Clusters
- Ball Sports
IWGA Member Federation since 1997.
Learn more about Beach Handball on the IHF website or YouTube.
Handball – spectacular team-play on the beach
Discipline at The World Games 2025: Beach
Beach Handball is a non-contact team sport played outdoors in sand, giving a fine ‘summer beach’ atmosphere. In many ways it’s like indoor Handball. On sand, players rely on quick passes and creative plays to score points, often with impressive acrobatic moves like jumps, spins, and alley-oops. These spectacular plays are a hallmark of Beach Handball and add to the excitement and energy of the game.
In defence, there are three players plus one goalkeeper. Four players are possible in the attack if the goalkeeper is replaced by a field player. Games are played over 2 sets of 10 minutes each. Each team can call a one-minute team ‘time-out’ per set.
Usually goals score one point, but unlike indoor Handball, some creative and spectacular ways of scoring are worth two points. And each set is scored separately, with the winner of a set awarded one point. If both teams win a set, a shoot-out set decides the winner.
Beach Handball is a skillful and physically demanding sport that requires a high level of athleticism, coordination, and teamwork. Players must work together to coordinate quick passes and creative plays, all while defending their own goal and trying to score points.
Federation: International Handball Federation (IHF), www.ihf.inf
