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Sydney AFL league East Coast Eagles AFC player uses a handball pass to dispose of the ball before he is tackled by a Campbelltown Kangaroos AFC opponent.

A handball or handpass is a method of disposal in the sport of Australian rules football. It is the most frequently used alternative to kicking the ball as a means of passing the ball to a teammate.

Unlike kicking, however, once a player receives a handball they do not receive a free kick, and they are called to play-on by the umpire.

In order to be a legal method to dispose of the ball, the player must hold the ball stationary in front of them with one hand and punch the ball with the clenched fist of the other hand. Failure to do so is deemed as a throw and results in a free kick to the nearest opposition player. Moving the hand that holds the ball excessively in the direction of the handpass will also sometimes be deemed as a throw.

An AFL player under pressure fires off a handpass to a teammate

The handball was written into the first rules of Australian Football in 1858. It is similar to the open hand tap in Gaelic football, but differentiates the hand skills from codes of football derived from rugby football.

Prior to the 1970s in the VFL, handball was largely a secondary skill to the kick (ie. only used as a last resort) until the Carlton Football Club's 1970 Grand Final victory under Ron Barassi. This premiership win was particularly famous as the team came from a seemingly hopeless position at half-time. Barassi's strategy was to use a radically new style of play based on keeping possession and the use of the handpass as much as possible. The skill came into prevalence in other states at different times; Sturt coach Jack Oatey is credited with encouraging the skill through the late 1960s.

In the 1980s, Richmond Football Club wingman Kevin Bartlett became famous for his style of play which involved use of the handball to dispose of the ball before an opponent was about to tackle. By handballing to space in front of himself and use his pace to redeem the ball, he was frequently able to avoid being penalised for holding the ball. This non-handpassing technique was highly influential in the game and later employed successfully by wingmen like West Coast Eagles' Peter Matera.

The handpass has become almost as common as the kick in the modern game. It is often used particularly by midfielders to set up play before a well placed kick into the forward line.

Marking players often look for a runner and handpass. This is primarily because time is lost moving away from the man on the mark to take a kick, and the runner is often in a better position to see a player leading downfield and deliver the ball to them more quickly.

There have been many great exponents of the handball, including:

• Greg Williams
• Barry Cable
• Simon Black
• Andrew Jarman
• Kevin Bartlett
• Graham 'Polly' Farmer
• Dale Weightman
• Michael Voss

Handball competitions are often used to test the accuracy of handpasses. A handball competition typically uses a board or vertically hung material with a target consisting of multiple coloured concentric bands worth different points (3 points for outmost, then 5 points, 7 points). The centre is usually cut out to let the ball through and is worth 10 points.

Handball competitions often occur at local clubs, Auskick clinics and on television, most notably on the shows World of Sport and The Sunday Footy Show (both hosted by Lou Richards). Such competitions take place between Australian Football League players known for their handpassing skills.

Many South Australian players excel in handball due to a very localised style of play. This style has been successful in State of Origin encounters and for the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide AFL teams, although the technique which many South Australian players use has often been brought into question. Because of the speed of the hands, it has been difficult for spectators and umpires to deem as to whether the correct punching method is being used. The term Crow throw (South Australians are often referred to as crow eaters) has often been used to describe the sometimes controversial technique.

In the 1980s, players under pressure due to the increasing pace of the game began to handpass over their head. This technique has sometimes resulted in a free kick to the opposition through interpretation of the umpire.

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