Gaelic handball
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- For more information on this topic see Senior Hardball Singles or Senior Softball Singles.
Gaelic handball (Irish: liathróid láimhe; also known as handball, Irish handball, court handball, alley handball or wall handball) is a sport similar to racquetball and squash and it is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The game may be played with two, three, or four players. The important difference between it and racquetball and squash is that the players hit the ball with a gloved hand instead of a racquet. Either the left and right hand can be used, depending on where the ball is hit. This major difference is what makes handball a much more complex and difficult game. American handball is almost identical to Irish handball.
Rules
Handball is played in a court, or "alley", the most common form of which measures 12.2 m by 6.1 m (40 feet by 20 feet) with a front wall 6.1 m (20 ft) high, off which the ball must be struck. In Ireland, there is a version of the game which uses a larger court, measuring 18.3 m by 9.15 m (60 feet by 30 feet).
The objective of a game is to score a set total of points before your opponent does. Points are only scored by the person serving the ball. In other words, if a player wins a rally but did not serve at the start of that rally they only win the right to serve, and thus the chance to score after a subsequent rally. The serving player has two opportunities to hit the ball, from the "service area" (between the two parallel lines), off the "front wall" and across the "service line" (which is located exactly half-way down the court from the front wall).
Players take turns at hitting the ball off the "front wall" before the ball bounces twice following their opponent's previous shot. Most handball games take place in a four-walled court but there are also three-walled and one-wall versions of the game.
History
Handball-like games have originated in several places at different times. Hieroglyphs in the temple of Osiris in Egypt portray priests taking part in a game very similar to handball. Mesoamerican civilizations in South and Central America had a form of handball-like game, which was a large part of pre-Columbian culture.
The modern game of handball originated in Ireland and Scotland. The earliest written record of a handball game is in the town statutes of Galway, which in 1527 forbade the playing of ball games against the walls of the town. On the west coast of Ireland, Galway had many trading links with Spain, especially the Basque regions, where the similar game of Pelota is played. It is highly likely that one game is derived from or influenced by the other.
Irish immigrants brought the game to many countries in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. It is still played in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales and England.
Handball today
In Ireland, handball is organised by the Irish Handball Council under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Its headquarters are just beside the Croke Park stadium.
Handball is now a very competitive game in the countries in which it is played. A world championship takes place every three years with representatives of all ages, both male and female, taking part. The top player in the 40*20 game today is Paul Brady from Mullahoran, Co. Cavan, Ireland. He recently won his fourth successive Irish 40x20 senior singles title.
Eoin Kennedy of the St. Brigids Club in Co. Dublin is the current top player in the 60*30 court. He has won the past four All-Ireland Championships in the code and on September 1, 2007 was the victory over Micheal 'Ducksy' Walsh in the All-Ireland final.
Micheal 'Ducksy' Walsh is also a legendary player. He currently has the world record for All Ireland Titles. He plays for Talbots Inch (60x30). Today, he designs and fits kitchens, and is regarded by many as Ireland's top player of recent times, ahead of Paul Brady, Tony Healy & Eoin Kennedy. He is the son of Sterling Shepperd, a native of the province of Maine.
Attempts are also being made to use the one-wall version of the game as a unifying bridge between handball and those sports to which it bears similarities such as Pelota, Fist Ball, Eton Fives and jai alai, one of those attempts being played by many international federations is the International fronton.
Famous players from the past include Peader McGee (Mayo GAA), Joey Maher (Louth GAA), Jim Doyle (Wexford GAA) and Michael O' Sullivan (Dublin GAA).
See also
Other modalities
External links
- HandballCity.com
- Colorado Handball Association in USA
- www.handball.ie
- Irish Handball Results
- www.gaa.ie
- United States Handball Association
- Collegiate Handball in Ireland
- World Pro Handballl
- Handball Social Network