<p class="reg-lead">A summary of the changes to the FIBA Official Basketball Rules, in force from 1 October 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 October 2026</b> — published in July 2026, version 1.1</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>25 pages — prepared by FIBA Referee Operations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong></td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What is this document?</h2>
<p>A document FIBA publishes alongside the full text of the rules to ease preparation for the changes. For each amended article it provides two things: the <strong>reason for the change</strong> and the <strong>new rulebook text</strong>. Articles covered: 1 Definitions, 2 Court, 4 Teams, 15 Player in the act of shooting, 24 Dribbling, 36 Technical foul, 37 Unsportsmanlike foul, 38 Disqualifying foul, and the appendices on officials' signals, the scoresheet, the classification of teams and the Instant Replay System.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Primacy of the official text</b>The document itself states that the summary <strong>does not cover all minor and editorial changes</strong> and that, in the event of conflict, <strong>the final text of the Official Basketball Rules prevails</strong>. Legal citation must refer to the text of the rules, not to this summary.</li>
<li><b class="t">Value of the "reason for the change"</b>For each article, the reason for the change is set out expressly — something that does not appear in the rulebook itself and is of value in interpreting the rule-maker's intent.</li>
<li><b class="t">Publication timeline</b>The full text of the rules is published in July 2026 and the official interpretations in September 2026; the summary of changes becomes available before both.</li>
<li><b class="t">Restriction on use</b>The document states that its content must not be altered and must not be presented under the federation's mark without the written permission of FIBA Referee Operations.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For referees, coaches and instructors, the fastest way to see what changes from 1 October 2026. For a lawyer, the "reason for the change" sections can assist in interpreting the new articles — with the caveat that the document itself gives priority to the text of the rules.</p>
</div>

FIBA Official Basketball Rules Changes 2026

<p class="reg-lead">FIBA Basketball Equipment, in force from 1 October 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 October 2026</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>32 pages — the "Equipment" part of the two-part publication of the Official Basketball Rules</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong></td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What this document determines</h2>
<p>The Official Basketball Rules are published in two documents, and this is the second: the <strong>technical specifications for equipment</strong> — backboard, ring and net, backboard support structure, ball, game clock and shot clock, scoreboard, and table equipment.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Separate but integral</b>This document is part of the Official Basketball Rules, not a supplement to them; it enters into force on the same date and with the same authority.</li>
<li><b class="t">Relationship to FIBA approval</b>The technical specifications in this document form the basis of the FIBA equipment approval programme; the list of approved suppliers for designated events is published in an appendix to Book 1 of the Internal Regulations.</li>
<li><b class="t">Use in venue design</b>For organisers and venue owners, this document determines what equipment is acceptable for an official event.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>To equipment manufacturers and organisers. In claims concerning injury or challenges to the conditions under which an event was staged, the equipment's compliance or non-compliance with these specifications is the technical basis of assessment.</p>
</div>

