现代手球1848年起源于丹麦。1906年，丹麦出版了丹麦人尼尔森制定的手球比赛规则。从此，手球运动在丹麦、德国、瑞典等国开始推广。
男子和女子手球分别于1972年和1976年被列为奥运会比赛项目。至今，奥运会男子手球比赛共举办过10届，女子手球共举办过8届。北京奥运会手球比赛将于2008年8月9日至24日在北京举行，预赛和决赛分别在奥体中心体育馆和国家体育馆进行。
规则 传接球 射门 进攻 防守 场地与器材
1.手球运动（7人制）：（team) handball；seven-a-side
2.手球运动员：handballer; handball player
3.场上队员：court player
4.后卫：back
5.中卫：center back
6.左卫：left back
7.右卫：right back
8.锋线队员：forward; pivot
9.中锋：center
10.边锋：winger; side player
11.左边锋；左翼：left winger
12.右边锋；右翼： right winger
13.中场裁判员：court referee
14.端线裁判员：goal line referee
规则
15.开球：throw-off
16.决胜期：overtime period
17.消极比赛：passive play
18.接球违例：catching violation
19.禁区违例：entering the goal area
20.四步违例：walking violation；steps
21.持球超过3秒：3 seconds
22.换人[替补]违例：faulty substitution
23.两次运球：double dribble
24.进攻队员犯规：offensive foul
25.抱人：holding
26.打人犯规：hitting
27.拉人：pulling
28.撞人：charging; running into
29.非体育道德行为：unsportsmanlike
30.球门球：goalkeeper throw
31.罚7米球：7-meter throw
32.任意球：free throw
33.掷界外球：throw-in
34.掷球：throw; take the throw
35.罚出场：suspension
36.罚出场两分钟：two minutes' suspension
37.罚出场队员：suspended player
传接球
38.双手胸前传球：two-hand chest pass
39.低手传球；低传：underhand pass; under throw
40.钩手传球：hook pass
41.肩上传球：shoulder pass
42.胸前传球：chest pass
43.体侧传球：side throw
44.头上传球：head pass
45.跳起传球：jump pass
46.直接传球：direct pass
47.间接传球：indirect pass
48.隐蔽传球：hidden pass
49.胯下传球：under-knee pass
50.长传：long pass
51.短传：short pass
52.推传：push pass
53.向后传球：back pass
54.背后传球：behind-the-back pass
55.反弹传球；击地球：bounce pass
56.同侧脚踏地传球：same side foot landing pass
57.阵地传球：positioning pass
58.持球：hold the ball
59.接球：catch
60.单手接球：one-[single-]hand catching
61.双手接球：two-hand catching
62.换手；倒手：changing hands
63.接球不稳：fumble
64.运球：dribble
65.侧滑步：side slide
66.侧交叉步：side crossover step
射门
67.低手射门：underhand［floor] shot; undershot
68.高手射门：overhand［overhead] shot
69.推射：push shot
70.肩上射门：shoulder shot
71.单手肩上射门：one-hand shoulder shot
72.原地射门：standing [no step] shot
73.反弹射门：bounce shot
74.空中接球射门；快板球：Japanese flyer
75.小角度［边锋位]射门：small angle shot; wing [side] shot
76.跳起射门：jump shot
77.同侧脚起跳射门：same side leg jump shot
78.鱼跃射门：diving shot
79.鱼跃跳起射门：diving jump shot
80.向侧鱼跃射门：diving side shot
81.转身射门：pivot shot
82.体侧射门：sidearm shot
83.大转身射门：turnaround shot
84.落地射门：landing shot
85.倒地射门：falling shot
86.冷射：sudden shot
87.假射门：feint shot
进攻
88.进攻组织者：playmaker
89.快攻：fast break
90.边线进攻：wing attack
91.突破：breakthrough
92.起动假动作：starting feint
93.两次假动作：double feint
94.两次身体假动作：double body feint
95.切入：cut
96.交叉直切：crossover forward cut
97.交叉换位进攻：attack with interchanging position
98.换位：shift
99.连续换位：continuous shift
防守
100.密集防守：close defense
101.区域防守：zone defense
102.集体防守：collective defense
103.综合防守：combined defense
104.混合防守：mixed defense
105.人墙：wall
106.3-3防守：3-3 defense
107.4-2防守：4-2 defense
108.5-1防守：5-1 defense
109.6人一线防守：six-man one line defense
110.3-2-1防守：3-2-1 defense
111.断球：intercept
112.拦截：block the ball
113.抢球：steal
114.封球：block a shot
115.扑球：dive for the ball
场地与器材
116.手球场：handball court
117.任意线：free-throw line
118.7米线：7-meter line
119.换人［替补］区：substitution area
120.手球：handball
（来源：BOCOG 实习生 屈上 编辑）
