16 Common Handball injuries (Prevention & Treatment)

The 16 most common handball injuries, from ankle sprains and ACL tears to rotator cuff strain, sprained fingers and hamstring pulls.

Each section says how the injury tends to happen in a fast indoor game and what it feels like, and the article ends with prevention advice and answers to the questions handball players ask most.

Injury Rates and Numbers

The figures below come from injury surveillance data and peer reviewed studies. Each row names the population it was measured in, because rates from elite athletes and from recreational players are not comparable.

Finding	Measured in	Source
Elite adult male handball players were injured at 6.5 per 1,000 total hours, with match play reaching 22.2 injuries per 1,000 hours.	elite adult male handball players, two seasons, published 2019	Monaco M, Rincon JAG, Ronsano BJM, Whiteley R, Sanz-Lopez F, Rodas G, Biology of Sport, 2019
Nonprofessional senior male handball teams had an overall injury rate of 2.5 per 1,000 player hours, with games far more dangerous than practice.	male senior nonprofessional handball players (16 teams, 2 divisions), one season, published 1998	Seil R, Rupp S, Tempelhof S, Kohn D, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1998
In nonprofessional male handball, the knee was the most frequently injured site, with lower extremity injuries making up 54 percent of the total.	male senior nonprofessional handball players, one season, published 1998	Seil R, Rupp S, Tempelhof S, Kohn D, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1998
A systematic review of 27 handball studies found lower limb (thigh, knee, ankle) and shoulder injuries most common, with women players at higher injury risk.	handball players, systematic review across multiple studies and levels, 2022 (publication year)	Vila H, Barreiro A, Ayan C, Antunez A, Ferragut C, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022

Overview

Injury	Body area	Typical time out
Ankle Sprains	Ankle	1 to 8 weeks, longer if grade 3
Knee Injuries (ACL, Meniscus)	Knee	6 weeks to 12 months after ACL surgery
Shoulder Injuries (Rotator Cuff, Strains)	Shoulder	2 weeks to 6 months
Finger Injuries (Sprains, Dislocations)	Hand and fingers	1 to 8 weeks depending on the joint
Wrist Injuries (Sprains, Strains)	Wrist	2 to 12 weeks, longer if a fracture
Elbow Injuries (Sprains, Dislocations)	Elbow	3 weeks to 6 months after surgery
Back Injuries (Muscle Strains)	Lower back	1 to 8 weeks, months if bone stress
Head Injuries (Concussions, from Falls or Collisions)	Head	1 to 4 weeks, longer if symptoms persist
Hand Injuries (Blisters, Sprains)	Hand	Days to 12 weeks for the thumb
Groin Strains	Groin and hip	2 to 12 weeks, months if chronic
Foot Injuries (Sprains, Strains)	Foot	2 to 12 weeks, longer if stress fracture
Rib Injuries (Bruises, Fractures)	Chest and ribs	2 to 8 weeks before contact
Hamstring Strains	Back of thigh	2 to 12 weeks, months if avulsion
Heat Exhaustion / Heat Stroke / Dehydration	Whole body	1 to 2 days, weeks after heat stroke
Cuts and Abrasions (from Contact with Other Players)	Skin	None to 2 weeks if stitched
Eye Injuries (from Impact with Ball or Player)	Eye	Days to 6 weeks, longer after fracture

Ankle Sprains

An ankle sprain overstretches or tears the ligaments on the outside of the joint, most often the anterior talofibular ligament, when the foot rolls inward. In handball it usually happens on landing after a jump shot, often on another player’s foot, or during a hard cut toward the goal line. The ligament fibers give way before the bone does, which is why the joint feels loose afterward.

Symptoms

• Sharp pain on the outside of the ankle at the moment of the twist
• Swelling that builds within an hour and often spreads toward the toes
• Bruising over the ankle and foot in the following days
• The joint feels unstable or gives way on turns
• Limping or difficulty putting full weight through the foot

How serious it is: Sprains are graded 1 to 3: grade 1 is a stretch with mild swelling and near normal walking, grade 2 a partial tear with clear instability, grade 3 a complete tear with marked swelling and an ankle that cannot be trusted. Pain over the bone rather than the ligament, or an inability to take four steps, points toward a fracture and needs imaging.

