Handball League Software
Eight teams, 56 matches and a table that sorts level teams the IHF way
A handball league plays every opponent home and away and gives 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. In JudgeMate you create a match league with handball as the discipline; the IHF standings rules are preselected, so the 2-1-0 points and the head-to-head order between level teams are set from the start. Matches run on the live handball scoreboard, where you mark each scorer by shirt number; the table updates as soon as you confirm the result.
Eight teams, home and away: what a season adds up to
Eight teams meet each of the other seven twice. Each half of the season has 7 matchdays of 4 matches, so the whole season is 14 matchdays, 56 matches and 14 matches per team.
A ninth team changes the shape. With an odd number one team has a bye on every matchday, each half of the season grows to 9 matchdays of 4 matches, and the season to 72 matches.
Hall time is the real constraint. IHF Rule 2:1 sets 2 × 30 minutes for players aged 16 and over, 2 × 25 for ages 12 to 16 and 2 × 20 for ages 8 to 12, with a half-time break of normally 10 minutes. An under-16 match therefore needs an hour of court time before warm-ups and changeovers, and a matchday of four such games on one court fills an afternoon.
2-1-0 and the head-to-head order
The Regulations for IHF Competitions award 2 points for a win, 1 point to each team for a draw and none for a defeat. When teams are level on points, the matches between those teams decide first: points, then goal difference, then goals scored in those matches. Only after that come goal difference and goals scored across all matches, and finally a drawing of lots.
A new handball league in JudgeMate starts with exactly this rule set, selected as IHF (Regulations for IHF Competitions) under Tie-break order. Match points then follow the rule set and the creator hides the point fields.
For example, Riverside and Northgate both finish on 24 points. Northgate's goal difference is +31, Riverside's +22. Riverside won the home game 28-27 and drew 25-25 away, so the matches between them give Riverside 3 points and Northgate 1, and Riverside finish above. If the rules fail to separate two teams and only a drawing of lots is left, the table flags the tie for you to settle.
If your league uses different numbers, choose Head-to-head first, then goal difference (UEFA) or Goal difference first, then head-to-head (Premier League) in the same section and set win, draw and loss yourself. These two options also offer an ice-hockey switch (3-2-1-0) that makes a win after overtime or a shootout worth less than a regulation win. It only fits a league that breaks every draw with 7-metre throws, and it locks once the first result is confirmed.
Courtside: the handball scoreboard by shirt number
Open a fixture and tap Start live scoring. On the handball board you mark the scorer by shirt number. It shows no tiles with names and has no assist step, even when the teams have rosters in the league.
The handball board runs the clock upwards over both halves and knows the sanctions of the game. A 2-minute suspension starts a countdown on the board. A third suspension for the same player turns into a disqualification automatically, as IHF Rule 16:5 requires. A red card disqualifies the player and leaves the team a player short for 2 minutes, and a blue card can be added after a red.
Confirm result writes the score to the table and the classifications. A match without the board goes in through Enter result manually, which takes the score and nothing else, so its goals reach no scorer list.
Top scorers, cards and automatic bans
The league keeps three classifications: Top scorers, Assists and Cards. The board saves a goal with a bare shirt number, so in Top scorers that row shows a dash instead of a name, number and team, and number 7 of both teams shares one row. Assists stay empty because the board does not record them. A card goes to the team, and you add the shirt number later in the match's event list. The Cards tab counts warnings and red cards, not blue ones. 2-minute suspensions are timed on the board and appear in the match timeline, but no league classification adds them up.
Card suspensions are off until you switch them on. You then choose how many yellow cards lead to a ban (2 to 5, or no limit) and how many matches a red card costs (1 to 3). Warnings are routine in handball: IHF Rule 16:1 allows up to three per team in a match, so a low yellow threshold would keep half your back line in the stands. Leaving yellows at no limit and banning only for red cards is a reasonable start.
Once a player is banned, the Suspended tab lists them and the match sheet in the league cockpit warns about them before the game. The bans, however, count only cards linked to a player from the roster, and the handball board saves a card to the team or to a bare shirt number. A ban from a match run on the board will not appear on its own, so keep your own count of red cards.
Setting the league up in JudgeMate
Start from create for handball, choose League and sign in.
- League type: League matches, discipline handball.
- Basics: name, season, venue and visibility. A public league can be followed without an account.
- Format: switch on Home and away rounds, keep the IHF standings rules or pick custom points, and set the half length. A youth league changes 30 to 25 or 20 minutes here. The walkover score defaults to 10-0 for handball and can be changed. Then decide on card suspensions.
In the league cockpit add the teams with their rosters (names and shirt numbers; players need no accounts), generate the schedule and play the first fixture. A co-organiser with an account can run the scoreboard and confirm results from their own login.
The public page lives at /en/leagues/ plus your league's address and shows the table, the fixtures, matches in progress and the classification tabs. Only featured leagues appear in the public league list, so share the link with the teams.
What JudgeMate does not do for a handball league
No association systems. Nothing goes to or comes from nuLiga, the ZPRP or RFEBM systems, and the JudgeMate match record is not an official match report.
No team time-out counter. IHF Rule 2:10 gives each team one team time-out per half. The board does not count or limit them, so the timekeeper keeps track.
No goalkeeper statistics. Saves and shooting percentages are not recorded; the classifications stop at goals, assists and cards.
No beach handball. Sets and 2-point goals are not part of the handball scoreboard.
No payments or notifications. League fees are handled elsewhere, and teams follow the public page rather than emails or push messages.
For the rules behind the board, read how handball scoring works and the handball referee guide. For a single friendly without a league, open the handball live scoreboard.
Set up your event
Free for organizers. No athlete cap. No commission on registrations. See handball features · Organizer guide