Beach Handball in the Schoolyard: Spectacular Goals Count Double

A schoolyard version of beach handball, where creative goals and goalie goals score 2 points and each half is won separately. Students discover another form of handball and get creative with rules made safe for hard surfaces.

How to play

1. Explain beach handball: played on sand, 3 court players plus a goalie, each half won separately and creative goals worth 2 (4 min).
2. Try safe creative goals: off-hand shot, after a bounce pass, behind-the-back throw (6 min).
3. First 6-minute half of 3v3 plus goalie on 15 x 12 m courts; a goalie goal scores 2 (7 min).
4. Second 6-minute half with the score reset to zero (7 min).
5. If each team wins a half, a quick 1v1 shootout against the goalie (4 min).
6. Wrap-up: how is it different from indoor handball? (2 min).

Rules

• No 360 spins or diving shots on the schoolyard: creative goals are planted or low jumps only.
• No dribbling: the ball barely bounces on sand, so pass and step only.
• Minimal contact, no grabbing.
• Free subs from the sideline, as in the real game.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: plays specialist goalie, whose goal from their zone counts 2.
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: each goal's value is shown with one or two raised fingers.
• Inexperienced students: may score a simple creative goal after a bounce pass.

Learning goals

• Learn beach handball and its scoring system.
• Find creative shooting solutions.
• Play safely on a hard surface.

Equipment for a class of 25

• handballs: 4
• goals: 2
• pinnies: 14
• cones: 16

Teacher tip

If the school has a sandpit or a beach nearby, play there and allow spins with supervision. On the schoolyard, stress that showing off never justifies a fall.

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