Typical time out: One to three weeks for a grade 1 sprain, four to eight weeks for a grade 2, and two to three months or more for a grade 3 or when a fracture is involved. The spread is wide because return depends less on pain than on regained balance and confidence in cutting movements, which recover at very different speeds.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if you cannot take four steps on the leg, if the bony point of the ankle is tender to touch, or if the foot looks crooked or feels numb.

What helps

• Load the ankle early within the limit of pain, using crutches only as long as full weight is genuinely impossible
• Short cooling in the first hours for pain relief, not as a long treatment plan
• Balance and proprioception training on one leg, progressing to unstable surfaces and then to jump landings
• Calf and peroneal strengthening, since these muscles control the roll of the foot
• A brace or taping for the first months back on court, especially if you have sprained the ankle before

Knee Injuries (ACL, Meniscus)

The anterior cruciate ligament runs through the middle of the knee and stops the shin from sliding forward and rotating inward. It tears in handball during a planted, one legged landing or a sidestep where the knee collapses toward the midline, usually without any contact. The meniscus, the two cartilage wedges between thigh bone and shin, is often damaged in the same movement or later by repeated twisting on a bent, loaded knee.

Symptoms

• A pop or tearing sensation at the moment of the cut or landing
• The knee swells within a few hours and feels tight
• A feeling that the knee gives way when turning or going down stairs
• Catching, clicking or locking with a meniscus tear
• Pain along the joint line when squatting deeply

How serious it is: A partial ACL tear may leave the knee reasonably stable, while a complete tear leaves it giving way in pivoting sport. Meniscus tears range from a small stable rim tear that settles with rehabilitation to a displaced tear that blocks the knee from straightening and needs surgery.

Typical time out: A stable meniscus tear treated without surgery can allow return in six to twelve weeks. After ACL reconstruction, return to handball takes nine to twelve months, and rushing that timeline is the main reason for a second tear. The range is so wide because the ligament graft needs many months to remodel, while the muscle and balance work runs on its own schedule.

See a doctor if: Get medical assessment if the knee swelled up within hours, locks so that you cannot fully straighten it, or buckles under you when walking.

What helps

• Early assessment by a sports physician, since a swollen knee after a non contact twist is an ACL tear until proven otherwise
• Restoring full extension and quadriceps activation in the first weeks, whether or not surgery follows
• Neuromuscular training that teaches knee over toes landing and a two footed or wider stance on cuts
• Criteria based return to play using strength and hop symmetry rather than a date on the calendar
• MRI when the knee locks, gives way repeatedly, or does not settle after a few weeks

Shoulder Injuries (Rotator Cuff, Strains)

The rotator cuff is a set of four tendons that hold the head of the upper arm bone centered in a shallow socket. Handball throwing loads them at extreme external rotation and very high speed, thousands of times per season, which irritates the tendons and stretches the front capsule. Over time the shoulder can lose internal rotation, the blade mechanics change, and the cuff tendons and the long biceps tendon become painful.

Symptoms

• Pain deep in the shoulder during the cocking and release phase of a throw
• Loss of throwing speed and the feeling of a dead arm late in a match
• Pain when lying on that shoulder at night
• Difficulty reaching overhead or behind the back
• Clicking or a catching sensation when rotating the arm

How serious it is: A tendon irritation without a tear responds to loading and technique work. A partial thickness tear takes longer and often needs a supervised program of several months, while a full thickness tear or a labral tear with instability may need surgery, particularly in a thrower.

Typical time out: Two to eight weeks for a mild strain or tendon irritation caught early, three to six months for a partial cuff tear managed with rehabilitation, and six months or more after surgical repair. Throwing athletes sit at the long end because the shoulder must tolerate not just daily use but maximal rotation speed.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if the arm feels genuinely weak rather than just painful, if the shoulder slipped out of place, or if pain wakes you every night.

