Handball Glossary

A personal punishment that takes the player off the court for 2 minutes of playing time, and the team may not replace him (Rule 16:5). The time starts with the whistle that restarts play. A suspension still running at half-time carries over to the second half, and from regular time into overtime. The JudgeMate handball scoreboard counts each suspension down on screen.

The goalkeeper's restraining line, 15 cm long and 4 m in front of the goal (Rule 1:7). During a 7-metre throw the goalkeeper must keep one foot on or behind it until the ball leaves the thrower's hand. If he crosses it and no goal is scored, the throw is retaken, with no personal punishment (Rule 14:9).

Some combinations of punishments leave a team short for 4 minutes (Rule 16:9). For example, a player who has just been suspended and then behaves unsportingly before the restart gets a second 2-minute suspension at once. If that is his third suspension, he is disqualified.

Awarded when a clear chance of scoring is destroyed illegally anywhere on the court, for example by a foul or by a defender stepping into the goal area (Rule 14:1). The thrower stands behind the 7-metre line, no more than 1 m back, and must shoot within 3 seconds of the referee's whistle. Commentators often call it a penalty.

The tie-breaker after overtime, if the competition rules use it (Rule 2:2 Comment). Each team nominates 5 players who throw alternately, and the series stops early once one side can no longer catch up. If still level, both teams nominate five more and the first difference after an equal number of throws decides. Players suspended or disqualified at the end of playing time may not take part.

A 1-metre line directly in front of the goal, 7 m from the goal line (Rule 1:6). The 7-metre thrower stands no more than 1 m behind it and may not touch or cross it before the ball has left his hand.

The dashed free-throw line, 3 m outside the goal-area line (Rule 1:5). Players of the throwing team may not touch or cross it before a free throw is taken. During a 7-metre throw everyone except the thrower stays outside it, and defenders also keep 3 m from the 7-metre line.

Rule 13:2 tells referees not to stop the game too early. After a foul by the defenders they wait until the attacking team has lost the ball or cannot continue its attack. A personal punishment for that foul can still be given once the situation is over.

Shown by the referee straight after the red card when the disqualification will be reported in writing, for example after a particularly reckless foul or extremely unsportsmanlike conduct (Rules 8:6, 8:10, 16:8). It adds nothing on the court; any further ban comes from the disciplinary body. The JudgeMate handball scoreboard records it next to the yellow and red cards.

With resin, size 3 (58–60 cm, 425–475 g) is used by men and boys aged 16 and over; size 2 (54–56 cm, 325–375 g) by women, girls from 14 and boys aged 12 to 16; and size 1 (50–52 cm, 290–330 g) by younger girls and boys from 8 (Rule 3:2). Balls played without resin are a little smaller and lighter. Mini handball has no regulated ball.

Clarification No. 6 lists three cases: a player with ball and body control at the opponents' goal-area line, with no defender able to stop the shot legally; a player alone on a counter-attack against the goalkeeper; or an attacker with a free shot at an empty goal. Destroying it illegally gives a 7-metre throw.

Removes a player or team official for the rest of the playing time; they must leave the court and the substitution area (Rule 16:8). During the playing time it always costs the team a 2-minute reduction on court as well. On the JudgeMate scoreboard a red card marks the player as disqualified and starts a 2-minute countdown for the team.

The last IHF criterion when no other separates the teams, carried out by the IHF representative on site, if possible in front of the team officials. JudgeMate does not draw lots. A tie the rules cannot split is shown to the organiser, who sets the order.

The usual restart after a violation such as too many steps, passive play or a foul that does not destroy a clear chance (Rule 13:1). It is normally taken without a whistle from the spot of the violation, but never from inside the opponents' free-throw line. Opponents keep 3 m away, though they may stand right at their own goal-area line.

Hand signal 17, a raised arm telling the team in possession that its attack is turning passive (Rule 7:12). From then on the team has a maximum of 4 passes. If the 5th pass is received and no shot has been taken, the referees give a free throw against that team. National federations may allow more passes for youth and lower levels, up to six.

