Football, tennis, basketball, wrestling, fencing, you probably know all theses sports but there's one I don't think you've heard about...handball. This sport is popular in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, China, and South East Asia. But what is it?

What is Handball?

Handball, also known as downball, is a ball sport usually played in school playgrounds, or concrete ground. The only things you need to play are: A Tennis sized ball that can bounce. Hands. There will be a four square pitch, marked from chalk, tape, whatever makes four squares. The players will then have one of the squares as their goal, and they must stay in that square. The opponent will then try and bounce the ball into the goal, and with their hands, defend their goal from getting any balls in it by bouncing it away using the palms of their hands.

What ball should you use to play?

It really can be any ball, as long as it bounces, but a true handball would be the ace ball. I just use a normal tennis ball.

Where should I play?

You can play Hardball in concrete streets, just not near roads, concrete floor parks, the back of a basketball court in your local park, school playgrounds or the patio in your garden.

Where can I find local competitions?

You can look on the IHF, AKA the International Handball Federation, and they have loads of competitions there, as well as wheelchair handball.

I hope that gave a simple introduction to Handball, and hopefully you'll have a go.