<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's Regulations for International and Continental Referees, in force from 16 April 2024.</p>
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<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>16 April 2024</b> — approved by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter XI of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — administered by the Playing Rules and Referees Commission (PRC)</td></tr>
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<h2>What these regulations determine</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters headed by the Statutes, each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter XI</strong> of that set.</p><p>The document determines who counts as an "international referee", how a referee reaches that grade, how a referee leaves it, and how the <strong>annual list of international referees</strong> is drawn up. The "continental" grade is also recognised in this same document, for a limited purpose.</p>
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<h2>Key points</h2>
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<li><b class="t">Function of the annual list</b>The purpose of publishing the "list of international referees" annually is to establish officially <strong>which referees are, at any given time, eligible to officiate at world championships, the Olympic Games and other IHF events</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Global Referee Training Programme (GRTP)</b>The aim of this programme is to recruit and train young, talented referees from every continent within a single common framework. Following its launch, the list of international referees consists of two groups: those who have reached this level through the GRTP route or through formal assessment, and those who qualified before the programme was launched.</li>
<li><b class="t">Assessment requirement</b>A candidate must <strong>officiate at least two matches</strong> during the course or assessment, and must pass the rules test, the shuttle run test and the video test.</li>
<li><b class="t">Badges</b>On success, the referee receives the <strong>IHF light blue badge</strong> following the first GRTP course or assessment in their own country, and the <strong>standard blue badge</strong> following the second course or participation in the Youth or Junior World Championships.</li>
<li><b class="t">Continental quotas</b>Inviting referees from one continent to another must proceed through the Playing Rules and Referees Commission and with the agreement and cooperation of the continental confederation concerned; the number of such candidates at a given event must also not exceed one third of the total number of referees at that event.</li>
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<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For referees pursuing the international route, this document is read alongside the regulations on official refereeing courses; that document sets the conditions and content of the tests, and this one the referee's status and rights after passing them.</p>
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Notes related to the tag referees

IHF Regulations for International and Continental Referees 2024