Here at NetBet, we’ve got a whole load of great markets for sports betting, and we offer some of the best Handball odds around. We don’t just take bets on individual matches; we offer online betting on plenty of deeper markets on our UK betting site. If you want to place any sport bet, here’s a quick guide on how exactly you should go about it.
What is Handball?
Handball is a fast-paced, contact sport played between two teams, each having seven players – one goalkeeper and six outfield players. Known as “Team Handball” and “Olympic Handball” in the United States, this sport plays out on a 40mx20m rectangular court with two goals at each end and is surrounded by a D-shaped region called the goal area.
The outfield players alternate between dribbling and passing the ball to one another as they move up the court in an attempt to hurl it into the rival team’s goal, while simultaneously preventing their opponents from scoring. The aim of the game is simple – score the most goals by the end of a match, which consists of two halves that last 30 minutes each. It is considered to have borrowed several elements from basketball, hockey, soccer, and water polo. Handball is usually played indoors; however, some versions of the game can be enjoyed outdoors.
The International Handball Federation is the governing body for Handball and organises the World Championships every other year. Combining teamwork, skill, strength, endurance, speed, agility and stamina, handball has become one of the most popular and exciting Olympic sports. This fascinating game is played throughout the five continents by over 180 countries and around 19 million people of varying ages.
History of Handball
It is believed that games similar to handball were played by the Ancient Greeks and Romans all the way back in antiquity. However, it wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that modern handball, as we know it today, emerged in the northern areas of Europe, specifically in Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
The first set of handball rules was written and published in 1906 by Danish gym teacher and Olympic gold medallist Holger Nielsen. In Germany, these rules were later modified into the modern version by Karl Schelenz, Erich Konighin, and Max Heiser in 1917. The first official handball match was played in Berlin the same year.
The first ever international games were played between Germany and Belgium (men’s team) in 1925 and between Germany and Austria (women’s team) in 1930. The International Amateur Handball Federation, the sport’s international governing body, was established in 1928, and later in 1946, the International Handball Federation (IHF) was formed.
Men’s team handball made its Summer Olympics debut in 1936 in the Berlin Games and made a comeback in the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich. Women’s team handball became a part of the Summer Olympics that took place in Montreal in 1976.
The International Handball Federation conducted the men’s World Championship in 1938 and every four years after that until 1995, which was when this period was reduced to two years instead of four. In 1957, the IHF initiated the women’s World Championship, which has been held ever since.
How to Bet on Handball
At NetBet, you will come across a seemingly endless range of betting markets for all major handball events and championships such as the World Championship, Champions League Women, Austria-HLA, Spain Liga Asobal, and many more. Here are some of the many betting options for handball available on our site:
- 1×2 – with this bet type, you place a wager on the outcome of a match.
- Spread – you can bet on who you believe will win a match even after a handicap is applied to the final score.
- Outright – bet on the overall winner of a handball championship or tournament instead of a single match.
- Over/Under – predict whether the total number of goals scored in the match will be more (over) or less (under) than a predetermined value.
- Goal Odd/Even – bet on whether the total goals scored in a game will be an even or odd number.
- Team Odd/Even – predict whether the number of goals scored by a team will be even or odd.
- Total Team Goals – an over/under bet with which you can wager on the number of goals a particular team will score.
- Double Chance – this bet will allow you to bet on two possible outcomes in the same event, minimising the risk of losing.
- Draw No Bet – this bet type eliminates the option of a tie from the bet. So if a match finishes in a draw, your stake will be returned.
- Winning Margin – for this bet type, you place a wager on the number of goals you think a team will be able to win by. This market is usually in the form of under/over bets.
- Odd/Even 1st Half – here, you predict and bet on whether the total number of goals scored by the end of the 1st half will be even or odd.
- Over/Under 1st Half – place a wager on whether the total score by the end of the 1st half will be over or under a specified value.
- 1X2 1st Half – this is a three-way bet which allows you to bet on the outcomes of the 1st half of a match.
When you choose NetBet Sport, you can enjoy a whole range of top-quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.
