Handball Group Standings Calculator
IHF ranking for a round-robin group, with the reason behind every place
In IHF competitions a handball win is worth 2 points, a draw 1 point to each team and a defeat nothing. When teams finish level on points, the matches between those teams decide first: points, then goal difference, then goals scored in those matches. Only if they are still level do goal difference and goals scored across all group matches count, and the last step is a drawing of lots. Enter the results of a group of 3 to 6 teams and the calculator ranks it in that order.
Leave a match empty if it has not been played.
- A–B
- A–C
- A–D
- B–C
- B–D
- C–D
Enter at least one result.
Learn more
How to organise a handball tournament: groups, timing, table
Run a club or school indoor handball tournament: match length by age group, 2-1-0 points, the IHF tie-break order, overtime and 7-metre throws, the table officials.
Handball competition rules
Formats, judging, technology, equipment — the full competition reference.
Handball glossary
46 handball terms from the IHF Rules of the Game (1 July 2025): 2-minute suspension, blue card, passive play and the 4-pass limit, 7-metre throw, throw-off area, timekeeper.
What you enter and what you get
Choose 3 to 6 teams. The calculator lists every pairing once, so each team meets every other team in one match, and you type the score, for example A 30-28 B. A draw such as 27-27 stays a draw, because the IHF group table gives each team 1 point for it. Leave a match empty if it has not been played.
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| P | matches played |
| W, D, L | wins, draws, defeats |
| Goals | scored-conceded |
| Pts | 2 per win, 1 per draw |
| Why this place | the step of the IHF order that set the position |
The calculator offers one rule set, taken from the Regulations for IHF Competitions (Indoor Handball), edition of 21 August 2024, pages 30 and 31. A forfeit is entered as a 10-0 win, which is the JudgeMate default for handball, and those goals count in the goal difference like any other result.
The IHF order, step by step
The regulations rank teams by total points. If two or more teams are level after all group matches, their order is decided by:
- points in the matches between the teams concerned
- goal difference in those matches
- goals scored in those matches
- goal difference in all group matches
- goals scored in all group matches
- a drawing of lots, held by the IHF representative on site
Steps 1 to 3 build a mini-table from the matches among the tied teams only. With two teams level, that is the one match they played. With three, it is the three matches among them, and results against the rest of the group wait until step 4.
"The teams concerned" are all teams that finished level on points. If the mini-table separates one of three teams and leaves two still level, the calculator keeps using the matches among all three for the next steps. It does not start a fresh mini-table for the remaining two.
In IHF championships with a main round, only results against teams that also qualified are carried over from the preliminary round, both points and goals. This calculator ranks a single group and carries nothing over.
Worked example: three teams on 4 points
A group of four teams plays six matches (4 × 3 ÷ 2):
- A 30-28 B, B 27-22 C, C 29-26 A
- A 35-20 D, B 25-24 D, C 31-21 D
| Team | W | D | L | Goals | Diff. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 0 | 1 | 91-77 | +14 | 4 |
| B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80-76 | +4 | 4 |
| C | 2 | 0 | 1 | 82-74 | +8 | 4 |
| D | 0 | 0 | 3 | 65-91 | −26 | 0 |
A, B and C all beat D and each won one of their games against the other two. In the mini-table every one of them has 2 points, so step 2 decides:
| Team | Matches among A, B, C | Goals | Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 28-30, 27-22 | 55-52 | +3 |
| A | 30-28, 26-29 | 56-57 | −1 |
| C | 22-27, 29-26 | 51-53 | −2 |
The IHF order is B, A, C, D. Sorted by goal difference over all matches, the same group would read A, C, B, D. A's 15-goal win over D counts for nothing in the head-to-head, and B tops the group with the weakest overall difference of the three.
Change two scores, B–C to 27-25 and C–A to 29-27, and the mini-table is level on difference as well, 0 for each team. Step 3 then counts goals scored in those matches: A 57, B 55, C 54. The order becomes A, B, C, although C (+10 overall) has a far better difference than B (+1).
The German variant: DHB Spielordnung §42–43
German club handball follows the DHB Spielordnung (SpO, version of 11 October 2026). Under §42(2) a win is scored as 2:0 points, a draw as 1:1 and a defeat as 0:2. German tables therefore show points won and lost: a team with 4 points from 3 matches stands at 4:2.
For places that decide the title, promotion or relegation, §43(1) looks first at the matches the tied teams played against each other during the season: points, then goal difference. If both are equal, §43 sends the teams to deciding matches under §44. Regional associations may set other rules for their own leagues, and the SpO names goal difference as an example.
This calculator does not offer the DHB variant, and JudgeMate does not compute it. In the first version of the example the DHB order would still be B, A, C, because the head-to-head goal difference separates the three. In the second version the head-to-head is level on points and difference, so the SpO would call for deciding matches where the IHF moves on to goals scored.
Running the group in JudgeMate
JudgeMate ranks group tables with the same code as this calculator. A new handball draw (groups or round robin) and a new handball league start with the IHF rule set, so 2/1/0 and the order above apply with no setup. If you pick Custom points in the draw, 2/1/0 stays in place and you can change it.
By default the organizer enters the results. Players or team managers can enter and confirm group, round-robin and league matches only when the organizer turns that on. Knockout, consolation and third-place matches are closed by the organizer or a referee. The forfeit score starts at 10-0 and can be changed in the draw or league settings.
Run this group live in JudgeMate. For one match, the handball live scoreboard runs the clock, 2-minute suspensions and a 7-metre throw shoot-out. The handball scoring guide explains goals, overtime and shoot-outs within a match.
What this calculator does not do
- One match per pairing. A league with home and away games has two matches between the same teams. The calculator takes one, so a double round robin cannot be entered.
- No drawing of lots. When every step leaves teams level, the "Why this place" column says the rules end in a draw of lots. Holding the draw is up to the organizer.
- No other rule sets. Only the IHF order is available. National leagues and regional associations can rank differently, so check your competition's regulations first.
- Not an official table. Federation tables come from the organizer's records. Use this one to check yours, plan the last round or settle an argument in the stands.