The new rules on headshots, timed games or throw-ins are to be implemented on July 1, 2022 and will therefore apply from the 2022/23 season. The International Handball Federation IHF last made changes to its rules six years ago.
A total of four changes were approved. Only three of them are initially relevant for German handball. Experts see a slight impact on game culture. The tactical game will also have to change in individual points. The rules in detail.
Rule change 1: Reduced number of passes in passive play
In passive play, also known as time play, the attacking team was previously allowed to play six passes before the referee gave the warning signal (raised arm) before the goal had to be thrown. This number of passes is reduced to four. The fifth pass is already blown by the referee and the defending team gets the free throw.
A sensible decision, says Olympic referee Robert Schulze. “We’ve seen that six passes can be extremely long,” Schulze said in an interview with the magazine “Handballwoche”. Furthermore, it remains the highest priority for the referees to set the early warning signs correctly.
Rule change 2: The throw-off zone is expanded
The second change concerns the middle impact, i.e. the throw-off. Previously, the executing player had to stand with one foot on the center line. From July 1st, the throw-off will be performed from the new throw-off circle, which should have a diameter of four meters and is placed in the middle of the center line. In the future, the throw may therefore be made from the movement. This will create new situations in the so-called “fast center”.
The IHF prescribes the throw circle for all IHF events and professional leagues. Whether the throw-on circle should also be implemented in Germany below the federal leagues and whether the playing fields in the halls have to be adapted throughout Germany is a matter for the German Handball Association to decide.
While in the federal leagues there is often a circle on the center line for advertising purposes, the change poses a challenge for amateurs, because the handball fields in the gymnasium and sports halls often do not have their own center circle, but only a line. However, it should be possible to indicate the center circle with adhesive tape or to use an existing center circle of a basketball field, even if the dimensions are not 100 percent correct.
Rule Change 3: Headshot punished with 2-minute suspension
If the goalkeeper is hit in the head from a free play or throwing situation, the thrower may be given a two-minute time penalty. “We want to protect the health of the keepers more, so we welcome the IHF’s decision,” says Kay Holm, referee instructor of the German Handball Federation. Another way to stop unsportsmanlike behavior.
Head hits against the goalkeeper who is not moving or against the head of a defender in a direct free throw have previously been punished in handball – with a disqualification, i.e. a red card.