Corner throw: A throw-in from a corner at the offensive end of the court, awarded to the offense when the ball crosses the end line and was last touched by a defender other than the goalkeeper.



Disqualification: A disqualification is the equivalent of three two-minute suspensions. A disqualified player must leave the court and bench, but the team can replace the player after the two-minute suspension expires. An exclusion is given for a severe infraction, similar to a red card in soccer. The excluded player's team continues minus one player for the rest of the game.



Diving shot: A maneuver in which a player has the ball at the edge of the goal area and leaps toward the goal, releasing the ball just before touching down.



Free throw: For a minor foul or violation, a free throw is awarded to the opponent at the exact spot where it took place, with the defense positioned three meters from the ball. If the infraction occurs between the 6-meter line and the 9-meter line, the defense lines up at the 6-meter line and the free throw is taken from the 9-meter line, closest to where the foul took place. This happens frequently and teams have several different 9-meter plays. A goal may be scored directly from a free throw.



Goal throw: A goal throw is awarded when the ball goes over the end line and is last touched by the offensive team or by the defending goalkeeper.



Harpastum: An ancient Roman event in which athletes threw a small ball to teammates. Harpastum is one of the sports to which handball is believed to trace its roots.

Ourania: A game believed to be a precursor to handball, ourania is described by Homer in The Odyssey as follows: "They took at once in their hands the lovely ball / Which Polybos, with cunning art, had wove from purple wool. / One cast this up to heaven to reach the sparkling clouds, / Bent hard back; the other then sprang high up in the air / And caught it nimbly, ere his foot touched ground again. / And after they had tried to toss the ball on high, / Danced light as air upon the all-nourishing earth, / In position often changed."

Penalty throw: A penalty throw, also known as a 7-meter throw, is awarded when a player is fouled in the act of shooting with a clear chance at the goal or when the defensive team intentionally enters the goal area. An offensive player shoots the penalty shot one-on-one against the goalie from the penalty mark. All other players hover at the 9-meter line for a possible rebound. The shooter is not allowed a running start and must keep at least one foot on the ground behind the 7-meter line during the throw.

Playmaker: A term for the center backcourt player who directs the offense and penetrates. This role is similar to a point guard in basketball.

Throw-in: Awarded when the ball goes out of bounds on the sideline, a throw-in is taken from the spot where the ball crossed the sideline. The thrower must place one foot on the sideline to execute the one-handed throw. All opposing players must stay three meters from the ball.

Throw-off: Taken from the center of the court after the referee's whistle. The players on the team taking the throw-off must be on their own half of the court, and the opponents must be at least three meters from the thrower, who attempts to throw the ball to a member of his/her own team. A goal may be scored directly from a throw-off. The throw-off occurs after every goal and usually is taken quickly.

Warnings (yellow cards): Warnings occur when the referee, as in soccer, warns a player. The next time, he or she will have to sit out two minutes and his or her team must play short-handed. A second such penalty on the same player results in another two-minute penalty whereas a third warrants a red card and the player is disqualified from the game. The disqualified player's team must play the next two minutes short-handed before being able to return to even strength.