Field handball had been played as a medal sport at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In 1952, field handball was again played at the Olympics, but this time as a demonstration event. It had been picked by the Finnish organizers as a sport not played in the country. They had originally wanted to demonstrate rugby, but were unable to arrange that. Field handball is played on a football-sized pitch, with 11 players a side, and is quite different from the handball that became an Olympic Sport in 1972, which is played indoors with 7 players a side. This was the only time that handball, field or indoor, was an Olympic demonstration sport. For the 1948 handball match, the finalists from the 1948 World Championships, Sweden and Denmark, were invited.