<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's Wheelchair Handball Classification Rules and Regulations, in force from 1 January 2025.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 January 2025</b> — approved by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter XXIX of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations — common to both the six-a-side and four-a-side formats</td></tr>
<tr><td>Basis</td><td>The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Classification Code 2024 and its International Standards</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What classification does</h2>
<p>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 <strong>Chapter XXIX</strong> of that body.</p><p>The purpose of classification is to enable players with an <strong>eligible impairment</strong> to compete, by doing two things: first, determining who is eligible, and second, <strong>grouping eligible players into "sport classes"</strong> 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.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Binding scope</b>The 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.</li>
<li><b class="t">Eligible impairments</b>Section 3 of the document sets out the list of eligible impairments; Appendix 5 separately governs the classes relating to <strong>limb deficiency</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">The classification process</b>Section 4 — the longest section of the document — sets out step by step the process of evaluation and allocation of a sport class.</li>
<li><b class="t">Protest and appeal</b>Section 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.</li>
<li><b class="t">Intentional misrepresentation</b>Section 6 is devoted to <strong>intentional misrepresentation of abilities</strong>; conduct treated in Paralympic sport as a distinct and serious offence.</li>
<li><b class="t">Personal data</b>Section 8 governs the processing of personal data — a necessity for a process built on a player's medical information.</li>
<li><b class="t">Technical appendices</b>Appendix 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.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>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.</p>
</div>

IHF Wheelchair Handball Classification Rules and Regulations 2025

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's manual for the organisation of Wheelchair Handball World Championships, in force from 19 February 2021.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>19 February 2021</b> — approved by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter XXVIII of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — thirteen articles</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What this document governs</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 XXVIII</strong> of that set.</p><p>The rights, duties and responsibilities of all parties involved in the preparation and staging of Wheelchair Handball World Championships. The basis for staging them is Article 3.2.5 of the IHF Statutes, which obliges the Federation to organise senior world championships.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Main themes of the document</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Candidature, award and draw</b>Article 1 sets out the candidature procedure: the application must be accompanied by a letter declaring the host federation's undertaking to comply with all organisational and protocol requirements, and <strong>evidence of the support of the national and regional authorities of the host country</strong> must also be provided.</li>
<li><b class="t">Infrastructure and accommodation</b>Articles 5 and 6 set the infrastructure and accommodation requirements; in wheelchair handball these requirements are bound up with accessibility and place a different burden on the host.</li>
<li><b class="t">Visits and workshop</b>Article 7 makes pre-event visits and coordination workshops mandatory.</li>
<li><b class="t">Financial obligations and media rights</b>Articles 8 and 9 determine the allocation of the financial burden and the ownership of media and marketing rights; under the Statutes those rights belong to the IHF.</li>
<li><b class="t">Rights and duties of teams</b>Articles 10 to 12 govern the registration, rights and duties of participating teams, as well as player eligibility, clothing and training sessions.</li>
<li><b class="t">Legal provisions</b>Article 13 is devoted to legal provisions and the competent adjudicating body.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For federations bidding to host, this document is read alongside the two other wheelchair handball documents: the rules of the game for the six-a-side and four-a-side formats, and the classification rules, which determine which player is entitled to compete in which sport class.</p>
</div>

Notes related to the tag wheelchair

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

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

IHF Wheelchair Handball Classification Rules and Regulations 2025

IHF Competition Manual for Wheelchair Handball World Championships 2021