Five Simple Handball Games for Young Beginners

For six- and seven-year-old beginners, start with individual ball control, then introduce stationary passing, interception, aiming and a no-contact small-sided game. The five options below combine introductory skill activities with simple games. Use a soft ball that children can catch comfortably, teach one main skill at a time and simplify catching tasks when needed.

Choose a game by the skill you want to teach

Activity	Main focus	Use it when children are ready to…
Ball-control stations	Ball familiarity and stationary dribbling	Explore the ball independently
Stationary relay passing	Throwing and catching	Exchange controlled passes
Island Hopping	Passing, finding space and interception	Make choices against light pressure
Hit the Cone	Aiming and controlled shooting	Throw purposefully at a target
Modified handball	Combining basic skills	Pass, move and defend without contact

The International Handball Federation’s Handball at School program covers ages 5–17. The IHF describes it as using adapted rules, active inclusion and limited equipment to make handball accessible. Its overview provides free resources for teachers and coaches, although it does not give complete instructions for the five activities below.

These activities are drawn from Premier Education’s general introductory PE guidance rather than an official program specifically validated for every six- or seven-year-old.¹ Exact layouts and beginner rules should therefore be treated as starting points, not universal standards.

Give each activity one clear focus and only a few rules. That is practical coaching advice rather than a formal age-specific requirement. An anecdotal online handball discussion includes a similar recommendation from an unidentified forum participant responding to a question about this age group.

1. Ball-control stations

Purpose: Help children become familiar with holding, moving and dribbling a ball before they must pass to another player.

Where equipment allows, give each child a soft ball that is easy to grip and catch. Spread the children out so that each has an individual working space. Introduce one movement at a time:

1. Weave the ball in a figure eight through and around the legs.
2. Pound-dribble while remaining in one place.
3. Move the ball around the head.
4. Circle it around the waist.
5. Pass it around the ankles.¹

Use a short cue such as “keep the ball close.” The objective is to develop control, not to remember several patterns at once or finish before somebody else.

Easier practical adaptation: Let children hold the ball with two hands and transfer it slowly around the head, body or legs without dribbling. This is an organizational option for beginners rather than a sourced age-specific requirement.

Keep children in their own working spaces and use controlled movements instead of turning the stations into races.

2. Stationary relay passing

Purpose: Practise throwing and catching before adding passing on the move.

Arrange small stationary groups with one soft ball for each group. Position the groups so that their passing paths do not overlap. Players pass the ball along the group without running with it.

General beginner PE guidance specifically suggests stationary relay passing for younger or less-confident participants.¹ Keep the emphasis on sending an accurate, catchable pass rather than throwing hard or trying to beat another group.

Useful coaching cues include:

• Face the intended receiver.
• Look before throwing.
• Aim for an easy catching area.
• Prepare both hands for the ball.

As practical adaptations, shorten the passing distance or permit one bounce before the catch. If players spend too long waiting, create another group when space and equipment permit. There is no single ideal distance or group size established by the supplied guidance, so adjust the organization to the setting and the children’s confidence.

3. Island Hopping

Purpose: Introduce passing choices, finding an available teammate and intercepting a pass.

Set out four outer cones approximately four metres apart. Place groups of two or three players at the outer cone stations and position two defenders in the middle. The outside players pass between stations while the central defenders try to steal or intercept the ball.¹

Those numbers and distances come from a general PE activity, not official rules for six- and seven-year-olds. Adjust the area when necessary, while keeping enough separation for children to see their intended receivers.

Defending is no-contact: defenders look for an interception rather than pushing, grabbing or body-blocking the player holding the ball. If the pressure makes passing too difficult, shorten the passes, permit bounce passes or restrict defenders to a smaller central zone.

For a harder practical variation, ask each passer to move to another outer cone after releasing the ball. Add movement only after the group can pass and catch with reasonable control.