What helps

• Reduce throwing volume and intensity for a period rather than stopping all activity
• Progressive strengthening of the cuff and the shoulder blade muscles, including the lower trapezius and serratus anterior
• Regaining internal rotation range if the throwing shoulder has become tight at the back of the joint
• Coaching on throwing technique and on using trunk and legs so the arm carries less of the load
• Imaging if weakness persists or if pain does not change after several weeks of a proper program
• Corticosteroid injection only as an exception: it can quieten pain briefly but tends to leave tendons worse in the long run

Finger Injuries (Sprains, Dislocations)

A hard pass that strikes the fingertip drives the joint beyond its range and injures the collateral ligaments or the volar plate, the fibrous pad on the palm side of the middle joint. If the force is large enough the joint dislocates. The extensor tendon at the fingertip can also be avulsed, which leaves the tip drooping and unable to straighten.

Symptoms

• Immediate pain at one joint of the finger after catching the ball wrong
• Swelling that makes the joint stiff and sausage shaped within minutes
• The finger points at an odd angle or looks shortened
• Cannot straighten the fingertip actively
• Pain when the finger is pushed sideways

How serious it is: A simple sprain of the collateral ligament stays stable and settles with taping. A dislocation, a fingertip that cannot be actively straightened, or any rotational deformity is a different category and needs a doctor, since a missed tendon or fracture leaves permanent deformity.

Typical time out: One to three weeks for a mild sprain with buddy taping, three to six weeks after a reduced dislocation, and six to eight weeks or more for a mallet finger, which needs continuous splinting. Stiffness and swelling often outlast the pain by several months, which does not prevent playing.

See a doctor if: See a doctor the same day if the finger is visibly crooked or rotated, will not straighten actively, or feels numb.

What helps

• Buddy taping the injured finger to its neighbor for support during play
• Early gentle movement to avoid a permanently stiff joint, which is the main long term problem
• X ray after any dislocation or when there is bony tenderness
• A dedicated splint worn continuously if the fingertip cannot be actively extended
• Hand therapy if the joint stays stiff after a few weeks

Wrist Injuries (Sprains, Strains)

Falling onto an outstretched hand loads the ligaments between the small carpal bones, most often the scapholunate ligament, and can also break the scaphoid bone. Repetitive shooting and ball contact irritate the wrist tendons and the cartilage complex on the little finger side. The wrist is a stack of eight small bones, so pain that seems minor can still mean a fracture.

Symptoms

• Pain at the base of the thumb or across the back of the wrist after a fall
• Swelling and a wrist that will not bend fully in either direction
• Weak grip, dropping the ball or failing to hold a pass
• Clicking or a clunk when rotating the forearm
• Pain when pushing up from a bench or the floor

How serious it is: Most wrist sprains are mild ligament strains that settle in weeks. Tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb after a fall suggests a scaphoid fracture, which can be invisible on the first X ray and can fail to heal if it is missed, so it is treated as a fracture until ruled out.

Typical time out: Two to six weeks for a simple sprain, six to twelve weeks for a scaphoid fracture treated in a cast, and longer if healing is delayed or surgery is needed. The wide range reflects the poor blood supply of some carpal bones, which heal slowly regardless of how you feel.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if the hollow at the base of the thumb is tender after a fall, if the wrist is deformed, or if the fingers tingle or go numb.

What helps

• Splinting for a short period for comfort, combined with early movement of the fingers and elbow
• Imaging after a fall onto the hand rather than waiting to see if pain settles
• Grip and forearm strengthening once pain allows, including rotation under load
• Taping or a wrist support for return to shooting and blocking
• Hand therapy if grip strength or rotation does not return

Elbow Injuries (Sprains, Dislocations)

Handball loads the inner side of the elbow, where the ulnar collateral ligament resists the valgus force created during the throwing motion. A fall onto an outstretched arm or a hyperextension when the arm is blocked can sprain that ligament or dislocate the joint entirely. The ulnar nerve runs in a groove just behind the inner bump of the elbow and is often irritated at the same time.

