Olympics fans hooked on sport they've never seen before despite not knowing any of the rules
People tuning into the Paris Olympics are 'absolutely hooked' on a sport they've rarely seen before - despite not understanding the rules.
While we all have our preferred sport, whether that be football, baseball or soccer, the Olympics allow us to delve into something new.
And as the games only come around every four years, the majority of us only get to watch this more niche sport every so often.
But with how much many are enjoying handball at Paris 2024, some may decide to continue watching the sport past the Olympics.
Advert
That is despite the fact a lot of Americans actually don't understand the rules, mind.
Many have taken to Twitter to discuss handball, with the vast majority of folks left pretty impressed.
"What a fab game handball is! So many goals and penalties, few rules as you move with the ball. I’m absolutely hooked," one person penned.
A second added: "Don’t really understand the penalties and a lot of the nuance but this sport rocks."
A third remarked: "Olympics really be having you locked into sports you didn’t even know existed because I am invested in handball and I don’t even know the rules for real it’s like soccer and basketball had a baby."
A fourth quipped: "Every Olympics I try to teach myself the rules of handball & I fall short every single time."
So, what exactly is handball?
Well, typically played in indoors, handball is known for its intense and high speed play.
The handball playing court is a rectangular area consisting of two goal areas and a central playing area; these are divided by a central line.
Very much like soccer, the goals in handball are surrounded by a semi-circular area called the goal-area line.
But unlike that very popular sport, only the goalkeeper is allowed in that particular area.
A match of handball lasts a total of 60 minutes, divided up into two halves of 30 minutes.
And if the game is tied when the clock hits 60 minutes, overtime is played.
This part of the game consists of two periods lasting just the five minutes each.
If still undecided at that point, the game goes into a tie-breaker.
A handball team consists of seven players, including a goalkeeper.
However, that goalkeeper can become a court player at any time if they wish.
Handball has become a staple in the summer Olympics, making its debut at the 1972 games in Munich.
But after more than 50 years, people are still baffled and hooked in equal measure as they try and understand what's going on.
Team USA's current medal count - 27
Gold medalists
- Lee Kiefer: Fencing - Women's individual foil
- Torri Huske: Swimming - Women's 100m butterfly
- Jack Alexj, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held, Matt King: Swimming - Men's 4x100m freestyle
- Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's team competition
Silver medalists
- Nic Fink: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Lauren Scruggs: Fencing - Women's individual foil
- Gretchen Walsh: Swimming - Women's 100m butterfly
- Haley Batten: Mountain Bike - Women's cross country
- Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh. Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, Erika Connolly, Abbey Weitzel: Swimming - Women's 4x100m freestyle
- Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook: Diving - Women's springboard 3m synchronised
- Katie Grimes: Swimming - Women's 400m individual medley
- Jagger Eaton: Skateboarding - Men's street
- Regan Smith: Swimming - Women's 100m backstroke
- Bobby Finke: Swimming - Men's 800m freestyle
- Carson Foster, Brooks Curry, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, Kieran Smith: Swimming - Men, 4x200m freestyle
- Perris Benegas: Cycling - Women's BMX freestyle
Bronze medalists
- Carson Foster: Swimming - Men's 400m individual medley
- Katie Ledecky: Swimming - Women's 400m freestyle
- Chloe Dygert: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, Paul Juda, Asher Hong: Artistic Gymnastics - Men's team competition
- Nick Itkin: Fencing - Men's foil individual
- Emma Weyant: Swimming - Women's 400m individual medley
- Ryan Murphy: Swimming - Men's 100m backstroke
- Luke Hobson: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
- Nyjah Huston: Skateboarding - Men's street
- Ilona Maher, Kayla Canett, Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirshe, Sarah Levy, Alena Olsen, Ariana Ramsey, Steph Rovetti, Alex Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan, Naya Tapper: Rugby 7s - Women's team competition
- Katharine Berkoff: Swimming - Women's 100m backstroke
Topics: Olympics, Social Media, Twitter, Viral
Callum Jones