4. Hit the Cone

Purpose: Practise aiming and controlled shooting without immediately introducing a goalkeeper.

Place one cone at each end of the playing area and use a soft ball. A team scores by knocking over the opposing cone.¹ Because the cone replaces a conventional goal, the first version does not require a goalkeeper.

A small playing area or duplicate mini-pitches can be useful organizational options when space and equipment allow. If a cone is too difficult to hit, use a larger target such as a safely positioned mat or bench, or allow players to throw from closer range.

Keep lightweight cones in a clear target zone so they can topple as intended. Mats, benches and other improvised targets should instead be positioned securely. Make accuracy—not throwing power—the objective.

5. Modified small-sided handball

Purpose: Combine passing, catching, movement, interception and shooting in one simplified game.

Use a reduced playing area, a soft ball that is easy to catch and small teams. General beginner PE guidance suggests teams of no more than five, no-contact play and an allowance of up to six steps with the ball.¹ These are introductory modifications rather than universal IHF rules for this age group.

Use cones as targets or safely positioned mats or benches as improvised goals when conventional goals are unavailable. Leave goalkeepers, jump shots and complex adult infringements out of the first version. Focus instead on looking for a teammate, moving into space and attempting to intercept passes.

Define no-contact play plainly:

• No pushing.
• No grabbing a player or clothing.
• No body-blocking.
• No pulling the ball from another player’s hands.
• Defenders gain possession by intercepting a pass or collecting a loose ball.

If the game becomes crowded, reduce the number of players on each pitch or create another playing area. If players repeatedly run with the ball, pause and reinforce one simple cue: “Stop, look and pass.”

Put the five activities into a simple progression

Run the activities in this order:

1. Individual ball control
2. Stationary relay passing
3. Island Hopping
4. Hit the Cone
5. Modified small-sided handball

This sequence moves from ball familiarity to throwing and catching, passing under light pressure, aiming at a target and combining the skills in a game.

Do not progress solely because a planned amount of time has passed. As a practical coaching check, look for children making controlled passes, attempting catches without turning away and moving while maintaining personal space. These are observational prompts, not validated age-specific benchmarks.

For children who find catching difficult, shorten the distance, allow bounce passes, use larger targets or reduce the number of defenders. More-confident players can move after passing or play against an additional interceptor, while the no-contact rule remains unchanged.

Duplicate stations or mini-pitches may help reduce waiting, but they are organizational options rather than research-proven requirements. Drills designed for a particular squad size should not be assumed suitable for young children merely because the player count fits.

Basic boundaries for these activities

• Use a soft ball that participants can catch.
• Keep defending no-contact.
• Position mats or benches securely when they are used as improvised targets.
• Organize separate working spaces and passing paths.
• Apply any additional safeguarding, supervision and activity requirements set by the school, club or venue.¹

Start with one soft ball and one simple objective. Move from individual control to stationary passing, then add interception, targets and a no-contact game as the group shows greater control. These are practical beginner adaptations; the IHF Handball at School materials remain the appropriate source for the governing body’s youth-handball framework.

Are these official IHF games or rules for six- and seven-year-olds?

No. They are adaptations of general beginner PE activities. The IHF provides adapted rules and resources for ages 5–17, but its overview does not prescribe these five activities specifically for every six- or seven-year-old. Five-player teams and an allowance of up to six steps are also suggested beginner modifications, not universal rules.

What type of ball should six- and seven-year-olds use for these games?

Use a soft ball that the participating children can grip, throw and catch with control. No official ball size is prescribed here because the suitable choice depends on the activity, setting and applicable governing-body or local guidance. If children cannot hold the ball securely, choose a softer or more easily caught option.

Where can coaches and teachers find official children’s handball resources?

The IHF provides free Handball at School resources for teachers and coaches, including teacher guidelines, teaching materials and information about educational courses. Use those materials for the official youth-handball framework, then adapt the organization of each activity to the children, equipment and space available.