The fascinating history of handball

Variations of the game of handball have been played around the world for thousands of years. Known as one of the oldest ball games, handball was played in Egypt over four thousand years ago, in ancient Rome, and in many South American cultures.

The ancient Egyptians played a variety of ball games. Drawings of Egyptians playing handball have been found decorating 5,000-year-old tombs at Saqqara, depicting girls in teams of two playing the game. The balls used in Egyptian handballs were designed to be lightweight and durable: they were made of a leathery skin stuffed with hay or other plant fibers such as papyrus.

In the Roman Empire, the game was called expulsim ludere and was played on courts called sphaeristas. It is said that Alexander the Great was responsible for spreading the game among the Greek colonies in Italy in the first millennium BC, and from there it spread to other countries of the Roman Empire. Details of how the game was played during this era are sketchy, but it is believed to have been similar to what is known today as one-wall handball.

In France during the Middle Ages, the game was called Palm Play and was popular with both the nobility and the peasants. The ball was made of tightly rolled pieces of cloth sewn together, and as the game evolved gloves were used to allow for a more forceful hit of the ball. This form of handball is believed to be an early precursor to tennis: as the game evolved in France, players began using larger and larger gloves, eventually starting to use items that resembled early tennis rackets. .

In America, handball is over three thousand years old and originated in Mexico. Handball players are represented on painted ceramic items, sculptures, and wall paintings found at archaeological sites in many parts of Central America. Of the games played by these ancient civilizations, the one that most closely resembles modern handball is Hard Ball Handball. This game was played by the Chichimecas, on courts measuring 20 feet by 40 feet. Many ancient ruin sites in Central America contain such courts and, together with the multitude of art depicting the game, indicates that it was an important part of life for these ancient cultures.

These days, handball is an increasingly popular sport: it has become part of the Olympic Games and many international tournaments are dedicated to handball. Not surprisingly, the Egyptian team is known to be very talented, perhaps due to all the world’s civilizations. They’ve been playing the longest!

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