The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word HANDBALL
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
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What does HANDBALL mean?
HANDBALL noun- A team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team.
- The medium-sized inflated ball used in this sport.
- The offence of a player other than the goalkeeper touching the ball with the hand or arm on the field during play.
- A sport in which players alternately strike the ball against a wall with their hand. Irish and American variants have slightly different rules.
- The small rubber ball used in this sport.
- (Australian Rules Football) An act of passing a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.
- A schoolyard game in which a tennis ball is struck with the hand, played on a improvised court on the asphalt or pavement.
- To manually load or unload a container, trailer, or to otherwise manually move bulk goods (often on pallets) from one type of transport receptacle to another.
- To illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm.
- To (legally) pass a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.
- (sexuality) To insert a hand into someone's anus.