Handball

[Redwood]

Just watching some Handball on Eurosport (that's what Hotel rooms will do to you).

The goalies are absolutely rubbish. Don't know why they don't get some 300lb 6'5" bloke in goal. They'd never score then...it's worse than basketball...they score nearly every time they get near goal.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I played a couple of friendly games as a teenager when I went to Germany on an exchange visit as part of PE at the school I was at. Its big there and harder than it looks. I offered to go in goal having played to a decent standard as a regular goalkeeper in Saturday and Sunday football. Its all to do with the angle of the throw and the deception the attackers have (think showing the keeper the eye at a penalty). Suffice to say I was rubbish and taken down more than a peg or two. Couldn't really get into it as an outfielder but its actually a pretty quick and demanding sport (or perhaps we were just playing it badly)

 

[colint]

I played it a bit at school, it was Ok and decent run around but just wasn't as good as either 5 a side football or basketball, so never took off. Really big on the continent though

 

[Redwood]

You can see what I mean about getting some big guy in nets though. They don't really need to be athletic, just fill as much of the goalmouth as possible. Or get Schmeichel back out of retirement.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

You can see what I mean about getting some big guy in nets though. They don't really need to be athletic, just fill as much of the goalmouth as possible. Or get Schmeichel back out of retirement.

I thought Nevelle Southall was chunkier than Schmeichel

If its so obvious a tactic, why havn't they already used it in Hockey, Ice Hockey or Lacrosse??

 

[HomerJSimpson]

To be fair its the speed of the ball thats the problem and so you'd need someone with the extra bulk and the reflexes of a top keeper. Also a goalkeepr is used to coming out and spreading himself but there isn't the time to do that in handball. You do see keepers diving in hockey and ice hockey though. I'd have thought lacross and hurling were like handball where there isn't the time to react and spread

 

[Leftie]

If its so obvious a tactic, why havn't they already used it in Hockey, Ice Hockey or Lacrosse??

I can answer for Lacrosse (and to some extent ice hockey) as that was my sporting love until the off ball take-outs became too much for this tired old body to cope with. What most people don't realise is that both are virtually the same game but played on different surfaces with different "sticks".

Doesn't really matter too much how tall or wide you are in goal. Consider that the ball can leave an attacker's crosse at anything up to 100mph from say 5, 10, 15, 20 yds from goal. The aiming areas are above the goalies shoulders or below the waist when the best shots are usually bounced off the ground.

The taller the goalie is, the less room above the shoulders but the more room lower down, and vica versa.

Realistically, with a good accurate attack player, the goal keeper doesn't stand a lot of chance from close range.

As long as the goalie is well sighted, longer range shots are not too much of a problem but at short range it is a matter of luck (and of course skill and anticipation) if he stops the ball.

I suppose that the same could be said about ice hockey.

 

[drawboy]

I think it's a great game for our kids to play as it is easy to play mixed sex games and as it is indoors it is not at the mercy of the weather. If you have ever seen children of average height struggling to get the ball into a basket ball net then the advantages stand out a mile. An easy game to tackle childhood obesity if you ask me.