Symptoms

• Pain on the inner side of the elbow during the acceleration phase of a throw
• A sense that the elbow opens up or is unstable when throwing hard
• Tingling into the ring and little finger
• Obvious deformity and inability to bend the arm after a dislocation
• Swelling and loss of the last degrees of straightening

How serious it is: A mild ligament sprain leaves the joint stable and settles with load management. A dislocation is an emergency and must be reduced by a professional, and it is often accompanied by a fracture. A complete ligament tear in a thrower may need surgical reconstruction.

Typical time out: Three to six weeks for a mild sprain, six to twelve weeks after a simple dislocation that is reduced early, and six months or more if the ligament is reconstructed. The long tail exists because throwing reproduces exactly the force that injured the joint, so the return has to be staged.

See a doctor if: Go to emergency care if the elbow looks deformed, cannot be moved at all, or if the hand is numb, pale or cold.

What helps

• Immediate professional reduction of a dislocation, never an attempt to pull it back yourself
• Early controlled movement after reduction rather than long immobilization, which causes lasting stiffness
• Forearm flexor and pronator strengthening to protect the inner ligament
• Throwing volume control and technique work so the trunk and legs generate more of the throw
• Assessment if numbness in the ring and little finger persists

Back Injuries (Muscle Strains)

The muscles along the spine and the deep quadratus lumborum work hard in handball because throwing arches and rotates the trunk while jumping and landing compress it. A strain tears a small number of muscle fibers, usually during a fast rotation or an awkward landing. In young players who arch heavily during jump shots, repeated extension can also stress the bony arch of a vertebra rather than the muscle.

Symptoms

• Pain on one side of the lower back that started during a specific movement
• Muscle spasm that makes it hard to straighten up
• Pain when twisting, arching or getting out of a chair
• Stiffness that is worst in the morning and after sitting
• Pain that stays in the back rather than travelling down the leg

How serious it is: A simple muscle strain hurts locally and eases within days to a few weeks. Pain that radiates below the knee, that gets worse with arching in a teenager, or that comes with numbness or bladder problems is a different problem and needs medical assessment.

Typical time out: One to three weeks for a mild strain, four to eight weeks for a more severe one, and three months or more if a bony stress injury is found, since bone needs time and relative rest. The spread depends mostly on whether the underlying problem is muscle or bone.

See a doctor if: Seek medical help if the pain runs down the leg, if the leg feels weak or numb, or if you lose control of bladder or bowel.

What helps

• Staying moving and returning to normal activity early, since prolonged bed rest makes back pain worse
• Progressive trunk strengthening that includes anti rotation and anti extension work, not just crunches
• Hip mobility work, since a stiff hip pushes rotation into the lower back
• Managing throwing and jumping volume during a heavy fixture period
• Imaging reserved for pain with nerve symptoms, night pain or a suspected bone stress injury

Head Injuries (Concussions, from Falls or Collisions)

A concussion is a functional disturbance of the brain caused by a blow to the head or by a force transmitted through the body that shakes the head. In handball it typically comes from an elbow in the pivot position, a collision in the fast break, or landing on the back of the head after being fouled in the air. There is no structural damage visible on a routine scan, which is why the diagnosis rests on symptoms and observation.

Symptoms

• Headache and a feeling of pressure in the head
• Dizziness, unsteadiness or blurred vision
• Feeling slowed down, foggy or unable to concentrate
• Nausea, sensitivity to light or noise
• Sleep disturbance and unusual irritability in the days after

How serious it is: Loss of consciousness is not required and is not a measure of how bad a concussion is. Warning signs of a more serious brain injury include a headache that keeps getting worse, repeated vomiting, seizures, increasing confusion or a player who cannot be woken normally.

Typical time out: Most adults recover in one to four weeks, and a graded return through light aerobic activity, sport specific drills, contact training and finally matches usually takes at least one to two weeks after symptoms have gone. Recovery takes longer in adolescents and after a previous concussion, which is why a range of days is never enough.

