Playing handball to instructions under the IHF rules

25 min

Putting the plan on court

A handball match moves fast: the ball can travel from one goal area to the other in three seconds. A team that has agreed a plan beforehand, which defence to play, who leads the counter-attack, how to attack against a 6-0, reacts faster than a team that has to think. In this lesson you play full matches to the coach's instructions, with pupils as referees and timekeepers, under the International Handball Federation (IHF) Rules of the Game, edition of 1 March 2025.

Definition

Throw-off: the restart at the start of each half and after every goal, taken from the throw-off area in the centre.

7 m throw: a direct shot at goal from the 7 m line, awarded when a foul destroys a clear chance of scoring. The goalkeeper must stay behind the 4 m line until the ball is thrown.

Team time-out: a 1-minute break that a team may request when it has the ball, by placing a green card on the timekeeper's table.

The court

Rules for match play

Topic	IHF Rules of the Game (2025 edition)
Players	7 on court: 6 court players and 1 goalkeeper. Substitutes may come on at any time, without telling the timekeeper, through their own substitution line once the player leaving has crossed it.
Playing time	2 × 30 minutes for players aged 16 and above; 2 × 25 minutes for ages 12 to 16; 2 × 20 minutes for ages 8 to 12. Half-time is normally 10 minutes.
Ball	Size 3 (58 to 60 cm) for men aged 16 and over; size 2 (54 to 56 cm) for women, girls aged 14 and over, and boys aged 12 to 16; size 1 for younger players.
With the ball	At most 3 steps and 3 seconds; no second dribble after catching the ball; no deliberate touching with the leg below the knee or the foot.
Goal area	Only the goalkeeper may stand in it. An attacker may jump into it to shoot if the ball leaves the hand before landing.
Restarts	Throw-in from the side line; goalkeeper throw from the goal area; free throw from the place of the foul (or from just outside the 9 m line); 7 m throw within 3 seconds of the whistle.
Time-outs	One 1-minute team time-out per half; competitions may instead allow three per match, at most two per half.
Head shots (2025)	A 7 m throw that hits the goalkeeper's head, or a free throw after the final signal that hits a defender's head, earns the thrower a 2-minute suspension, unless that player moved his head towards the ball.

Following instructions in a match

Before the match: the coach names the defence (for example 6-0), the counter-attack runners (usually the wings), the playmaker, and one set move against the opponents' defence.
During play: the centre back calls the move; defenders call "Mine!", "Switch!" or "Help!"; the goalkeeper organises the defence and starts the counter-attack with a quick throw.
At the time-out: the coach changes one or two things only, such as switching to a 5-1 against a playmaker who is scoring freely.
Officials: two referees share the court; a timekeeper and a scorekeeper sit at the table between the substitution lines and record goals, cards and suspensions.

Video: "The Rules of Handball (Team Handball or Olympic Handball) - EXPLAINED!", Ninh Ly. A clear summary of the basic rules. Since 2022 the throw-off after a goal is taken from the 4 m throw-off area in the centre, as the table above says.

Worked example

Worked example: choosing the ball and the playing time. Your S3 class has girls and boys aged 14 and 15 and plays a mixed class match.

Ball: size 2 suits women and girls aged 14 and over and boys aged 12 to 16, so everyone in the class uses size 2.
Time: for ages 12 to 16 the rules give 2 × 25 minutes. A 40-minute lesson cannot fit that, so the teams agree 2 × 12 minutes with a 3-minute half-time and announce it before the throw-off.
Total: $2 \times 12 + 3 = 27$ minutes, leaving time for the warm-up and cool-down.

Tip

Threes to remember. 3 steps, 3 seconds, 3 m wide goal, and 3 seconds to take a throw-off or a 7 m throw after the whistle.

Warning

Fair play and safety. Wear clean indoor shoes, remove jewellery and keep fingernails short. Throw at the goal, never at the goalkeeper's head. Accept every referee decision without arguing; protests earn a warning or a suspension.

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Practice

Give the length and width of the court and the size of a goal.
Where is the 7 m throw taken from, and where must the goalkeeper stand?
How long are the halves for 15-year-olds under the IHF rules?
Which ball size should a 15-year-old boy use?
A court player takes four steps while holding the ball. What is awarded?
A wing lands in the goal area before releasing the ball, and the ball goes in. What is the decision?
Your team leads by one goal with 90 seconds left and has the ball. What instructions would you give at your team time-out?
Organise a class tournament for 28 pupils with one court and 60 minutes.

Show answersHide answers

40 m by 20 m; the goal is 3 m wide and 2 m high.
From the 7 m line; the goalkeeper must stay behind the 4 m line until the ball is thrown.
2 × 25 minutes (age group 12 to 16).
Size 2 (boys aged 12 to 16).
A free throw to the opponents (too many steps).
No goal: he entered the goal area with the ball before releasing it; a goalkeeper throw is awarded to the defending team.
Example: keep possession with safe passes and attack only when a clear chance appears, while avoiding passive play (show a real attempt to attack); everyone gets back quickly on defence if the ball is lost.
Example: four teams of 7; six matches of 8 minutes (each team plays three), with teams not playing acting as referees and timekeepers; a 2-minute changeover between matches.

Remember

Court 40 m × 20 m; goal 3 m × 2 m; lines at 4, 6, 7 and 9 m.
7 players a side; flying substitutions through your own substitution line.
Ages 12 to 16: 2 × 25 minutes, size 2 ball.
Throw-off from the throw-off area after every goal; head shots on 7 m throws cost 2 minutes.

1Putting the plan on court

2The court

3Rules for match play

4Following instructions in a match

Putting the plan on court

The court

Rules for match play

Following instructions in a match