Coming on before the replaced player has left, or not using your own team's substitution line (Rule 4:5). The guilty player gets a 2-minute suspension and the opponents a free throw; if several players err in the same situation, only the first is punished. The timekeeper usually stops the game for it.

The restart when the goalkeeper controls the ball in the goal area, when the ball crosses the outer goal line after the goalkeeper or an attacker touched it last, or when an attacker enters the goal area illegally (Rule 12:1). The goalkeeper throws from the goal area over the goal-area line, without a whistle. A team playing without a goalkeeper must first bring one on.

The zone in front of each goal, line included, which only the goalkeeper may enter (Rules 1:4, 6:1). An attacker who enters it with the ball gives a goalkeeper throw. A defender who enters and gains an advantage gives a free throw, or a 7-metre throw if that destroys a clear chance of scoring (Rule 6:2).

A 3-metre straight line 6 m in front of the goal, joined to the outer goal line by two quarter circles with a 6-metre radius (Rule 1:4). Touching the line already counts as entering the goal area.

Scored when the whole ball has crossed the goal line between the posts (Rule 9:1). The goal line referee confirms it with two short whistle blasts and hand signal 12. Once the referee has whistled for the next throw-off, the goal can no longer be cancelled (Rule 9:2).

Goals scored minus goals conceded. Under the IHF order it comes after the head-to-head criteria: first the goal difference in all matches, then the greater number of goals scored in all matches.

Hand signal 2, often called a double dribble. Once a player catches the ball after bouncing it, he must play it within 3 seconds or 3 steps and may not dribble again until the ball has touched another player or the goal (Rule 7:4, 7:7). Fumbling a ball while trying to catch it is not penalised.

A special rule for the end of a match (Rule 8:11). If a player or official delays or blocks a throw for the opponents to stop them from shooting, or commits certain fouls with the ball in play, he is disqualified and the opponents get a 7-metre throw. If the fouled player or a teammate still scores before play stops, there is no 7-metre throw.

Played after a 5-minute break when a match that needs a winner is tied after regular time (Rule 2:2). It consists of 2 halves of 5 minutes with a 1-minute break, and a second overtime of the same length follows if the score is still level. The JudgeMate handball scoreboard runs up to two overtimes and then the 7-metre throwing.

A foul by a player of the team in possession, shown with hand signal 6. The defending team gets a free throw (Rule 13:1a). Like any foul, it may also bring a warning or a suspension, depending on how it was committed.

Keeping the ball without a recognisable attempt to attack or shoot, or repeatedly delaying your own team's throw-off, free throw, throw-in or goalkeeper throw (Rule 7:11). The penalty is a free throw for the opponents from where the ball was, normally after the forewarning signal. Referees may whistle it without the signal, for instance when a player deliberately passes up a clear chance.

A team may replace its goalkeeper with a court player, so up to 7 court players are on the court at once (Rule 4:1). A defender who enters the goal area to block or catch a shot at the empty goal gets an immediate 2-minute suspension (Rule 8:8i). Before a goalkeeper throw, a goalkeeper has to come back on.

Two halves of 30 minutes for players aged 16 and over, 2 × 25 minutes for ages 12 to 16 and 2 × 20 minutes for ages 8 to 12 (Rule 2:1). The half-time break is normally 10 minutes and at most 15. The JudgeMate scoreboard clock counts up from 0:00 to 60:00, and the organiser can change the length and number of periods for a bracket or a single match.

Fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct are punished in steps, from warning through 2-minute suspension to disqualification (Rules 8:3, 8:7, 16). Fouls aimed at the body start at the warning (Rule 8:3), but some heavier ones, for example with high intensity or against the head or neck, skip the warning and go straight to a suspension (Rule 8:4). A foul that endangers the opponent's health is a disqualification (Rule 8:5).

A rectangle 40 m long and 20 m wide with a goal area at each end (Rule 1:1). The goals measure 2 m high and 3 m wide inside, with posts and crossbar 8 cm square. A safety zone of at least 1 m along the side lines and 2 m behind the goal lines should surround the court.

In IHF group play a win earns 2 points, a draw 1 and a defeat none (Regulations for IHF Competitions). German leagues show the same scale as plus and minus points, so a win is written 2:0, a draw 1:1 and a defeat 0:2 (DHB-Spielordnung §42). A new handball bracket or league in JudgeMate starts with the IHF ranking rules and 2-1-0.