See a doctor if: Get urgent medical care for a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, a seizure, one pupil larger than the other, or increasing drowsiness and confusion.

What helps

• Immediate removal from play on suspicion, with no return the same day under any circumstances
• Relative rest for the first day or two, then gradual return to light activity rather than sitting in a dark room for a week
• A staged return to play supervised by a medical professional, with a step back if symptoms come back
• Avoiding alcohol and sleep deprivation in the first days
• Assessment for neck problems and balance, which often persist and respond to targeted therapy

Hand Injuries (Blisters, Sprains)

Grip friction from resin and repeated ball contact separate the outer skin layers and fill the gap with fluid, which is a blister. Deeper in the hand, the small ligaments of the thumb and the metacarpophalangeal joints get sprained when the ball or an opponent forces a digit sideways, and the hook of the hamate bone at the base of the palm can bruise or crack from repeated impact.

Symptoms

• A burning hot spot on the palm or fingers during play that turns into a fluid filled bubble
• Raw, painful skin once a blister opens
• Pain at the base of the thumb when gripping or catching
• Weak grip and a hand that tires quickly
• Localized tenderness in the pad of the palm on the little finger side

How serious it is: Blisters are minor unless they become infected. A sprained thumb ligament that feels loose when the thumb is pushed sideways is a more serious injury, since a complete tear of that ligament often needs surgery to restore a stable pinch grip.

Typical time out: Blisters allow play with padding and heal in about one to two weeks. A mild thumb or hand sprain costs one to three weeks, a complete thumb ligament tear six to twelve weeks including a period in a splint or after surgery.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if the thumb feels loose and cannot pinch, or if a blister area becomes red, hot, spreading and painful, which suggests infection.

What helps

• Covering hot spots with tape or hydrocolloid dressing before they become blisters
• Leaving the roof of a blister in place as a natural dressing and keeping the area clean
• Taping the thumb for support when returning to catching and blocking
• Grip and intrinsic hand strengthening once pain allows
• Medical assessment for any thumb that feels unstable rather than just sore

Groin Strains

The adductor muscles run from the pubic bone to the inner thigh and brake the leg when it swings outward. In handball they tear at the tendon or the junction between tendon and muscle during a hard sidestep, a lunge to block, or a sudden change of direction. Longstanding groin pain in handball players often also involves the tendon attachment at the pubic bone rather than the muscle belly.

Symptoms

• Sudden sharp pain in the inner thigh during a cut or a lunge
• Pain when squeezing the knees together
• Tenderness that can be traced along the inner thigh toward the pubic bone
• Pain when sprinting, kicking out sideways or getting out of a car
• Stiffness in the groin the morning after playing

How serious it is: Strains are graded 1 to 3, from a few torn fibers with only mild loss of strength to a complete tear or avulsion at the bone with visible bruising and marked weakness. Pain that has built up over weeks rather than appearing in one movement is usually a tendon problem and behaves differently, taking longer.

Typical time out: Two to four weeks for a grade 1 strain, six to twelve weeks for a grade 2, and three months or more for a complete tear or a long standing tendon problem. Groin injuries recur often, so the practical loss of time is usually determined by whether the strength work was finished, not by when the pain stopped.

See a doctor if: Get it checked if you heard a pop with immediate weakness, if there is a visible dent or large bruise, or if groin pain persists for more than a few weeks despite reduced training.

What helps

• Progressive adductor strengthening, with the Copenhagen adduction exercise as the best studied option
• Early gentle isometric squeezes within pain limits rather than complete rest
• Building tolerance for change of direction in stages before returning to full training
• Addressing hip range of motion and single leg control
• Assessment by a sports physician when pain lasts beyond a few weeks, since several structures around the pubic bone can be involved

Foot Injuries (Sprains, Strains)

The midfoot ligaments and the plantar fascia, a thick band running from the heel to the toes, absorb the repeated jumping and stopping of indoor court sport. A forceful push off can sprain the joint at the base of the big toe or the midfoot, while cumulative load irritates the plantar fascia at its heel attachment or produces a stress fracture in a metatarsal bone.

