Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outfield players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball and attempt to throw it into the goal of the other team.
The players move freely around the court bouncing or passing the ball (after up to 3 steps), with the opposite team defending against them, trying to intercept the ball.
Players can run anywhere on the court with the ball (so long as they bounce it) or without it, apart from the two 6 meter D shaped goalkeeper areas. The team with the most goals after two periods of 30 minutes wins.
This fast game includes body contact as the defenders try to stop the attackers from approaching the goal. But contact is only allowed when the defensive player is completely in front of the offensive player, i.e. between the offensive player and the goal.
Any contact from the side or from behind is considered dangerous and is usually met with free throws or penalties, yellow cards or a 2 minute suspension resulting in a power play for the other team.
When a defender successfully stops an attacking player, the play is stopped and restarted by the attacking team from the spot of the infraction or on the nine metre line.