As we head in to the final week of the 2012 Games the athletic competitions will undoubtedly start to look less familiar.

This week we leave behind the comforts of lap swimming, diving, parallel bars, balance beams, and floor routines, moving on to the equally challenging, but much lesser-known world of rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, synchronized swimming, and so much more to explore.

To kick things off, or rather pass things off with anything above the knee, we have a playground favorite–handball.  Handball was first introduced to the Games in 1936.  Originally called field handball and played outdoors, the game has since been moved inside and dropped the prefix.

It’s a rather straight forward game of 7 on 7, team with the most points wins, you can’t touch the ball with anything below your knee, and you can’t hold on to it for more than 3 seconds.

That does eliminate the term ball hog from the litany of taunts that I’m sure still exist within the world of handball.  You do have to admire the game for its simplicity. 

Odds are you played handball, or some version of handball at recess, although something tells me 3 the second rule may not be so strongly enforced among the 8-year-old crowd.  Cheaters.

___________________________________________

London 2012: Handball

…bi-daily smile…