Handball can be fast-moving and physical, but its popularity won’t match soccer. Handball involves a rubber, elastic ball and two players. Similar to tennis, the game requires each player to out hit and out-manoeuver the opposing player while still being able to hit the ball successfully. Soccer, otherwise known as football around the world except in the U.S., involves two teams of multiple players kicking a spotted ball across a field by foot and trying to insert that ball into the opposing player’s goal net.
The Spirit Difference
The popularity of soccer is immense and far more than handball can ever hope to be. Much of this difference has to do with the camaraderie and team feeling soccer evokes in its players as well as its fans. Both sports can be fast moving. Both involve hitting a ball and trying to out-play the opposing player. However, handball doesn’t generally evoke a spirit of group desire to see one side win over the other. In this respect, soccer wins hands down because it generates enthusiasm among many people at once. The popularity of a sport then is not so much the technical aspect of play so much as it is how much the fans get into the game.
Promotion
Handball also doesn’t have a significant draw for business and sponsors to support. As a result, the sport gets relegated to odd-ball activities that “some” people play. Soccer has huge sponsorship, with businesses paying millions of Euros and dollars every year to have their name printed on the visible sidelines or their commercials inserted between TV game breaks. This significant revenue allows soccer to continue marketing itself to new generations, repeating the fan building and popularity again and again.
Bigger Numbers
Keep in mind, there will always be dedicated fans of any sport, no matter how obscure it may be. Handball has no shortage of die-hard supporters who probably play the game themselves every chance possible. However, soccer’s popularity by the numbers is simply far bigger and widespread, even to the point that its popularity can sometimes cause riots and crime in affected towns on game day.
Handball vs. Soccer
Posted by Cris K. in Handball
The Spirit Difference
The popularity of soccer is immense and far more than handball can ever hope to be. Much of this difference has to do with the camaraderie and team feeling soccer evokes in its players as well as its fans. Both sports can be fast moving. Both involve hitting a ball and trying to out-play the opposing player. However, handball doesn’t generally evoke a spirit of group desire to see one side win over the other. In this respect, soccer wins hands down because it generates enthusiasm among many people at once. The popularity of a sport then is not so much the technical aspect of play so much as it is how much the fans get into the game.
Promotion
Handball also doesn’t have a significant draw for business and sponsors to support. As a result, the sport gets relegated to odd-ball activities that “some” people play. Soccer has huge sponsorship, with businesses paying millions of Euros and dollars every year to have their name printed on the visible sidelines or their commercials inserted between TV game breaks. This significant revenue allows soccer to continue marketing itself to new generations, repeating the fan building and popularity again and again.
Bigger Numbers
Keep in mind, there will always be dedicated fans of any sport, no matter how obscure it may be. Handball has no shortage of die-hard supporters who probably play the game themselves every chance possible. However, soccer’s popularity by the numbers is simply far bigger and widespread, even to the point that its popularity can sometimes cause riots and crime in affected towns on game day.
Picture: carmeta – Fotolia
Gerelateerde artikelen