About Korfball

Korfball is a game comparable to netball and basketball, invented in 1901 by an Amsterdam schoolmaster, Nico Broekhuysen. First demonstrated in Holland in 1902, just one year after James Naismith invented basketball in the USA. A national association was formed in Holland in 1903 and soon the game spread to other countries, now including Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Germany, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Spain, Japan, Taiwan and USA. The Federation International de Korfball was formed in 1923.

Korfball is played by two teams of 8 (4 men, 4 women) on a rectangular court roughly the same size as a basketball court. At either end, a short distance inside the line is a goalpost supporting a cylindrical basket open at both ends with the rim of the basket 11.5ft from the ground, 1.5ft higher than a netball post. There is no backboard. The ball is similar to a soccer ball, only a little less heavy. The court is marked into two zones, defence and attack, each occupied by two men and two women from both teams.

Action consists almost entirely of passing from hand to hand. Passing and movement forms the basis of the game with attackers using changes of speed and direction, combined with team tactics in attempts to lose their defender in order to create a shooting chance. This is not easy because an attacker is not allowed to shoot if the defender is within an arms length. Kicking, punching and running with the ball is forbidden and only 'controlled' contact is permitted.

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