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Handball Rules

Courtesy of the 

United States Handball Association

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Board of Directors circa 2009

Wo​rld Handball Championships ​Player Information

1. The Host Committee will designate a Referee-in-Chief who will ensure competent referees are available for all matches.

2. Special efforts should be made to ensure certified referees are available for at least the semi-finals and of course the finals in each event.

3. It is recommended that as a general rule, match losers be required to referee the next game in ‘Open Tournaments’

4. Where possible, the Host Committee should ensure a referee certification program is conducted at the start of the tournament for any interested participants.

5. Agreed International Rules for 4-Wall and 1-Wall Handball to apply in all World Handball Championship games.

Note - Substitution of players in Doubles Championships will not be allowed after the first round is played.

Note - Goggles are Compulsory in ALL 4-Wall and 1-Wall Matches.

Open Tournament Seeding Procedure

1. An International Grading Committee will be formed by the WHC to agree appropriate seeding for players from each country in all grades of 1-Wall and 4-Wall. This Committee will also be tasked with ensuring that players have entered in the appropriate grades. They will advise the Hosting Committee of their deliberations. Each member of the International Committee will be required to select a small group in their Country to assist them.

2. The International Committee will also make use of the previous championship results to assist in the seeding process. The top two players in each division should be considered for seeding on the previous championship results.

3. In seeding Doubles Teams, both team members from the previous championship must be returning in order to receive consideration for seeding based on previous championship results.

4. An attempt should be made to maximise the number of international matches by ensuring that a visiting player does not meet a player from the same country.

5. The Host Seeding Committee will, from all the above considerations, prepare seeding’s in each event which will be used in preparing the draws. Their decisions shall be final in all Seeding and Grading Matters.

6. A Disciplinary Committee comprising a member of the WHC, a member of the Hosting Committee and a member of the National Governing Body (in whose jurisdiction the Games are being held) to be set up to adjudicate on all issues arising during the Championships. They will adjudicate on disputes, referee reports on players, coaches and spectators. They will have the power to remove anyone showing indiscipline (as reported by Referees or Officials in writing) from the vicinity of the Championships.

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Open Draw Preparation

1. The Host Committee assumes responsibility for preparation of the draws.

2. Every effort will be made to ensure that visiting players do not meet a player from the same country in the first round.

3. It is recommended that entries should not be accepted without the entry fee or after the deadline.

4. In scheduling matches, the Host Committee should try to ensure that Junior’s and Women’s events are fairly represented on feature courts and at the main court club.

5. It is recommended that the Men’s and Women’s Open Singles and Doubles are played on different days e.g Doubles on Wednesday and Singles on Friday to ensure better finals. 

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‘A’/’B’/’C’ Open Events

1. It is recognised that with variations among handball played in member countries, categorisation of players based on skill levels may be difficult.

2. An ‘A’ player is a player who has not won an ‘A’ World Championship and is an ‘A’ player (Intermediate) in National Championships and Tournaments. Winners of Junior (15, 17 & 19) events in previous World Championships would automatically be ‘A’ players unless they had subsequently advanced to the ‘Open Grade’.

3. A ‘B’ player is a player who has not won a ‘B’ World Championship and is a ‘B’ player (Junior) in National Championships and Tournaments.

4. A ‘C’ Player is a player who has never won a ‘C’ World Championship and is a ‘C’ player(Junior B) in National Championships and Tournaments.

5. A Doubles Team must register in the division of the highest calibre player.

6. The Host Committee reserves the right to upgrade the categorisation of any player in its sole discretion.

7. There is a limit of 128 players in any Championship and where numbers are higher, players should be seeded into an extra division e.g Challenger or ‘D’ Division or a preliminary play-off organised. 

Overage Events

1. All Over Age Divisions are based on the player’s age as of December 31 of the year in which the tournament is held.

2. All Junior’s must satisfy the age requirement by the last day of the Championship.

3. Entry forms should clearly explain these rules respecting each age division.

4. All entrants in age divisions should provide their date of birth in order to ensure they are in the correct age event.

5. It is the duty of each participating country to verify that their players satisfy age requirements.

6. Both players in doubles teams must meet the age requirements and players must play in the grade of the highest ranking player.

