Handball: Jump Shot and Safe Landing

Students learn the handball jump shot in three phases: take-off from the leg opposite the throwing arm, arm cocking in the air and a cushioned landing. It starts with aids (bench and mat) and finishes with shooting over a defender.

How to play

1. Jumps without the ball: take off from one foot and land on both with bent knees on a mat (5 min).
2. From a low bench, jump with the ball, cock the arm in the air and shoot at the goal before landing on the mat (7 min).
3. No bench: three-step approach, take off from the 9 m line and shoot at the highest point (7 min).
4. A partner acts as a passive defender with one arm up, and the shooter must rise above it (6 min).
5. Each student and a partner rate whether the landing was safe (knees, feet, balance) and write down one improvement (5 min).

Rules

• In the first two phases, always land on the mat.
• No pushing or touching the shooter in the air.
• Wait until the previous shooter has left the landing area before jumping.
• Knees never cave in on landing: if they do, repeat the jump without the ball.

Variations

Adaptations

• Overweight or knee problems: takes a set shot with a crossover step instead of jumping.
• Autism: works at one fixed station with the step sequence marked by colored cones.
• Visual impairment: shoots at a goal with a speaker or sound signal behind it and no defender.

Learning goals

• Coordinate take-off, arm cocking and shooting during the flight phase.
• Use a landing technique that protects knees and ankles.
• Assess a partner's performance using objective criteria.

Equipment for a class of 25

• handballs: 12
• mats: 4
• cones: 8
• gym benches: 2

Teacher tip

Place the bench at the 9 m line with the mat in front of it, never inside the goal area. Make sure everyone can land properly before moving to the no-aid phase.

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