IHF Wheelchair Handball Classification Rules and Regulations 2025

The International Handball Federation's Wheelchair Handball Classification Rules and Regulations, in force from 1 January 2025.

In force1 January 2025 — approved by the IHF Council
StructureChapter XXIX of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations — common to both the six-a-side and four-a-side formats
BasisThe International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Classification Code 2024 and its International Standards

What classification does

The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) are a set of numbered chapters headed by the Statutes, each chapter governing one area. This document is Chapter XXIX of that body.

The purpose of classification is to enable players with an eligible impairment to compete, by doing two things: first, determining who is eligible, and second, grouping eligible players into "sport classes" according to the extent to which their impairment affects their performance. The international federation is required to provide the opportunity for a sport class and sport class status to be determined, and to give players and national federations advance notice.

Key points

  1. Binding scopeThe rules are binding on the international federation, each continental confederation, each national federation and their representatives, all players and support personnel registered with the IHF or participating in wheelchair handball events, all classification personnel, all participants in evaluation sessions — in person or virtual — and anyone who accepts them in writing.
  2. Eligible impairmentsSection 3 of the document sets out the list of eligible impairments; Appendix 5 separately governs the classes relating to limb deficiency.
  3. The classification processSection 4 — the longest section of the document — sets out step by step the process of evaluation and allocation of a sport class.
  4. Protest and appealSection 5 governs the mechanism for protesting an allocated class and Appendix 6 is the protest form — a route independent of the federation's general adjudicatory bodies.
  5. Intentional misrepresentationSection 6 is devoted to intentional misrepresentation of abilities; conduct treated in Paralympic sport as a distinct and serious offence.
  6. Personal dataSection 8 governs the processing of personal data — a necessity for a process built on a player's medical information.
  7. Technical appendicesAppendix 1 contains the detailed specifications of each sport class, Appendix 2 a summary of the classification system and Appendix 3 the movement characteristics of wheelchair handball broken down by class.

Who this document matters to

For a wheelchair handball player, the sport class determines the right to participate, and a protest against it has its own route and time limit. Because these rules implement the International Paralympic Committee Classification Code 2024, they are interpreted alongside that Code.