Keeps the team rosters and the score sheet and enters players who arrive after the start (Rule 18:1); checking substitutions is shared with the timekeeper. In a JudgeMate tournament the organiser enters results by default. Teams can report and confirm group, round-robin and league matches only when the organiser switches that on, and knockout matches are always closed by the organiser or a referee.

Hand signal 3 covers both too many steps and holding the ball for more than 3 seconds (Rule 7:2–3). A player may take at most 3 steps with the ball; landing on one foot, or on both feet at once, after catching in the air is not counted as a step. The opponents get a free throw.

The part of the side line in front of each bench, from the centre line to a point 4.5 m away (Rule 1:10). Substitutes may come on at any time and as often as they like without telling the table, as long as the player they replace has already left through the same line (Rule 4:4).

A 1-minute break each team may take once in each half of regular time, never in overtime (Rule 2:10). A team official lays the green card on the timekeeper's table while the team has the ball; 50 seconds in, a signal warns that play resumes in 10 seconds. Federations may allow three per match instead, at most two in one half. The JudgeMate handball scoreboard does not count team time-outs, so the table tracks them.

The restart at the start of each half, each overtime period and after every goal, when it goes to the team that conceded (Rule 10:1–2). It must be taken within 3 seconds of the whistle, either from the centre line or from the throw-off area. After a goal the opponents may stand in both halves of the court.

Awarded when the ball crosses the side line or touches the ceiling, or when a defending court player touched it last before it crossed his own outer goal line (Rule 11:1). The thrower keeps one foot on the side line and needs no whistle. Opponents stay 3 m away unless they stand right at their goal-area line.

The table official mainly responsible for the playing time, the time-outs and the suspension time of each suspended player (Rule 18:1). Normally only the timekeeper interrupts play from the table, typically for a team time-out or a faulty substitution. If the public scoreboard cannot show suspensions, the timekeeper puts a card on the table with the player's number and the time the suspension ends.

A circle 4 m in diameter in the middle of the centre line, marked in a different colour or as a line (Rule 1:9). It is mandatory at IHF events and in senior professional leagues and optional elsewhere. The thrower may move inside it but may not jump or bounce the ball after the whistle, and defenders stay outside until the throw is taken (Rule 10:3b).

Up to 16 players, no more than 7 on the court at once, and up to 5 team officials (Rule 4:1–2). A team needs at least 5 players to start and may add players up to 16 at any point, overtime included. In a JudgeMate club tournament a handball squad has the same limit of 16 with 7 on court.

An interruption of the playing time decided by the referees (Rule 2:8). It is compulsory for a 2-minute suspension or a disqualification, a team time-out, a whistle from the timekeeper or delegate, and a consultation between the two referees. The referees show it with three short blasts and hand signal 15.

A third 2-minute suspension for the same player always leads to a disqualification (Rules 16:5, 16:6d). The JudgeMate handball scoreboard applies this automatically when the operator records the third suspension.

The IHF phrase for head-to-head. When teams finish level on points, the matches between them decide first, by points, goal difference and goals scored (Regulations for IHF Competitions). JudgeMate ranks a handball group the same way, with a mini table of the tied teams only. The DHB moves from head-to-head to deciding matches instead (SpO §43), which JudgeMate does not schedule.

A deciding pairing played home and away. The DHB-Spielordnung (§44) ranks it by points, then goal difference, then goals scored away, and after that by 7-metre throwing following the second match, with no overtime. The two-leg option in JudgeMate decides on aggregate goals and then by the 7-metre throwing; away goals are not counted.

The first step of progressive punishment, shown with a yellow card (Rule 16:1–2). A player should get no more than one warning and a team no more than three in total; after that the punishment must be at least a 2-minute suspension. A player who has already been suspended should not be warned again, and the team officials share a single warning.

A match awarded to one team without being played, for example when the opponent does not turn up. The score is set by the competition rules, since the Rules of the Game do not mention it. In JudgeMate the handball default is 10-0, and the organiser can change it.