How many steps can you take in handball, and how long can you hold the ball?
B · Beginner · The game · 4 of 8Three steps and three seconds. A player with the ball may take at most three steps and hold it for at most three seconds, then must pass, shoot or bounce it. After dribbling and catching the ball again, there are three more steps and three more seconds but no second dribble. The ball may not be played with the foot or shin.
How it works
- Allowed: to "throw, catch, stop, push or hit the ball" with the hands, arms, head, torso, thighs and knees.
- Three seconds: the ball may be held "for a maximum of 3 seconds, also when it is lying on the floor".
- Three steps: "a maximum of 3 steps with the ball".
- Catching in the air: landing after catching the ball in the air is not counted as a step.
- Dribbling: the ball may be bounced once and caught, or bounced repeatedly with one hand.
- After the dribble: once the ball is held again, it must be played "within 3 seconds or after no more than 3 steps".
- No second dribble: a player who has controlled the ball may not touch it more than once unless it has touched the floor, another player or the goal.
- Fumbling: touching the ball more than once while failing to control it is not penalised.
- Feet: the ball may not be touched with a foot or the leg below the knee, unless an opponent threw it there.
- On the floor: a player may play the ball while kneeling, sitting or lying down.
- Off the court: the ball may not be touched by a player with any part of the body on the floor outside the court.
- The penalty: a free throw to the other team.
The glossary has the three steps and three seconds entry, the steps entry, the dribble, the double touch, the playing the ball entry, the pass and the free throw.
Tricky cases
A player catches the ball in mid-air and lands on both feet at once. How many steps has that used?
None. Putting one foot or both feet down together after catching in the air is not a step.
A player dribbles, catches the ball, then starts dribbling again. What is the decision?
A free throw to the other team. After controlling the ball a player may not bounce it again unless it has touched another player or the goal.
The ball hits a defender's shin. Is that a foul?
It depends. A pure reflex is not punished. Actively using the foot or lower leg to block a pass or shot is.
A player dives, gets the ball under control on the floor, stands up and passes. Is that legal?
Yes. Falling, sliding and standing up with the ball is within the rules.
Why the rule exists
Three steps is enough to gather, wind up and leap. It is not enough to run the ball through a defence. Three seconds stops a player standing over it. Together they force the ball to keep moving between hands, which is why a handball attack is a chain of fast passes.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Court players | Three steps, three seconds | IHF 7:2; IHF 7:3 |
| Goalkeeper inside the goal area | Free of those limits | IHF 5:2 |
| Goalkeeper outside the goal area | Plays under the court players' rules | IHF 5:3 |
| Any formal throw | One foot must stay on the floor until the ball is released | IHF 15:1 |
From the rule book
International Handball Federation, Rules of the Game: Indoor Handball (1 July 2025), Rule 7:1 to 7:10. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IX. Rules of the Game, a) Indoor Handball (PDF).