Symptoms

• Pain under the heel that is worst with the first steps in the morning
• Pain across the top or middle of the foot when pushing off
• Swelling over one specific spot on the forefoot
• Pain at the base of the big toe when it is bent upward
• Discomfort that eases during warm up and returns afterward

How serious it is: A mild sprain or fascia irritation settles with load management. Pain that stays localized to one point on a bone, hurts when you hop, and worsens week by week suggests a stress fracture, which needs imaging and a period off the court.

Typical time out: Two to six weeks for a simple sprain or an early plantar fascia problem, six to twelve weeks for a metatarsal stress fracture, and three months or more for a stubborn fascia problem or a midfoot injury. Bone injuries have a fixed biological timeline that cannot be shortened by feeling better.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if one point on a bone stays tender for more than two weeks, if you cannot bear weight, or if the foot is swollen and bruised across the midfoot.

What helps

• Reducing jumping and court volume for a period instead of stopping all training
• Calf and foot intrinsic strengthening, including slow heavy heel raises for plantar heel pain
• Court shoes with adequate cushioning replaced before the midsole is dead
• Taping or a temporary insole while symptoms settle
• Imaging when point tenderness over bone persists, since stress fractures get worse if ignored

Rib Injuries (Bruises, Fractures)

A direct blow from an elbow, a shoulder or the court bruises the muscles between the ribs or cracks a rib itself. The cartilage where a rib joins the breastbone can also be sprained, which hurts in the same way but does not show on an X ray. Because the ribs move with every breath, the injury announces itself constantly.

Symptoms

• Sharp pain in one spot on the chest wall with deep breathing, coughing or laughing
• Pain when rolling over in bed or getting up
• Tenderness over one rib that reproduces the pain exactly
• Shallow breathing because a full breath hurts
• Bruising over the area in the days after

How serious it is: A bruise or a single undisplaced rib fracture is painful but heals on its own. Multiple fractured ribs, breathlessness, or pain with dizziness raise the possibility of a lung or internal injury and are treated as an emergency.

Typical time out: Two to four weeks for a bruise and four to eight weeks for a rib fracture before contact is sensible, with light non contact training possible earlier once breathing is comfortable. Pain typically eases well before the bone is fully solid, which is why contact is delayed longer than comfort alone suggests.

See a doctor if: Get urgent care if you are short of breath, coughing blood, feel faint, or if pain spreads to the shoulder tip or the abdomen.

What helps

• Adequate pain relief specifically so that you can breathe deeply, since shallow breathing risks chest infection
• Regular deep breathing and gentle coughing exercises through the first weeks
• Sleeping propped up if lying flat is painful
• No binding or tight strapping around the chest, which restricts breathing
• Return to contact only after the spot is no longer tender to direct pressure

Hamstring Strains

The hamstrings, mainly biceps femoris, are stretched and loaded at the same time in the late swing phase of a sprint, just before the foot lands. In handball this happens on the fast break and when accelerating after a turnover. The tear usually sits at the junction between muscle and tendon, occasionally at the tendon attachment near the sitting bone.

Symptoms

• A sudden grabbing or pulling sensation in the back of the thigh while sprinting
• Having to stop immediately, often reaching for the back of the leg
• Tenderness at one spot that you can point to with a finger
• Bruising down the back of the thigh over the following days
• Pain when stretching the leg out or accelerating

How serious it is: Grade 1 is a minor tear with mild pain and near full strength, grade 2 a partial tear with clear weakness and a limp, grade 3 a complete tear or an avulsion from the sitting bone, which may need surgery. Injuries close to the tendon at the top of the thigh take substantially longer than those in the muscle belly.

