<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's Rules of the Game for Wheelchair Handball Four-a-Side, in force from 1 July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 July 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX, Section d of the body of regulations of the International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong> — a self-contained set of 13 rules</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>How does four-a-side differ from six-a-side?</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters, headed by the Statutes, with each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter IX, Section d</strong> of that body.</p><p>Unlike the six-a-side format, which consists of modifications to the rules of indoor handball, the four-a-side format <strong>has its own self-contained set of rules</strong>: thirteen rules running from the definition of the game and the team to the court, the goal, the ball, playing attire, straps and violations, together with the wheelchair specifications and a section of clarifications.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Structure of these rules</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Dedicated rules on the court and the goal</b>Rules 6 and 7 set out the dimensions of the court and the goal separately, because they are not identical to those of indoor handball.</li>
<li><b class="t">Straps as a stand-alone rule</b>Rule 11 is devoted to <strong>the straps securing the player to the wheelchair</strong> — a subject with no equivalent in the other formats.</li>
<li><b class="t">Equipment and attire</b>Rules 9 and 10 govern playing equipment and attire separately from one another.</li>
<li><b class="t">Wheelchair specifications and clarifications</b>The second and third parts of the document are devoted to the technical specifications of the wheelchair and to supplementary clarifications of the rules.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>The four-a-side format has its own classification mechanism, which is set out in the Wheelchair Handball classification rules — shared between the six-a-side and four-a-side formats.</p>
</div>

IHF Rules of the Game — Wheelchair Handball Four-a-Side 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's Rules of the Game for Wheelchair Handball Six-a-Side, in force from 1 July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 July 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX, Section C of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — supplements the indoor handball Rules of the Game</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>How do these rules relate to indoor handball?</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters, headed by the Statutes, with each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter IX, Section C</strong> of that body of regulations.</p><p>The document states that the rules of wheelchair handball six-a-side <strong>follow the indoor handball rules in principle</strong>, with only the modifications made necessary by the differing abilities of the players added to them. It must therefore be read alongside the indoor handball rules, not in their place.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Team composition</b>Each team plays with <strong>six players, including one goalkeeper</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Mixed teams and the women's quota</b>Matches are played with mixed teams, and no special rule has been laid down for this; however, <strong>at least three female players</strong> must be present in the team.</li>
<li><b class="t">Delegation size</b>The delegation comprises a maximum of <strong>20 persons</strong>, with a floor of 12 and a ceiling of 16 players.</li>
<li><b class="t">Wheelchair specifications</b>Article 2 of the document specifically sets out the technical specifications of the wheelchair.</li>
<li><b class="t">Basis of the discipline</b>The text defines wheelchair handball on the basis of the spirit of fair play and for players with physical disabilities.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For organisers and wheelchair handball teams, this document is read alongside the guidelines for staging world wheelchair handball competitions and the classification rules — three documents that together form the complete framework of the discipline.</p>
</div>

IHF Rules of the Game — Wheelchair Handball Six-a-Side 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation Rules of the Game — Beach Handball, in force from 1 April 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 April 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX(b) of the International Handball Federation body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — the free-standing rules of beach handball</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Why does beach handball have separate rules?</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters, headed by the Statutes, with each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter IX(b)</strong> of that body of regulations.</p><p>Beach handball is a discipline with a different scoring logic and game structure, and it does not follow the rules of indoor handball. The IHF Regulations for Competitions were likewise confined to indoor handball in the edition of 21 August 2024, and beach competitions were moved to their own regulations.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Structural differences from indoor handball</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">A 6-metre throw instead of a 7-metre throw</b>In beach handball the penalty throw is taken from a distance of <strong>6 metres</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Referee throw</b>Play is started and restarted with a <strong>referee throw</strong> (Rule 10), not a throw-off.</li>
<li><b class="t">Deciding the result</b>Rule 9 covers not only the scoring of goals but also <strong>how the winner of the game is determined</strong> — a mechanism that sits elsewhere in indoor handball.</li>
<li><b class="t">Team time-out within the text of the rules</b>Rule 2 governs playing time, the final signal, time-out and <strong>team time-out</strong> in one place.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For federations and clubs active in beach handball, this document is the free-standing reference, and reliance on the indoor handball rules has no place in this discipline. The authority of the Beach Handball Working Group to approve the trial application of rules is also expressly stated in the Statutes of 21 March 2026.</p>
</div>

IHF Rules of the Game — Beach Handball 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's Rules of the Game for Indoor Handball, in force from 1 July 2025.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 July 2025</b> — approved by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX, Section A of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — 18 rules together with interpretative annexes</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What do the Rules of the Game cover?</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 IX, Section A</strong> of that body.</p><p>Eighteen rules determine everything from the dimensions of the court and the playing time to fouls, sanctions and the duties of the referees, the scorekeeper and the timekeeper. As the document itself states, <strong>the text of the rules, the comments, the referees' hand signals, the supplementary explanations and the substitution area regulations are all part of the rules</strong>; the "Guidelines and Interpretations" guide the application of certain rules, and the "Guide for court and goals" is provided for the user's convenience only and is not part of the rules.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points of this edition</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Structure of the document</b>Rules 1 to 18, followed by five parts: comments on the Rules of the Game, the substitution area regulations, the Guidelines and Interpretations, and the guide for court and goals. The referees' hand signals also appear in this same document.</li>
<li><b class="t">Restructuring under way</b>The document itself states that the Rules of the Game are <strong>being reorganised into three separate documents</strong>; the present structure is therefore provisional.</li>
<li><b class="t">Language of the document and equality</b>The text uses the masculine form for simplicity, but states expressly that the rules apply equally to women and men — with one exception: <strong>the size of the ball</strong>, which is set out separately in Rule 3.</li>
<li><b class="t">Connection with other regulations</b>The technical specifications for the ball, the goals and the flooring are found in Chapter XIII, and permitted protective equipment in its own separate regulations; video review and the electronic time-out also have independent regulations.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>In any protest or disciplinary case arising from an on-court incident, the first question is what the Rules of the Game provide and whether the referee acted within the scope of their authority. Because the comments and the substitution area regulations are themselves part of the rules, reliance on them carries the same authority as the principal text.</p>
</div>

Notes related to the tag rules_of_the_game

IHF Rules of the Game — Wheelchair Handball Four-a-Side 2026

IHF Rules of the Game — Wheelchair Handball Six-a-Side 2026

IHF Rules of the Game — Beach Handball 2026

IHF Rules of the Game — Indoor Handball 2025