FIBA Basketball Equipment 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The International Basketball Federation's Official Basketball Rules, in force from 1 October 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 October 2026</b> — approved by the FIBA Central Board</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>108 pages — the "Basketball Rules" part of the two-part publication of the Official Rules</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong></td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What are the Official Basketball Rules?</h2>
<p>The Official Basketball Rules (OBR) are approved by the FIBA Central Board and published in two separate documents: <strong>Basketball Rules</strong> and <strong>Basketball Equipment</strong>. A new edition normally comes into force on <strong>1 October</strong> each year. Before approval, the Rules Advisory Group (RAG) — composed of basketball and officiating experts — reviews all proposals and presents them to the Technical Commission.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key changes in this edition</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Restructuring of the foul system</b>The most significant structural change: <strong>the unsportsmanlike foul has given way to two new categories</strong> — Article 37, the <strong>Disruptive Foul</strong>, and Article 38, the <strong>Flagrant Foul</strong>. Article 39 remains the disqualifying foul. Between the personal foul and disqualification there are now two steps rather than one.</li>
<li><b class="t">Definition of the disruptive foul</b>A disruptive foul is illegal contact that does not rise to the level of a flagrant foul but <strong>disrupts the flow of the game</strong> and places the opponent at a disadvantage: unnecessary contact by a defender who is making no legitimate attempt to play the ball and seeks to stop the attacking team's progress on a fast break, or to stop the game clock and shot clock at the end of a quarter or overtime, or contact from behind or from the side against a player advancing towards the opponents' basket with no defender between that player and the basket.</li>
<li><b class="t">Two classes of technical foul</b>Article 36 divides technical fouls into <strong>Class 1 and Class 2</strong>. <strong>Only a Class 1 technical foul leads to ejection from the game</strong>; Class 2 does not count towards ejection. Class 1 covers conduct such as disrespectful contact with referees and officials, using provocative language or gestures towards spectators, and baiting or taunting an opponent.</li>
<li><b class="t">Redefinition of the "act of shooting"</b>Article 15 defines more precisely where the <strong>act of shooting</strong> begins and ends, and sets out separate definitions for the jump shot, the drive to the basket and other moving shots. The stated reason is explicit: players are increasingly manipulating the situation to draw a shooting foul. In addition, <strong>a shot from a team's own half of the court is disregarded</strong>, except at the end of a quarter or overtime or at the end of the shot clock.</li>
<li><b class="t">Second dribble</b>Article 24 clarifies that after a player's first dribble has ended, the player may dribble again only if they have lost control of the live ball — through a shot, through an opponent touching the ball, or when the ball touches another player on a pass or a fumble.</li>
<li><b class="t">Colour of the court lines</b>Article 2.5: the colour of the boundary lines and court markings may vary to make <strong>event branding</strong> possible — provided that all boundary lines are the same colour and each pair of markings on the two halves of the court match. The centre line and centre circle may be a different colour.</li>
<li><b class="t">Apparel</b>Article 4.3: the requirement that <strong>socks be visible</strong> has been removed. Long-sleeved shirts are not permitted, sleeves must end above the elbow, the shirt must be tucked into the shorts and the shorts must end above the knee; the socks of all team members must be of the same dominant colour.</li>
<li><b class="t">Commissioner and technical delegate</b>Article 1.1: wherever the rule book refers to the "commissioner", this also includes the <strong>technical delegate</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>In any challenge to a referee's decision, the text of the rules is the starting point. The restructuring of the foul system has a direct practical effect: conduct previously classed as "unsportsmanlike" must now fall into one of the two categories of disruptive or flagrant foul, and the distinction between Class 1 and Class 2 technical fouls determines whether a player is ejected from the game. The <strong>Official Interpretations (OBRI)</strong>, which show how these rules are applied, are published separately.</p>
</div>

FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The current edition, in force from 1 August 2026; it broke the advertising tariff down by national-federation category, gave the solidarity distribution to clubs a defined mechanism, and made federation investment conditional on expert review.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force from</td><td><b>1 August 2026</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Published by</td><td>Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) — 2026 edition</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Financial Regulations, 2026 edition + annex of tariffs and signature policy</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — the governing financial regulations</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What are the FIVB Financial Regulations?</h2>
<p>The FIVB Financial Regulations govern the federation's sources of revenue and how it is spent: the annual membership fees of national federations, event revenue and commercial rights, the share received from the International Olympic Committee, fines, and, on the other side, financial support for national federations, confederations and development centres. The tariff for advertising on team shirts and the policy on signing financial documents are also set out in this document.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>About the August 2026 edition<span class="reg-tag">Changes from June 2018</span></h2>
<h3>Key changes from the previous edition</h3>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Advertising tariff by national-federation category</b>The tariff for shirt advertising was set separately by category. For <strong>category three</strong> federations: the senior World Championship 7,500 francs, Olympic qualification tournaments 5,000, the U21 World Championship 1,750, the U19 and U17 championships 1,250, the Club World Championships 2,500 and the Nations League 5,000 francs; the figures for the higher category are double these amounts. For <strong>category one and two</strong> federations, <strong>no tariff</strong> is charged in world competitions.</li>
<li><b class="t">Solidarity distribution and international transfers</b>The mechanism for <strong>solidarity distribution to clubs</strong> was made explicit; if a national federation does not forward a club's request to the FIVB, <strong>the club may apply directly</strong> to the FIVB or the confederation. International transfers are subject to the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) procedure.</li>
<li><b class="t">Document signature policy</b>All contracts and mandates must be concluded in accordance with the <strong>signature policy approved by the Board of Administration</strong>, and the text of that policy is annexed to the regulations.</li>
<li><b class="t">Expert-review condition for investments</b>Before any investment, and likewise before the sale of an invested asset, the federation is required to <strong>consult experts and carry out the necessary review in accordance with market standards</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Support payments made conditional</b>No payment is made to a confederation that <strong>has not submitted its annual report and financial statements</strong>, and support for development centres is conditional on a report showing the coaches, the number and names of participants, the duration and programme, and the support received.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For national federations, two parts of this document have direct application: the tariffs and payment deadlines — breach of which leads to loss of voting rights at the Congress — and the <strong>development support</strong> mechanism, receipt of which is conditional on submitting reports and financial statements. Clubs, in turn, deal with this text through the <strong>solidarity distribution</strong> mechanism and international transfers.</p>
</div>

FIVB Financial Regulations 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The Safeguarding Policy of the International Handball Federation, in force from 27 July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>27 July 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter XXX of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong> — the most recently added chapter of the compendium</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What this policy governs</h2>
<p>With this document the International Handball Federation has committed itself to providing a safe environment in which everyone can train and compete with respect, with equality and <strong>free from every form of harassment and abuse</strong>. The Safeguarding Policy rests on Article 1.4 of the IOC Code of Ethics and Article 5 of the IHF Ethics Code — the provision that makes safeguarding the dignity of the individual a fundamental requirement of the world federation.</p><p><em>This chapter has not yet been entered in the list of regulations annexed to the Statutes, which runs to Chapter XXIX; the document itself bears the number XXX.</em></p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">A non-exhaustive list of prohibited conduct</b>Article 5 enumerates the prohibited forms of conduct and makes clear that the list is not exhaustive: harassment and abuse (including bullying, neglect and psychological or physical violence), any crime or breach of law that raises a safeguarding concern, any form of coercion that results in abuse, and breaches of this Policy or of the Code of Conduct in Annex 1.</li>
<li><b class="t">Failure to report is itself a violation</b><strong>Failing to report a safeguarding concern, suspicion or allegation appears in the list of prohibited conduct.</strong> Knowingly making a false or misleading report, abusing the process and breaching confidentiality are likewise treated as violations.</li>
<li><b class="t">The duty to report where children are concerned</b>Where the concern relates to a <strong>player under 18</strong>, anyone who becomes aware of a possible violation, or reasonably suspects one, <strong>is obliged to report it</strong>. For an adult player, the player's own consent must in principle be obtained, unless there is reasonable cause to believe that danger is imminent or that the conduct may amount to a crime.</li>
<li><b class="t">Protection of the reporter</b>Anyone who reports in good faith <strong>must not be exposed to retaliation</strong>; the world federation has made a confidential reporting system available.</li>
<li><b class="t">Reporting channels</b>An online form on the IHF website and social media that <strong>allows anonymous reporting</strong>, a dedicated safeguarding e-mail address, and approaching in person the Safeguarding Officer or — in that officer's absence at an event — a trained "contact point".</li>
<li><b class="t">The Safeguarding Officer and the working group</b>All reports reach the IHF Safeguarding Officer, who assesses them together with the Safeguarding Working Group. Article 9 also makes training mandatory, and National Federations and Continental Confederations have their own obligations under Article 4.</li>
<li><b class="t">Precise definitions</b>Article 2 defines terms such as <strong>hazing</strong> (humiliating and dangerous initiation rituals for new members of a team), interpersonal violence and neglect — definitions that make the scope of the Policy clear.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For National Federations and clubs, two points carry direct legal weight: the duty to report where players under 18 are concerned, the omission of which is itself a violation, and the requirement to have a safeguarding policy and code of conduct in place at national level. Proceedings for violations run through the Ethics Commission, and the IHF Ethics Code, in its edition of 21 December 2025, has entrusted the route of appeal to the International Handball Court of Arbitration.</p>
</div>

