.
A coach says: "In handball, the dribble is useless." Evaluate this view.

Show answersHide answers

For example: push with the finger pads, ball at about hip height in front and to the side of the leading foot, eyes up, protect it with the body when a defender comes near.
Catch, up to 3 steps (and 3 seconds), a dribble with any number of steps, catch, up to 3 steps (and 3 seconds), then pass or shoot.
Yes. A single bounce and catch counts as the dribble phase; he then has 3 more steps before shooting.
Pass: 12 ÷ 16 = 0.75 s. Dribble: 12 ÷ 5 = 2.4 s. Difference: 1.65 s.
3 × 1.65 = 4.95 m, about 5 m.
For example: a fast break with open space and no team-mate ahead; escaping a defender who has closed in when no team-mate is free; one or two bounces to drive through a gap.
Yes. After the ball has touched another player, the player may bounce it again (Rule 7:4, last paragraph).
Too strong. Dribbling is slower than passing and is overused by beginners, but it is the only way to carry the ball beyond 3 steps, it is vital on fast breaks and it helps a player escape pressure or drive through a gap. The sound view: pass first, dribble with a purpose.

Quick check

A player catches the ball after a dribble. What must she do next?

Remember

Push with the finger pads, about hip height, in front and to the side; lower and protected near a defender; eyes up.
3 steps and 3 seconds before the dribble, any number of steps during it, 3 steps and 3 seconds after it; no second dribble.
A pass is about two to three times faster than running with the ball, so pass first and dribble with a purpose.

Sources and credits

International Handball Federation (IHF), Rules of the Game: Indoor Handball (edition of 1 July 2025): Rules 7:2–7:4 and 7:7 summarised, not copied.
Handball, Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: playing the ball. Adapted by Ganzaa.
Photo: Girls Secondary schools handball competitions in Wakiso district, Samson Ssemakadde, Wikimedia Commons, released under CC0.
Video: "Dribble and changes of direction | Training", IHF Education Centre, embedded from YouTube.
Footwork diagram (drawn to scale), tables, worked examples, practice and quick check: written by Ganzaa. Speeds and step lengths are illustrative.

This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1The slowest way to move the ball, used at the right moment

2Technique

3What the rules allow

The slowest way to move the ball, used at the right moment

Technique

What the rules allow