7. Players playing in the Masters ‘B’ grades must be eligible to play in the ‘B’ or ‘C’ Open divisions and must not have won a Masters ‘B’ National or World Championship in any Masters grade. 

Consolation Events

1. The decision to run Consolation Events and the format to be used is a decision of the host committee. Entry Forms must state the policy.

2. It is recommended that the consolation events be run by a separate committee to avoid putting extra pressure on the floor manager and the team responsible for the main event.

3. Consolation events are normally for the first round losers who must sign up separately for the event.

Number of Events

1. A Player may enter in a total of 4 events, 2 events in ‘4-Wall’ and 2 events in ‘1-Wall’ at the discretion of the Host Committee.

2. The Host Committee may set restrictions on events entered, which must be stated on the Entry Form. Events are defined as Singles or Doubles.

List of Events

The Host Committee will decide which events to run based on considerations such as the number of participants. It is recommended that the Host Committee consider combining events with low entries. Efforts should be made to run overage events in a round robin format where required. The entry form should state this fact. 

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Men’s 4-Wall Events

Photo courtesy Handball of the Americas 2021 Buddha IX

  • 1 Open Singles
  • 2 Open Doubles (Players must be from the same Country) 3 ‘A’ Singles
  • 4 ‘A’ Doubles 5 ‘B’Singles 6 ‘B’Doubles 7 ‘C’ Singles 8 ‘C’Doubles 9 23 & Under Singles
  • 10 23 & Under Doubles
  • 11 Senior Singles – 35 & Over
  • 12 Senior Doubles – 35 & Over
  • 13 Masters Singles – 40 & Over
  • 14 Masters Doubles - 40 & Over
  • 15 Masters ‘B’ Singles – 40 & Over
  • 16 Masters ‘B’ Doubles – 40 & Over
  • 17 Veteran Masters Singles – 45 & Over
  • 18 Veteran Masters Doubles – 45 & Over
  • 19 Veteran Masters ‘B’ Singles – 45 & Over
  • 20 Veteran Masters ‘B’ Doubles – 45 & Over
  • 21 Golden Masters Singles – 50 & Over
  • 22 Golden Masters Doubles – 50 & Over
  • 23 Golden Masters ‘B’ Singles – 50 & Over
  • 24 Golden Masters ‘B’ Doubles – 50 & Over
  • 25 Veteran Golden Masters Singles – 55 & Over
  • 26 Veteran Golden Masters Doubles – 55 & Over
  • 27 Veteran Golden Masters ‘B’ Singles – 55 & Over
  • 28 Veteran Golden Masters ‘B’ Doubles – 55 & Over
  • 29 Super Masters Singles – 60 & Over
  • 30 Super Masters Doubles – 60 & Over
  • 31 Super Masters ‘B’ Singles – 60 & Over
  • 32 Super Masters ‘B’ Doubles – 60 & Over
  • 33 Veteran Super Masters Singles – 65 & Over
  • 34 Veteran Super Masters Doubles – 65 & Over
  • 35 Veteran Super Masters ‘B’ Singles – 65 & Over
  • 36 Veteran Super Masters ‘B’ Doubles – 65 & Over
  • 37 Diamond Masters Singles – 70 & Over
  • 38 Diamond Masters Doubles – 70 & Over
  • 39 Veteran Diamond Masters Singles – 75 & Over
  • 40 Veteran Diamond Masters Doubles – 75 & Over
  • 69 Platinum Masters Singles – 80 & Over
  • 70 Platinum Masters Doubles – 80 & Over
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Women’s 4-Wall Events

  • 41 Open Singles
  • 42 Open Doubles (Players must be from the same Country)
  • 43 ‘B’ Singles
  • 44 ‘B’ Doubles
  • 45 ‘C’ Singles
  • 46 ‘C’ Doubles
  • 47 Masters Singles – 40 & Over
  • 48 Masters Doubles – 40 & Over

Boy’s 4-Wall Events

  • 49 11 & Under Singles
  • 50 11 & Under Doubles
  • 51 13 & Under Singles
  • 52 13 & Under Doubles
  • 53 15 & Under Singles
  • 54 15 & Under Doubles
  • 55 17 & Under Singles
  • 56 17 & Under Doubles
  • 57 19 & Under Singles
  • 58 19 & Under Doubles
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Adult 1-Wall Big Ball Events