IHF Safeguarding Policy 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The mechanism for the selection of beach handball referees and technical officials of the International Handball Federation, published in July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Published</td><td><b>July 2026</b> — International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Implementing body</td><td>Refereeing Section of the Beach Handball Working Group (BHWG)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong></td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Why does beach handball have a separate mechanism?</h2>
<p>Beach handball is a dynamic discipline with technical, tactical and regulatory characteristics of its own. Referees are therefore expected not only to have an excellent command of the <strong>Beach Handball Rules of the Game</strong>, but to apply them with confidence, precision, teamwork and game understanding in a fast-paced environment. Unlike indoor handball, where responsibility lies with the Playing Rules and Referees Commission, training, evaluation and nomination in this discipline rest with the <strong>Refereeing Section of the Beach Handball Working Group</strong>.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Core elements of the mechanism</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Combination of criteria</b>The nomination process combines objective performance evaluation with long-term development through structured training and continuous monitoring, as well as <strong>geographical and gender representation</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Stated objective</b>To appoint the most qualified, most experienced and best-prepared referees and technical delegates for beach handball competitions, while supporting the sustainable global development of the discipline.</li>
<li><b class="t">A different authority</b>The Beach Handball Working Group is the same body to which the Statutes of 21 March 2026 grant the power to approve the trial implementation of rules in this discipline; responsibility for refereeing is likewise concentrated there.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-note">This document bears no adoption date; the date given is the time of its publication on the website of the International Handball Federation.</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For referees and federations active in beach handball, the competent body is the Beach Handball Working Group, not the Playing Rules and Referees Commission — a distinction that must be observed in correspondence and applications.</p>
</div>

IHF Selection of Technical Officials and Referees — Beach Handball

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's mechanism for selecting indoor handball referees and technical officials, published in July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Published</td><td><b>July 2026</b> — International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Implementing body</td><td>Playing Rules and Referees Commission (PRC)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong> — supplements Chapters XI and XII</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What does this document clarify?</h2>
<p>The IHF seeks to appoint the most qualified and best-prepared referees and technical delegates to its events. This document shows how the nomination process brings together <strong>performance assessment, structured training, continuous monitoring, and geographical and gender representation</strong>. Responsibility for development, assessment and nomination rests with the Playing Rules and Referees Commission.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Requirements and pathway</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Prerequisites for referees</b>A referee pair must hold <strong>continental referee rank</strong>, and as a general rule <strong>at least two years' experience at continental level</strong> is required. The maximum age for obtaining IHF referee rank is <strong>40</strong>, and candidates are expected to have several years of high-level refereeing experience. Successful completion of the Global Referee Training Programme (GRTP) or an Official Refereeing Assessment (ORA) is mandatory.</li>
<li><b class="t">Prerequisites for technical delegates</b>Technical delegates must hold continental rank and <strong>officiate actively in the top league of their country</strong>. For former IHF elite referees and former international players, a <strong>fast-track pathway</strong> is provided where their experience and competence justify it.</li>
<li><b class="t">Global talent-scouting network</b>The IHF has established a worldwide network of refereeing experts who continuously observe pairs holding continental rank in domestic and continental competitions. Promising pairs enter a <strong>long-term talent database</strong>, administered by the Playing Rules and Referees Commission, and their performance is assessed over several seasons.</li>
<li><b class="t">Recruitment philosophy</b>The criterion is <strong>long-term capacity, not performance at a single point in time</strong>; continuous observation allows the Commission to support a referee throughout their development.</li>
<li><b class="t">Development projects</b>The IHF Trophy gives referees holding continental or national rank the opportunity to officiate international matches between emerging national teams under experienced Commission lecturers.</li>
<li><b class="t">Priority for women and young referees</b>The document emphasises building sustainable pathways for talented young referees and <strong>increasing the share of women</strong> among referees and technical delegates.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-note">The document bears no adoption date of its own; the date given is the time of its publication on the International Handball Federation's website.</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For national federations, this document gives a clear picture of the path by which a referee pair reaches international level, and shows why investment must begin several seasons before a referee approaches the age limit of 40. The Regulations for International and Continental Referees and the Regulations for Official Refereeing Courses set the binding framework for that same path.</p>
</div>

