By Sara Dayley
St. Louis (KSDK) -- This weekend in London, medals will be handed out in the sport of handball.
Handball was originally played outdoors and made its Olympic debut at the 1936 Berlin games.
The modern indoor version debuted during the 1972 Munich games.
Women were added to the sport four years later in Montreal.
Matches consist of two 30-minute halves, with the team scoring the most goals declared the winner. There is a lot of physical contact and it can be a high-scoring affair.
Two players, of seven on the field, pass and dribble the small ball with their hands. The object is to throw the ball into the opponents goal and its not uncommon to see 50 or more goals in a single match.
Court players may propel the ball with any part of their body above the knee but they can't kick it. They can also only hold the ball for a three seconds and only take three steps while holding it.
As for the ball itself, it's made of synthetic leather.
The men's competition uses a slightly bigger ball.
Handball is the only Olympic sport Americans are not participating in in London.
KSDK