Handball Rules and Regulations: A Comprehensive Guide

The Match

Winning the Game

The team that scores the most goals over two 30-minute halves wins the match.

Shot Clock

There is no shot clock in handball; however, referees can advise a team to expedite their goal-scoring attempts if they are taking an unreasonable amount of time.

Rules

Permitted Actions

• Holding the ball for up to 3 seconds
• Running three steps with the ball
• Dribbling as many times as desired
• Passing or shooting the ball
• Running three steps before and after dribbling

Prohibited Actions

• Using arms or legs to push, grab, tackle, kick, hit, or hold opponents
• Making contact with the ball below the knees
• Double dribbling and air dribbling
• Stepping on or across the goal area line
• Charging into a defender

Warnings and Disqualifications

Warnings

• Referees issue one warning for each rule violation.
• For flagrant violations, referees can directly impose a 2-minute suspension.
• If a personal foul results in an injury, the offending player may be disqualified.
• After receiving three warnings, a team is disqualified and forfeits the game.