Typical time out: Two to four weeks for a grade 1, six to twelve weeks for a grade 2, and three months or more for a tendon avulsion. Hamstring injuries have a high recurrence rate, and most repeat tears happen in players who returned before eccentric strength had been rebuilt.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if you felt a pop with immediate marked weakness, if bruising is extensive, or if there is pain and numbness at the sitting bone when seated.

What helps

• Eccentric strengthening such as Nordic hamstring curls and lengthened state exercises like the single leg deadlift
• Early gentle loading within pain limits instead of complete rest
• Graded return to sprinting, since a hamstring only tolerates sprinting if it has been sprinting
• Trunk and gluteal strength work, which shares the load with the hamstrings
• Objective strength testing before returning to full training rather than going by feel

Heat Exhaustion / Heat Stroke / Dehydration

Handball produces high internal heat through repeated sprints and jumps, and in a poorly ventilated hall or a summer tournament the body cannot shed it fast enough. Fluid and salt losses through sweat reduce blood volume, which is heat exhaustion. When the core temperature climbs high enough to disturb the brain, it becomes heat stroke, which damages organs and is a medical emergency.

Symptoms

• Heavy sweating, weakness and dizziness that come on during or right after play
• Headache, nausea and muscle cramps
• Skin that feels clammy and a fast, weak pulse
• Confusion, aggression or slurred speech, which signal heat stroke
• Collapse or loss of consciousness

How serious it is: Heat exhaustion leaves the player unwell but mentally clear and improves with cooling and fluids. Any change in behavior, confusion or loss of consciousness means heat stroke, which is an emergency where the priority is aggressive cooling before transport.

Typical time out: A day or two after mild heat exhaustion, provided fluids and salt are replaced and symptoms fully resolve. After heat stroke the return takes several weeks and should be guided by a doctor, because heat tolerance is reduced for a period afterward.

See a doctor if: Call emergency services immediately for confusion, unusual behavior, seizures or collapse in a hot environment, and start cooling while you wait.

What helps

• Move to a cool place, remove kit and cool the skin actively with cold water and air movement
• Drink fluids that contain salt rather than plain water alone after heavy sweating
• Plan fluid intake across a tournament day instead of drinking only when thirsty
• Schedule and ventilate training so the hardest sessions are not in the hottest hall conditions
• Allow players returning from illness or a hot climate a period to adapt gradually

Cuts and Abrasions (from Contact with Other Players)

Fingernails, teeth, elbows and the court surface break the skin during blocking, diving and falls. An abrasion scrapes off the upper skin layers over a wide area, while a cut divides the full thickness of the skin. Court friction burns from a dive tend to be shallow but wide and are easily contaminated with dirt from the floor.

Symptoms

• Bleeding that starts immediately after contact
• A stinging, burning area of raw skin after sliding on the court
• A wound whose edges gape open rather than sitting together
• Increasing redness, warmth and throbbing in the days after, which suggests infection
• Yellow discharge or a spreading red line from the wound

How serious it is: Most abrasions are superficial and heal without a scar. A cut that gapes open, is deeper than the skin, is on the face, or was caused by a tooth needs medical attention, and any wound with embedded dirt carries a higher infection risk.

Typical time out: Usually none for a minor abrasion once bleeding has stopped and the wound is covered, and roughly one to two weeks for a sutured cut before contact, so the wound is not pulled open. Return is delayed further if the wound becomes infected.

See a doctor if: See a doctor for a wound that gapes, will not stop bleeding, was caused by a bite or tooth, or becomes red, hot and increasingly painful after a day or two.

What helps

• Rinse the wound thoroughly with clean running water to remove court dirt
• Apply firm direct pressure to stop bleeding rather than checking every few seconds
• Cover with a clean dressing and keep the area moist rather than letting a hard scab form
• Check tetanus vaccination status for a dirty or deep wound
• Cover any open wound securely before returning to play, since blood on court affects everyone

Eye Injuries (from Impact with Ball or Player)

A ball or a finger striking the eye compresses the globe and can bruise the iris, tear the small vessels inside the front chamber, or damage the retina at the back. The bones of the orbit can also crack, most often the thin floor beneath the eye, which can trap the muscle that moves the eye upward. A scratched cornea is the most common and least serious version.

