NZHF�Referee course 2025

Outline

• Introduction
• New 2025 rules
• Responsibilities and Positioning
• Club Champs Wellington

New 2025 rules

• 3 Steps
• GK Head shot
• Passive play
• Throw Off Area

​

Apply from July 2025

Ball manipulation

• Step definition
• Lifts one foot and puts it down again
• Zero step
• Catching the ball in the air
• Landing with 1 foot (or 2 feet at the same time).
• New rule allow zero step after dribble

GK Head shot

• If a shot hits the Goalkeeper head a 2 minutes must be given.
• Criteria for hitting the goalkeeper in the head with the ball:
• Open shot (no defender between thrower and GK)
• The head must be the first point of ball contact.
• If the goalkeeper tries to mislead the referees in order to provoke a punishment. Progressive punishment for the GK.
• Seven meter / direct 9m throw
• For an unsportsmanlike conduct, the red card still needs to be given. (Throwing the ball as a form of protest)
• 2 minutes must be given

Passive play

• Intention of the rule
• 4 passes after the forewarning signal is shown.
• 9m always 1 more pass to execute the throw

Passive play rule objectives

The application of the rules regarding passive play has the following objectives:

• reducing uneventful phases in the game (examples: players slowly walking from their own half of the court to the opponents’ half; tactical plays in attack that are only used to gain time);
• preventing unattractive methods of play and intentional delays in the game;
• reducing the number of interruptions in the game;
• promoting active, ball-related defence aimed at winning the ball and interrupt the attack of the opponents without committing fouls.

This requires that the referees recognise and judge passive methods in a consistent manner throughout the game.

Throw-off Area

Throw-off Area

• The referee will whistle the throw-off when:
• Attacking team all on their side of the central line.
• Player standing inside the area with full control of the ball.
• New rule: both feet inside the area.
• The execution can be done running.
• The defender should be outside the area.

Throw-off Area

• Specific cases:
• Last 30 seconds (rule 8:11b: might lead to red card + 7m)
• Bounce the ball after the whistle -> turnover
• More than 3 seconds to execute the throw -> turnover
• Run outside the circle with the ball before passing -> turnover
• Jump to execute the throw
• if ref already whistle -> turnover
• If ref not yet whistle -> re-execute
• Pass before the whistle -> re-execute

​

Questions / Answers

Positioning Responsibilities

Court ref = Wing, Back, Center, Back

Goal ref = Wing, Pivot

Goal ref whistles for goals and 7 meters. (bc of goal area infractions)

Ball is on the right

Court ref goes closer to the side line, stay close to the action

Goal ref steps forward into goal area, don’t let the GK block your view

Ball is on the left

Court ref goes closer to the middle of the field, stay close to the action

Goal ref steps back from goal area, keep goal and ball in his field of vision

The objective is for both referees to alternatively cover all four corners of the court.

• Change side every 5 minutes
• Change corner every 3-4 whistles

Switching side

Opportunities to switch side should come naturally during the game:

​

• Progressive punishments (yellow, 2 mins, red, blue)
• Time outs (external influences, ref consultation, substitution, etc.)
• Team time outs
• 7 meters

​

Switching corner

Opportunities to switch corner will emerge when the court referee changes to goal referee.

​

2 main scenarios:

When shots or loss of possession happens on the left side

When shots or loss of possession happens on the right side

​

​

Running back when shots or loss of possession happens on the left side

Running back when shots or loss of possession happens on the right side

Questions / Answers

Useful resources

• Youtube IHF Education Centre
• https://www.youtube.com/c/IHFEducationCentre
• Rule of the game IHF website
• Rule interpretation IHF App: Android or Apple
• Feel free to ask recording and content of past year referee course

Questions / Answers

Club champs

Referee goals

• Protect the health and safety of the players
• Impartiality
• Fairness
• Sportsmanship
• Integrity
• Apply the IHF rules
• Create a safe environment for players to enjoy playing handball

​

NZHF: Inclusion, Respect and Safety Policy

Club champs

​

Each game, 1 team responsible for the duty, they need to provide:

• 2 court referees
• 1 official referee (bench)
• Score keeper
• Time keeper
• Video

Questions / Answers

1. The throw-off is taken in any direction from the throw-off area. It is preceded by a whistle signal, following which it must be taken within three seconds (13:1a, 15:7 3^rd paragraph).
2. The whistle signal by the referees can be given when the ball is inside the throw-off area and the thrower has at least one foot inside the throw-off area. (15:6).
3. The thrower is not allowed to cross the throw-off area line with any part of the body until the throw-off is considered taken (13:1a, 15:7 3 ^rd paragraph).
4. The thrower is allowed to move inside the throw-off area, but he is not allowed to bounce the ball after the whistle signal (13:1a, 15:7 3 ^rd paragraph).
5. The execution can be done running. It is not allowed to jump during the execution of the throw off (13:1a, 15:7 3 ^rd paragraph).
6. The throw-off is considered taken when either
• the ball has first left the hand of the thrower and then has completely crossed the throw off area line; or
• the ball was passed and touched or controlled by a teammate, although it occurred inside the throw-off area.
7. The teammates of the thrower are not allowed to cross the centre line prior to the whistle signal, except if they are inside the throw-off area (15:6).
8. The players of the defending team must be outside the throw-off area and are not allowed to touch the ball or the opponents inside the throw-off area until the throw is considered taken (15:4, 8:7c). They are allowed to be directly outside the throw-off area.

Throw-off Area

Rule 5

Throw-off execution

As a guiding principle for the interpretation of Rule 10:3, the referees should keep in mind the objective of encouraging teams to make use of a quick throw-off. This means that the referees should avoid being pedantic and should not search for opportunities to call back or penalise a team trying to throw quickly.

For instance, the referees must avoid letting note-taking or other tasks interfere with their readiness to check the player positions quickly. The court referee should be ready to whistle at the very moment when the thrower reaches the correct position, assuming that there is no clear need for corrections of other player positions. The referees must also keep in mind that the teammates of the thrower are allowed to move across the centre line as soon as the whistle is blown. (This is an exception from the basic principle for the execution of formal throws.)

Execution without throw-off area

Although the rule states that the thrower must step on the centre line and be within 1.5 metre from the centre, the referees should not be excessively precise and concerned about centimetres. The main thing is to avoid unfairness and uncertainty for the opponents regarding when and where the throw-off is taken.

Moreover, most courts do not have the centre point marked, and some courts may even have the centre line interrupted due to advertising at the centre. In such cases, both the thrower and the referee will obviously need to estimate the correct position, and any insistence on exactness would then be unrealistic and inappropriate.

Throw-off Area