There are many elements which make korfball a unique sport to learn and play. The most obvious unique aspect is the mixed gender nature of the sport. The rules do not allow for defending players of the opposite gender, which makes the use of players of particular genders at certain times a tactical ploy.
Another unique aspect of korfball is the defended shot rule. In essence, a player cannot shoot at the korf while being closely defended (for a full account of what constitutes defended, see theRules of Korfball – Concise Edition, or the more complete The IKF Rules of Korfball. This means that players must move away from their defenders in order to be able to shoot, adding a unique tactical element to korfball.
Another not quite unique, but still unusual, element of korfball is the fact the korf is set in from the baseline. This allows for attacks from all around the korf, which again adds tactical elements to korfball not found in other sports.