Symptoms

• Immediate pain and watering with a feeling of something in the eye
• Blurred or double vision after the impact
• Flashes of light or new floaters in the visual field
• Blood visible in the front of the eye or a pupil that looks irregular
• Swelling around the eye with pain when looking upward

How serious it is: A simple corneal scratch or a bruised lid heals within days. Any change in vision, blood pooling in the front chamber, double vision or a misshapen pupil indicates a serious injury and requires same day examination by an eye specialist.

Typical time out: A few days for a corneal scratch or a bruised lid, two to six weeks after a significant blunt injury with bleeding inside the eye, and longer after an orbital fracture or retinal injury. The timeline is set by the specialist, because returning too early risks a second impact on a fragile eye.

See a doctor if: Get seen the same day by an eye specialist for any loss of vision, double vision, flashes or floaters, blood in the eye, or a pupil that is not round.

What helps

• Stop play immediately and do not rub or press the eye
• A cold pack on the surrounding bone, not on the eyeball itself, for swelling
• Same day examination for anything beyond mild irritation that clears within minutes
• Protective eyewear made of polycarbonate for players who already have one eye with reduced vision
• Follow up examination weeks after a blunt injury, since retinal problems can appear late

First Aid for Soft Tissue Injuries: PEACE and LOVE

Sports medicine has moved on from RICE. The current guidance, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2019, splits care into the first days after the injury and everything that follows.

PEACE, the first two to three days

• Protect: unload the area and limit movement that hurts, but only briefly.
• Elevate: keep the limb above heart level when you can.
• Avoid anti-inflammatories: they may blunt the healing you need.
• Compress: a bandage or taping limits swelling.
• Educate: your body heals this on its own; passive treatments rarely speed it up.

LOVE, from day three onward

• Load: return to movement as pain allows, early loading builds tissue.
• Optimism: expectations shape recovery more than most people assume.
• Vascularization: easy cardio that does not hurt brings blood to the area.
• Exercise: restore strength, mobility and balance before returning to play.

Ice still helps with pain in the first hours. What changed is the evidence that long icing and routine anti-inflammatory drugs slow tissue repair.

How to Lower Your Risk in Handball

• Train landings deliberately: land on two feet where possible, with the knee tracking over the foot rather than falling inward, since the jump shot landing is where knees and ankles are lost.
• Do a structured neuromuscular warm up before every session, not just before matches, including single leg balance, controlled cutting and hamstring work.
• Build the throwing shoulder year round with rotator cuff and shoulder blade strengthening, and treat throwing volume as a load that has to be counted and periodized.
• Include the Copenhagen adduction exercise and Nordic hamstring curls in the weekly plan, since groin and hamstring injuries are the ones that recur most.
• Wear an ankle brace or tape if you have sprained an ankle before, because a previous sprain is the strongest predictor of the next one.
• Replace court shoes before the cushioning is dead, and keep the hall floor clean of resin buildup and water so the grip stays predictable.

When to Stop and Get Medical Help

Most of the injuries on this page are treated at home. These signs are not.

• A visible deformity of a limb or joint, or a bone that is tender to direct pressure and cannot bear weight.
• Any blow to the head followed by confusion, memory gaps, repeated vomiting or loss of consciousness.
• Numbness, tingling, weakness or a cold pale limb after an injury.
• A joint that locks or cannot be moved at all, or one that has clearly dislocated.
• Breathlessness after a chest impact, or chest pain with dizziness.
• Confusion, unusual behavior or collapse in a hot hall, which points to heat stroke.

Sources

• Monaco M, Rincon JAG, Ronsano BJM, Whiteley R, Sanz-Lopez F, Rodas G, Biology of Sport, 2019
• Seil R, Rupp S, Tempelhof S, Kohn D, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1998
• Vila H, Barreiro A, Ayan C, Antunez A, Ferragut C, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are hurt, a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you is worth more than any web page. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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