Learn the handball defensive stance: step position, arm position and body contact within the rules, so you stop attackers without being penalised.
The defensive stance is a slightly bent, diagonally opened step position with half-raised, angled arms. You stand between the attacker and your goal, ready to make body contact without holding or pushing [1][2]. Everything that follows (sliding, stepping out, blocking) starts from this position.
The honest answer to "Isn't defending just pushing back?": No. The rules allow body contact, but only in a certain way: you may use bent arms and the trunk to follow the opponent and to block in the fight for position [1]. Pulling, holding, pushing, running or jumping into the opponent and blocking with outstretched arms or legs are forbidden [1].
Why this is more than rules trivia: at the 2017 Men's Handball World Championship the match injury rate was 82.1 injuries per 1000 hours. Backcourt players (OR 6.8) and goalkeepers (OR 5.0) were injured clearly more often than the comparison group, as were players with suspensions [3]. Clean, rule-conforming defending therefore protects you and your opponent.
A good stance is not a pose, it is the starting signal for every defensive movement.
Put one foot slightly ahead of the other, about shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of the feet, upper body leaning slightly forward (federation practice standard, no study figure). The front foot points at the attacker. Milestone: You hold the position for 20 seconds without sliding onto your heels.
Both arms are bent at mid-height, palms open and visible. This makes you ready for contact without holding on. The rules allow bent arms for body contact [1]. Milestone: Your partner can nudge you without you stretching your arms forward.
Move sideways in small steps without crossing the feet and without pushing yourself up. The back foot follows. Milestone: You manage 10 metres there and back without your head visibly bobbing.
Have a partner with a ball dribble toward you. You stand on the line between him and the goal. That is the defender's basic task: to try to stand between the attacker and your own goal [2]. Milestone: Your partner gets past you at most 3 times in 10 attempts.
Now let your partner really work against you. You may keep contact with bent arms and the trunk [1]. Say aloud: "Hand free, arm bent, body in front of the opponent." Swap roles after every minute: whoever attacks himself understands faster where a defender gets whistled and where not. That is practical experience, but it saves you many suspensions later. Milestone: One minute of contact without pulling or clutching.
Defending is a contact sport. According to the rules penalties are graded: first a warning, then 2 minutes, and the third 2-minute suspension means disqualification [1][2]. Protection is behind this too: where a foul targets head, neck or throwing arm, referees decide by position, body part and severity [1].
Warm up knees and ankles, train landing and braking. And let beginners practise contact slowly and by agreement. This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training or a coach.
Watch the hips, not the ball. The attacker's hips reveal the running direction earlier than shoulders or hands. That is practical experience, not a study. And not every stop needs to be a foul: in 1052 attacking phases at elite level, the goal rate with a deliberate foul (50.6 %) differed little from that without (47.1 %), and the difference was not significant [4]. A foul as a stopping tool is therefore not a sure gain.
You may make contact with bent arms and the trunk and accompany the opponent, preferably frontally [1][2]. Pulling, holding, pushing, jumping into the opponent and blocking with outstretched arms or legs are not allowed [1].
Ideally between the attacker and your own goal to prevent a shot. You can also intercept passes or block the shot [2]. The goal area itself is off-limits for court players [2].
After a warning come 2-minute suspensions. The third 2-minute suspension leads to disqualification, and you are out for the rest of the game [2]. Particularly serious fouls can be punished harder directly [1].
At a free throw, throw-in, throw-off or 7-metre throw you must keep at least 3 metres from the attacker taking it [2]. At a 7-metre throw you must also stay outside the free-throw line [1].
Learning the Handball Standing Throw: Three-Step Rhythm and Plant Step