Handball (Australian Rules Football)

Handball (Australian Rules Football)

Handball is a term in the sport of Australian rules football which describes a method of disposing of possession of the football by hand. It is the most frequently used alternative to kicking the ball. It is primarily used as a means of passing the ball to a teammate, which is known as a handpass.

Unlike the kick (which in Australian rules can be marked), once a player receives a handball they must play-on.

In order to be a legal method to dispose of the ball, the player must hold the ball stationary in front of them with one hand and punch the ball with the clenched fist of the other hand. Failure to do so is deemed as a throw and results in a free kick to the nearest opposition player. Moving the hand that holds the ball excessively in the direction of the handpass will also sometimes be deemed by an umpire to be a throw.

Use of the handball has evolved over the years, including several controversial techniques, and it has become an increasingly strategic tactic since the 1950s.

The modern handpass technique, known as the rocket handball, was pioneered by Kevin Sheedy. It is executed so that the ball rotates backwards in an end-to-end fashion, similar to the drop punt kick. The ball is held on a slight angle with the fist ending up in or close to the other open hand. This enables a handpass to achieve distance and speed comparable to a short kick and is easier for teammates to catch. Professional Australian footballers are typically competent at handballing using either punching arm.