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Why do americans not play handball ?

its a great game... little brutal sometimes fun to play and watch

vetguy1991 · 51-55, M
Here handball is a different game
vetguy1991 · 51-55, M
@Kwek00 not sure, I guess it's because you use your hand and not a racquet
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
@vetguy1991 Okay, my bad, I mis understood. I found it now on the internet, I was still looking at the raquet version. At least I understand that this gets the name handball.

Looks a lot like a sport that is familair in the French/Netherlands/Belgian area called "Kaatsen" (Frisian Handball) but Americans added a wall. Which Italians already did before the Americans, in dutch it's called "Muurkaatsen" and also "Kaleren" but I don't know how the Italians originally called it.
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
@BlackBlossom ROFL on the "egghand" 🤣
The handball that you show is similar to soccer or water polo. What we call handball has a small hard rubber ball. The ball is maybe 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The participants wear gloves and use both hands to play. It can be played by hitting the ball off of one wall or 4 walls. It is usually played with 2 people competing. It can be played with 4 people... teams of 2 against 2. Google or search it and I am sure that it will come up...So on my phone, I looked this up. Look under American handball...which it refers to as "handball"...aka "wallball". Use wikipedia. So to answer your question...we don't play handball as you know it in Europe. Why? I really don't know, for sure. I know that women play field hockey. A similar game for us is Lacrosse, a game invented by the American Indians or "native Americans"...it uses a ball that is very hard and is slightly larger in size than an American handball. The players use a stick with a net for catching and throwing the ball to each other. The players can run with the ball, throw it to another player or shoot at the net, goal...where a goalie is playing. Helmets are worn and chest protectors. It is played by boys and girls/ men and women...it has 2 goals...1 at each end which resemble the goals that you showed for handball. The game is divided into 2 periods. The team with the most points after time expires...wins. So our handball, (wallball) is played indoors on a court... usually an enclosed room. Lacrosse is played outdoors on a field.
Rambler · 61-69, M
That looks like fun! I’m about 40 years too late to try it though lol
@Rambler yeah it can be brutal at times... more so then football
Rambler · 61-69, M
@BlackBlossom I would have wanted to try it I’m sure..when I was under 30. Never saw it before
Straylight · 31-35, F
We'd probably call it arm soccer or something.
DragonFruit · 61-69, M
@Straylight In the Olympics it's called Team Handball (not the same as Handball that my father taught me...with 2 people and a wall).
SageWanderer · 70-79, M
I’ve seen it played before and would have loved to try it back in the day. We played a version of it in gym class using the padding behind the basketball backboards as goals. It was more of a free for all though.
DunningKruger · 61-69, M
Americans generally have a prejudice against sports that weren't developed here. And here handball refers to a game like racquetball, but with hands instead of racquets.
Johnblackthorn · 56-60, M
Because it's "a little brutal" there's not enough space on the court for all the protective equipment they'd need to wear.
Thespis · M
I've been trying to figure that out. I actually thing within 8-12 years the USA could have a great handball team. Mix some baseball and basketball players together. I think we have athletes who would need very little time to pick it up given backgrounds in other sports. I think if a European coach came over and sold some AA baseball players on going to the olympics they could really be something.
SmellyBot · 61-69, M
Because yanks marry their cousins 😂

RedBaron · M
Looks like soccer with hands. Probably because we play baseball, football, ice hockey, and lacrosse.
SW-User
So, soccer but allowed to use hands
SW-User
@BlackBlossom looks a lot like it
And yeah, our “handball” is entirely different. Like racquetball with no racquet
@SW-User its kinda similar to basketball... just not with a basket but a goal with a goal keeper.. and jumping into people is a thing
SW-User
@BlackBlossom I’ll have to see if I can watch a game somehow
MartinTheFirst · 26-30, M
because its a sport for girls
MartinTheFirst · 26-30, M
@BlackBlossom hey you throw like a girl!
@MartinTheFirst just wait till a handball hits you in the face...
MartinTheFirst · 26-30, M

 
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