Clarifications of the rules of the game

1. ''Time-Out" (2:4)
Infractions during a time-out have the same consequences asinfractions during the playing time.

When is playing time to be interrupted?

Obligatory:

a. when a referee-throw is called
b. when a disqualification or exclusion is given
c. when there is a whistle signal from the timekeeper or the Technical Delegate from the IHF (or Continental Federation)
d. when a 1-minute team time-out is awarded
e. when a 7-meter throw is awarded

In principle:

f. when there are external influences
g. when consultations are necessary
h. when there is a suspected injury
i. when a team gets another player suspended (while a previous 2-minute suspension is still being served)
j. when a team is clearly wasting time, for instance when the goal-keeper is substituted or when a formal throw is to be taken
k. when the ball goes outside the court and is not visible to the referees

Depending on the circumstances:

j. when a warning or 2-minute suspension is given
l. when there is a faulty substitution or when extra players enter the court
m. when a player is throwing the ball away or not giving it up

2. Team time-out (2:4)

Each team has the right to receive one 1-minute team time-out in each half of the regular playing time (but not in overtime). The team time-out should, if possible, be requested by using a green card. Once a team time-out has been requested, the request cannot be withdrawn.

When a team official submits a request for a team time-out to the timekeeper, the time-out shall be granted in either of the following situations:

when the ball has entered the requesting team's own goal;
when the ball has gone across the team's own outer goal-line.
The timekeeper then interrupts the game by blowing the whistle, gives the hand signal for time-out and points with a stretched arm at the team which requested the team time-out. If a green card is used, it should be placed on the table, on the side of the team which requested the team time-out.

If the throw-off or goalkeeper-throw has already been taken, then the team time-out can no longer be granted.

The court referee gives a time-out and the timekeeper stops the clock. The referee gives hand signal 18 (permission to enter the court during time-out), when he has accepted the team time-out. Only then does the timekeeper start a separate clock controlling the duration of the team time-out, and the scorekeeper enters the time-out in the scoresheet for the team that called it and for the appropriate half.

During the team time-out, the teams and team officials remain level with their substitution areas, either on or off the court. The referees stay in the center of the court with the ball, and one of them may briefly go over to the timekeeper's table for consultation.

Infractions during a team time-out have the same consequences as infractions during playing time (Clarification 1). It is irrelevant in this context whether the players concerned are on or off court; under rule 17:3c or 17:3 (final sentence), a suspension may be awarded for unsportsmanlike conduct.

After 50 seconds the timekeeper gives an acoustic signal indicating that the game is to be continued in 10 seconds, restarting with a throw-off or goalkeeper-throw (16:3a).

When the referee blows the whistle, the timekeeper starts the clock.

3. Goalkeeper substitution at the time of a 7-meter throw (4:4)

It is no longer permitted to change goalkeepers once the thrower is ready to take the 7-meter throw, standing in the correct position with the ball in hand. The goalkeeper shall be given a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct in accordance with 17:1d, if he still tries to leave the goal in this situation, and he must remain in goal.

He shall be given a 2-minute suspension if he still goes through with the substitution.

He is also to be suspended, when initially trying to leave his goal, if he already has a warning or if his team already has a total of three warnings.

It does not make any difference if the initiative to the substitution comes from a team official.

4. Several infractions in connection with a substitution (4:4)

If several players each commit an infraction in connection with a substitution, only the first player committing an infraction is to be penalized.

5. Headbands (4:7)

Headbands are allowed for the purpose of confining long hair, as long as they are made of a soft, elastic material.

6. Entering the goal area during a clear chance of scoring (6:2c, 14:1c)

Situation:

an attacking player is waiting for the ball immediately outside the goal-area line, when the ball is rebounding from the goal or the goalkeeper; the defending court player has no chance of getting the ball without committing an infraction; to prevent a clear chance of scoring from arising, the defender enters the goal area and prevents the attacker from catching the ball.

If the referees are convinced that, in these particular circumstances, a clear chance of scoring was taken away, they must award a 7-meter throw (14:1c).

7. Warning signal for passive play (7:10)

If the court referee identifies passive play, he raises his arm (hand signal 19) to indicate that no recognizable attempt is being made to shoot on goal. The goal-line referee should then also adopt this signal. In principle, the court referee then blows his whistle to indicate passive play if the team in possession of the ball makes no recognizable attempt to shoot on goal.

During an attack (which ends with loss of possession) this signal should only be given once. After a free-throw for the attacking team, the team should be penalized for passive play only after the passive play is again recognizable.

The warning signal gives the team in possession an opportunity to respond to the judgment of the referees regarding passive play.

The referees can also call passive play without a prior warning signal when a team is clearly wasting time, for example:

through overly slow substitution of players

by playing the ball too far back into the team's own half, when the ball could have been passed to other teammates;

by not trying to take advantage of an opportunity for a clear shot on goal.

8. Progressive punishment (8:4, 17:1b, 17:5e)
Progressive punishment means that it is not sufficient to penalize a particular foul against an opponent with a free-throw or 7-meter throw only, because the foul goes beyond the type of infraction which may normally occur in the struggle for the ball (8:3-4).

"Actions" directed mainly or exclusively at the opponent and not the ball are to be punished progressively, provided that they fall under rule 8:2. Basically this includes infractions directed at the body of the opponent, such as restraining, holding, pushing, running or jumping into, tripping, or hitting the opponent.

Obstruction, although directed at the body of the opponent, is obviously allowed, as indicated in rule 8:1c.

