What is korfball?
Korfball: the world’s only mixed team sport. Since its earliest development, korfball teams have consisted equally of male and female players. In all instances, from korfball’s foremost international athletes, to children in the playground, this is an activity where both sexes play together on completely even terms.
In play, korfballers only directly oppose members of their own sex, therefore the game is structured to dilute advantages of height, speed or strength that would otherwise make mixed team sport impossible to achieve with any degree of equality. As a mixed team sport, korfball creates a unique social environment. Like many sports, korfball provides participants and spectators a full range of intense emotion – doing so with and against team-mates and opponents of both sexes adds an extra dimension that no other sport can offer.
Korfball is a ball sport played by hand. It takes a few moments to learn, but a lifetime to perfect. By passing and quick movement players must elude their personal opponents to shoot the ball through a korf – the Dutch word for basket. In the standard game, teams consist of eight players – four male and four female. The korf is set in from the end of the playing area, enabling shots from 360 degrees. Players assume either attack or defence roles. After two goals, defenders and attackers switch – placing emphasis on the development of all-round skills: each player should be able to defend, attack, shoot and support his or her team-mates. A player ‘defended’ by a personal opponent is not permitted to shoot, meaning quick shots, based on specific technique, are most effective.
Korfball is based on co-operation between players – dribbling and running with the ball are classed as ‘solo play’ and are outlawed. Although contact between players does occur in korfball, that contact is controlled – players may not gain advantage from contacting their opponents.
Korfball is played in Africa, America, Asia, Europe, Oceania (75 IKF members). IKF is member of SportAccord, ARISF, IWGA, WADA, & recognised by the IOC.
The forms of korfball
Korfball is played indoors, on grass, on sand and in the street. Open one to read how that form works and to watch it.
Rules of Korfball
Korfball is a sport played by hand within a rectangular field of play whereby a team of four female players and four male players try to shoot a ball into a korf (basket). The players of the team are split into two zones, attack and defence, each consisting of two men and two women. After every two goals, the divisions switch so attackers become defenders and vice versa. The players can only defend players of the same sex. Each goal is worth 1 point. One of the most important characteristics of korfball is the need to play together to score a goal. This characteristic is enforced by the ban of travelling/walking of the player who has the ball. Passing is therefore necessary to create space to shoot at the korf. More rules are explained in the video below, and the entire set of korfball rules can be found in the document linked below.
You can find the Rules of Korfball 2026 here.
Beach Korfball
Beach korfball is already being played for multiple years in a lot of countries all over the world. Currently beach korfball is being played (recreational or in competition) in 36 countries.
Over the years different formats have been put into practise. In 2015 the IKF published the official beach korfball rules which formalised the 4 against 4 format, with each team consisting of 2 man and 2 female.
During the IKF Executive Committee in September 2016 it was decided to integrate beach korfball in the IKF Competition Calender. Furthermore, the IKF Beach Korfball Committee was installed to stimulate the further development of beach korfball.
All this led to the first ever IKF European Beach Korfball Championship: ‘The Open European Beach Korfball Championship 2017′. This event was organised in August 2017 in The Hague, The Netherlands. This event was followed by the various editions of the IKF Beach Korfball World Cup (Europe) (2018 and 2019). In 2019, the first Beach Korfball World Cup (Asia). The first edition of the IKF World Beach Korfball Championship was organized in 2022, originally scheduled for 2020 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can find the rules of Beach Korfball here.
Outdoor Korfball
Outdoor korfball, other than beach korfball, is usually played on (artificial) grass. The set-up of the game is the same as indoor korfball, with two teams of 8 players playing in two zones. Outdoor korfball is mainly played in The Netherlands and Belgium, there is no international competition in this discipline.
You can find the rules of Outdoor Korfball here.
Korfball4 and One-zone-one-post korfball
Korfball4 and One-zone-one-post korfball are two forms of korfball that are each being played in one zone with 4 players on each team. These forms of korfball require less space and players compared to the regular korfball format, which makes it easier to organise. Therefore, these forms are mostly used by teams that do not have access to regular sized playing venues and/or have smaller teams. The forms are mostly used in youth competitions and grassroots development korfball.
The rules of Korfball4 can be found here.
The rules of one-zone-one post korfball can be found here.
Urban Korfball
Urban korfball is played on a circular field in parks, playgrounds and streets. Read how urban korfball works.