Toss face emoji 🤾
The toss face emoji 🤾 is officially called person playing handball. It shows a player mid-throw, ready to launch the ball down the court.
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What the toss face emoji means
The toss face emoji 🤾 gets its nickname from the way the figure’s arm looks like it’s tossing something. In Unicode, it’s named “person playing handball”, and the design always shows a player in motion with one arm raised and the other holding a small ball.
Handball is a fast team sport where players pass and throw a ball into a goal. The emoji captures the moment just before a pass or shot, so it often stands for action, coordination, or a competitive spirit.
Search results often mix up ‘toss face’ and ‘handball emoji’, but they refer to the same character. The nickname comes from how the pose reads without context: a single arm up, ball in the other hand, looking like a tossed object is about to fly.
- As a literal handball reference: sharing match scores, training plans, or team news.
- As a general “let’s go” or “throw it my way” gesture, especially in group chats.
- To mean “toss” in a figurative sense, like tossing an idea around or tossing something aside.
How people use 🤾
In casual messages, 🤾 appears whenever someone wants to say they’re playing handball or watching a game. It works well with the sports emoji set, especially balls, medals and team flags.
Because the pose is so energetic, it also shows up as a reaction to something being thrown — a friendly challenge, a sudden idea, or even a playful “toss it over here” between friends.
Pair it with a ball emoji or a trophy to celebrate a win, or with a muscle emoji to show training effort.
Compare person playing handball with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| person playing handballU+1F93E | the main toss face emoji, one arm raised | |
| person fencingU+1F93A | lunge pose with a sword, for combat sports | |
| horse racingU+1F3C7 | jockey on a horse, for equestrian events | |
| skierU+26F7 U+FE0F | downhill skiing, winter sport | |
| snowboarderU+1F3C2 | board rider, also winter |
Skin tones and gender variations
Like all person‑sport emojis, 🤾 defaults to a neutral yellow skin tone on most platforms. You can long‑press or right‑click it to choose from five skin tones, from light to dark.
The base emoji is gender‑neutral, but you can also send 🤾♂️ for a man or 🤾♀️ for a woman. These ZWJ sequences combine the main emoji with a gender sign, and they’re supported on all modern systems.
If someone asks for the ‘toss face woman’, they usually mean 🤾♀️. The woman version keeps the same raised‑arm pose, with longer hair shown on most platforms.
How to type and copy the handball emoji
You can copy 🤾 directly from this page and paste it anywhere. On phones, it’s usually in the sport section of the emoji keyboard; on Windows, press Win + . or Win + ; and search for “handball” or “toss face”.
On a Mac, press Control + Command + Space and type the name. On websites, the emoji works with standard text, but be aware that very old devices may show a box instead.
For the gendered versions, search for “man handball” or “woman handball” in the same picker, or copy them from the variations shown in most emoji panels.
Questions people ask
What does the toss face emoji mean?
It shows a person playing handball, mid-throw. People often call it toss face because the raised arm looks like tossing something.
Is there a difference between toss face and handball emoji?
No, they’re the same emoji. The official Unicode name is person playing handball; toss face is a popular nickname.
How do you type the handball emoji 🤾?
On most phones, find it in the sport or activity section of the emoji keyboard. On desktop, use the emoji picker (Win + . on Windows, Control + Command + Space on Mac) and search handball or toss face.
What does 🤾♀️ mean?
It’s the woman playing handball emoji, a gender-specific version of the main emoji. Use it to refer to a female player or when you want to match your own gender.
Can I use the toss face emoji for other sports?
You can, but it specifically shows handball. For throwing sports like basketball or baseball, other emojis may be clearer.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