Each infraction which meets the definition for progressive punishment is to be punished, beginning with a warning, and with a trend of increasingly severe punishments.

Warnings and suspension which are given for other reasons (e.g., standing too close, or not giving up the ball), are to be taken into account in the progressivity, just like the punishments for unsportsmanlike conduct.

9. Unsportsmanlike conduct (8:4, 17:1d)

Examples of unsportsmanlike conduct are:

a. shouting at the player who is taking a 7-meter throw;
b. kicking the ball away during a stoppage, so that the opponent cannot immediately execute the throw that has been awarded;
c. verbally abusing an opponent or a team-mate;
d. when a substitute or team official does not give up the ball when it has ended up outside the side line;
e. delaying the execution of a formal throw;
f. grabbing the uniform of an opponent;
g. if a goalkeeper has requested permission for substitution at a 7-meter throw, thus causing the referees to give "time-out", and then returns to the goal after going out to the substitution area;
h. if a goalkeeper does not give up the ball when a 7-meter throw has been awarded to the opponent;
i. if a court player is repeatedly blocking shots with a foot or lower leg;
j. if defending players repeatedly enter their goal area, or if they are unnecessarily slow in leaving the goal area, and this causes a disadvantage for the opponents;
k. if a player tries to create the (incorrect) impression that an opponent committed an infraction.

10. Serious infractions (8:5, 17:5b)

Examples of serious infractions (in addition to those stated in 8:5) are:

a. clearly intentional tripping;
b. hitting the goalkeeper in the head with a 7-meter throw, if the goalkeeper was not moving.
c. hitting a defending player in the head with a free-throw taken as a direct shot on goal, if the defending player was not moving.

11. Seriously unsportsmanlike conduct (8:6, 17:5d)

Examples of seriously unsportsmanlike conduct are:

a. offences against a referee;
b. throwing or pushing the ball away after a decision by the referees, if the ball goes so far that the action cannot be seen as just unsportsmanlike conduct;
c. if the goalkeeper demonstrates such a passive attitude when a 7-meter throw has been awarded to the opponent, that the referee must assume that he is not trying to stop the shot;
d. taking revenge after having been fouled (hitting back in a reflex action);
e. deliberately throwing the ball at an opponent during a stoppage in the game, unless it is done in such a way that it must be regarded as an assault.

12. Location for the execution of a free-throw (13:2)

In principle, the free-throw shall be taken from the location where the infraction was committed (see, however, Clarification 16).

A player who infringes Rule 17:3d (i.e., not putting the ball down when a call has been made in favor of the opponents) shall be given a 2-minute suspension, and the free-throw shall be taken from the place where the infraction that led to the call was committed.

In other situations, it is permitted to execute the free-throw from the place where the ball is, provided that the distance between this place and the place of the infraction is within the acceptable margin. This margin is about 3 meters at the executing team's own goal-area line and then gradually narrows down to zero for a free-throw taken from the free-throw line of the opponents.

13. Advantage (13:6, 14:10)

Since the goals scored during a game decide its outcome, a free-throw (13:6) or 7-meter throw (14:10) must not be awarded if the attacking team is disadvantaged as a result. Consequently, the referee should wait to see whether an immediately advantageous situation (e.g., numerical superiority, spatial advantage) results and gives the opportunity for a shot on goal.

This delay in intervening is necessary because the notion of advantage takes precedence. If no valid goal was scored (e.g., because of too many steps or entering the goal-area) or the referee blew the whistle too early, he must now award a free-throw or 7-meter throw.

Any punishment that is to be dispensed should be given only when the action has been completed, since although the punishment of the defender is important to the attacking team, it is relatively of secondary importance.

14. Consequences of a direct disqualification (17:5b, d)

A disqualification because of a serious infraction or seriously unsportsmanlike conduct applies, in principle, only to the remainder of the game in which it is given. It is regarded as a decision by the referees on the basis of their observations of facts. Except in cases involving offenses against the referees, there shall be no further consequences of the disqualification beyond the game.

15. Suspension (reduction of the team on the court) in connection with a direct disqualification (17:5a-d, f, last paragraph, 17:6, 17:8-9)

A disqualification of a team official, a player in the substitution area, or a player serving a 2-minute suspension, always leads to a reduction of the team on the court for 2 minutes. Thus, "another player" must leave the court for these 2 minutes (4:6).

If a player who has just been suspended commits another infraction before the game is restarted, this is to be regarded as one continued infraction and only one punishment, the most severe one applicable to any of the actions, shall be given.

If the further infraction takes place only after the game has been restarted, then the player is disqualified (except in the case of an assault, which must be punished by an exclusion, in accordance with rules 17:7-9). The guilty player also receives a further 2-minute suspension, which must be served by "another player" (4:6).

16. Interruption of the game (4:5, 18:14)

If the game is interrupted by a referee or a technical delegate from the IHF (or a continental federation) spotting an infringement, and if players or officials are cautioned or penalized, then the game must be restarted with a free-throw for the opponents from the place of the infraction or, if the ball was at a more favourable position for the opponents, then from where the ball was.

If a clear scoring chance was ruined because of the interruption, then a 7-meter throw shall be awarded.

However, if the game was interrupted by the timekeeper because he himself spotted an infringement, then the game shall be restarted with the throw that corresponds to the game situation; in principle the timekeeper should only draw attention to an infringement when play is interrupted.

The IHF Hand Signals === Contents of IHF Rules === Substitution Area Regulations