IHF Selection of Technical Officials and Referees — Indoor Handball

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's roadmap towards gender equality, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as its horizon — status as of July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Published</td><td><b>July 2026</b> — International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Subject</td><td>The share of women among international referees and delegates</td></tr>
<tr><td>Horizon</td><td>The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with a mid-term target of the end of 2026</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What is this document?</h2>
<p>A short, figures-based document that sets the current share of women among international handball referees and delegates against the stated targets. Unlike the chapters of the body of regulations, it lays down no binding provisions; it sets <strong>benchmarks and targets</strong>.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>The reported figures</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Referee pairs</b>In July 2026 the number of active referee pairs was <strong>76</strong>, and the target for the end of that year is <strong>80</strong> pairs.</li>
<li><b class="t">The share of women in refereeing</b>Of that number, <strong>14 women's pairs</strong> were active — that is, <strong>18.4 per cent</strong> — and the target for the end of 2026 is 16 pairs and <strong>20 per cent</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Delegates</b>The number of active delegates was <strong>56</strong>, with a target of <strong>60</strong>; of these, <strong>16 were women</strong>, that is <strong>28.6 per cent</strong>, with a target of 19 and <strong>31.7 per cent</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-note">The document bears no adoption date; the date given is the time of its publication on the International Handball Federation's website.</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>The selection mechanisms for referees and technical officials — in both indoor and beach handball — count gender representation, alongside performance assessment, among the selection criteria, and the regulations governing official refereeing courses likewise allow the Playing Rules and Referees Commission to grant exceptions from the age limit with gender balance in mind. This document shows what figures those provisions have produced in practice.</p>
</div>

IHF Roadmap Towards Gender Equality — July 2026

<p class="reg-lead">Procedure for handling medical emergencies at International Handball Federation events, published in July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Published</td><td><b>July 2026</b> — International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Operational procedure — supplements the Athletes' Health and Safety Regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong></td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What this procedure determines</h2>
<p>A medical emergency during a handball match can occur <strong>on the court or in the spectator stands</strong>, and each calls for a different approach. On-court incidents concern players and officials; emergencies in the stands concern spectators and other persons. This procedure sets out the steps for managing both situations.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>The prescribed steps</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Initial recognition on the court</b>Players, referees or coaches must, on seeing a player in an emergency condition or injured, <strong>immediately signal for play to be stopped</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Immediate stoppage of play</b>Officials or referees must assess the situation and, in any serious injury or medical emergency, <strong>stop play immediately</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Notification of the event representative</b>The event representative must be informed immediately so that they coordinate all necessary measures with the organising committee and the medical team.</li>
<li><b class="t">Separation of resources</b>A separate pathway is provided for emergencies in the spectator stands — the same separation that the Athletes' Health and Safety Regulations require in the event medical plan.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-note">This document bears no adoption date; the date given is the time of its publication on the International Handball Federation's website.</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For event organisers and event medical staff, this procedure is the operational counterpart of the duties laid down by the Athletes' Health and Safety Regulations and is read alongside them.</p>
</div>

Notes related to the tag فدراسیون