Handball Size Guide
Handball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s kind of like a combination between classic football and basketball, with team members aiming to throw a ball into the opposition’s goal. It’s a fast-paced, high-energy, and valuably unique game, in a world where the most mainstream sports often rule the conversation.
With the sport's ever-increasing popularity, wanting to participate as a child, or even starting from a slightly older age is becoming more and more likely in families all across the planet. To get started properly, or to give your children their best chance at a strong progression, you need to know which ball size is going to suit your needs. We’ve put together this handy guide (if you’ll pardon the pun) so you can enter the world of handball with the utmost confidence.
What Is a Handball?
Handballs are much like football balls in terms of shape, look, and feel, with the primary difference coming from the size. Handballs need to be small enough for players to spike them into the opposing net with just one hand, which is why picking the right ball for your age and gender is essential to ensuring your training is as productive as possible.
Infant Handball Ball Size
If you’re eager to get your child involved with the sport from a very young age, you’ll find that the Zero sizes will suit their smaller hands and frames better. 00 and 0 Size are handballs that aren’t used in any level of competition but are still handy to keep in mind for the athletic toddlers in your life.
Handball Size 00: The smallest of all the handballs, these balls have circumferences of around 41-43cm and weigh only 200-230g. Size 00 balls are best suited to toddlers and children under the age of six, for learning the basics and rudiments of the sport.
Handball Size 0: Perfect for children between the ages of 6-8 years old, Size 0 balls have circumferences between 46-48cm and can weigh anywhere between 240-300g, being used for much the same reasons as Size 00 balls.
Youth & Female Handball Ball Sizes
In the case of youth balls, there are some crossovers between balls for boys’ teams, girls’ teams, and even adult womens’ teams, with Size 1 and Size 2 balls being used by each at differing stages in their development. Handball size and weight have a sizable impact on the degree to which players can control the ball, in everything from passing and catching to shooting.
Handball Size 1: Size 1 balls are the first balls that are used in competition, being used by both male and female youth teams, albeit to different degrees. Female youth teams with players between the ages of 8 and 14, operating in the C, D, and E leagues will use Size 1 balls. When it comes to male players, Size 1 balls are generally reserved for those playing in the D and E leagues, aged between 8-12. These balls have circumferences between 50-52cm, generally weighing between 290-330g.
Handball Size 2: Size 2 balls are used by male teams for players between the ages of 12-16, operating in the B and C leagues of the sport. On the other hand, Size 2 balls are generally the largest balls played with by women, being picked up by youth A and B leagues and women’s adult competitions once the players reach 14 or above. They have a circumference of 54-56cm and weigh between 325-375g.
Adult Men's Handball Ball Size
Once you get past the first four sizes, there’s only one level of handball ball left, and that’s Size 3, the form used in men’s professional leagues.
Handball Size 3: Once boys start to turn into men at around age 16, it’s time to transition to Size 3 balls. These balls have a circumference of around 58-60cm, with their weight clocking in somewhere between 425-475g. It’s worth noting that these balls are used in both A league youth matches, as well as adult recreational and professional leagues.
Handball Size Chart
By now, you know everything there is to know about handball balls and their various sizes, but sometimes it can be hard to retain all that written information. That’s why we’ve collated all the information from this article into a handy table, so you can carry out a quick handball ball size comparison whenever you need to, in relation to age, gender, and ability level.
|
Size Title |
Circumference (cm) |
Weight (grams) |
Age Range (male) |
Age Range (female) |
Ability Level (male) |
Ability Level (female) |
|
00 |
41-43cm |
200-230g |
<6 |
<6 |
Any |
Any |
|
0 |
46-48cm |
240-300g |
6-8 |
6-8 |
Any |
Any |
|
1 |
50-52cm |
290-330g |
8-12 |
8-14 |
D and E League |
C, D, and E League |
|
2 |
54-56cm |
325-375g |
12-16 |
14+ |
C and B League |
Pro, A, and B League |
|
3 |
58-60cm |
425-475g |
16+ |
N/A |
Pro and A League |
N/A |
Where to Go
So now you’ve got a handle on handball, all that’s next is to get a hold of your own and start practising! If you’re looking for a quality sporting goods supplier, with an array of brands, sizes, and price points for handballs, look no further than us at Mill Sports NZ. We have a wide range of high-quality options for balls that you can check out right here. Or if you’re interested in any other sport, take a look at our website. If it’s sport-related, we probably have it here, along with an array of interesting articles and blogs just like this one. Happy handballing everyone!