Handball might not get as much attention in the U.S., but in Europe it’s a big deal, and it all started in Germany in the late 19th century. Strangely enough, though, the very first version of the game was played outdoors by Danish farmers. The first recorded match took place in Denmark in 1898, with two teams of seven going head-to-head. Back then, people called it “Indoor Football” or “Soccer on the Gymnastics Mat.” The court was much smaller than a soccer field, but the ball was about the same size, so the game looked like a fast-paced spin-off of soccer. From there, the sport began to catch on across Europe.

In Germany, it was first known as "Torball," or "Goal Ball." By 1917, German gymnastics teacher Max Heiser stepped in and shook things up—he cut the number of players per side to six and swapped the larger ball for a smaller one. This new setup gave the game its official name: Handball.

The sport quickly picked up steam in Germany, and in 1925 the first official Handball tournament was staged in Berlin. Just a decade later, it even made its way into the program of the 1936 Olympic Games, also held in Berlin.

Through the 1930s and ’40s, Handball kept spreading, especially throughout Germany and its neighbors. In 1946, the creation of the International Handball Federation (IHF) helped put the game on the map globally and gave it the structure it needed to grow. Since then, Handball has carved out its place as a major sport in Europe. It’s played both at the amateur level and professionally, with passionate fan bases packing arenas. The game returned as a permanent Olympic event in 1972, and ever since, it has kept pulling in new fans and proving that it’s here to stay.