  • 71 Men’s Open Singles
  • 72 Men’s Open Doubles (Players must be from the same Country)
  • 73 Men’s ‘A’ Singles
  • 74 Men’s ‘A’ Doubles
  • 75 Men’s ‘B’ Singles
  • 76 Men’s ‘B’ Doubles
  • 77 Men’s ‘C’ Singles
  • 78 Men’s ‘C’ Doubles
  • 79 Masters Singles – 40 & Over
  • 80 Masters Doubles – 40 & Over
  • 81 Golden Masters Singles – 50 & Over
  • 82 Golden Masters Doubles – 50 & Over
  • 83 Super Masters Singles – 60 & Over
  • 84 Super Masters Doubles – 60 & Over
  • 85 Diamond Masters Singles – 70 & Over
  • 86 Diamond Masters Doubles – 70 & Over
  • 87 Women’s Open Singles
  • 88 Women’s Open Doubles (Players must be from the same Country)
  • 89 Women’s ‘B’ Singles
  • 90 Women’s ‘B’ Doubles

Girl’s 1-Wall Big Ball Events

  • 101 Girl’s 11 & Under Singles
  • 102 Girls 11 & Under Doubles
  • 103 Girl’s 13 & Under Singles
  • 104 Girl’s 13 & Under Doubles
  • 105 Girl’s 15 & Under Singles
  • 106 Girl’s 15 & Under Doubles
  • 107 Girl’s 17 & Under Singles
  • 108 Girl’s 17 & Under Doubles
  • 109 Girl’s 19 & Under Singles
  • 110 Girl’s 19 & Under Doubles

The Host Committees can run additional grades which must be approved by the World Handball Council. Host Countries do not necessarily have to run all the above grades but final grade choice must be approved by the World Handball Council.

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Photo courtesy Japanese Handball Association

Girl’s 4-Wall Events

  • 59 11 & Under Singles
  • 60 11 & Under Doubles
  • 61 13 & Under Singles
  • 62 13 & Under Doubles
  • 63 15 & Under Singles
  • 64 15 & Under Doubles
  • 65 17 & Under Singles
  • 66 17 & Under Doubles
  • 67 19 & Under Singles
  • 68 19 & Under Doubles

Boy’s 1-Wall Big Ball Events

  • 91 Boy’s 11 & Under Singles
  • 92 Boy’s 11 & Under Doubles
  • 93 Boy’s 13 & Under Singles
  • 94 Boy’s 13 & Under Doubles
  • 95 Boy’s 15 & Under Singles
  • 96 Boy’s 15 & Under Doubles
  • 97 Boy’s 17 & Under Singles
  • 98 Boy’s 17 & Under Doubles
  • 99 Boy’s 19 & Under Singles
  • 100 Boy’s 19 & Under Doubles

Welcoming Ceremony

There should be a ‘Welcoming Ceremony’ organised to celebrate the changing of events from 1-Wall to 4-Wall and the host should make this a memorable occasion by organising a social evening with Cultural Events, Catering, Parade of Nations, welcoming speeches by Hosts and Dignitaries.

Closing Banquet

Host Committees should organise a formal Closing Banquet to celebrate the success of the World Championships. This should take the form of a formal meal, cultural events and formal speeches by Hosts and World Council Officials.

Program

A program covering all events and fixtures should be developed and incorporated in the registration pack. This pack should include a tournament memento also.

Trophies

Medals for 1. 2. and 3. in Gold, Silver and Bronze should be presented for all events at special presentation functions during the Championships. The standard of Medals to be presented should reflect status of the events. Medals for the Men’s and Women’s Open events should be of a higher quality. 

Player Welfare

  • Snack food and Hydration to be provided for players during the Championships.
  • First Aid Personnel and Physiotherapy Services to be available for Players
  • Players can be scheduled for a maximum of 2 games per day. (To facilitate this, Singles should commence first and Doubles delayed for a few days) Schedules may have to be changed during the championships to facilitate this requirement.
  • Last matches should be completed by 10pm. each evening.
  • 1-Wall and 4-Wall matches should not clash. Ideally 1-Wall Championships should finish before 4-Wall Championships begin.
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