EHF Coaching Licensing as a tribute to the next generation

The 2010 edition of the EHF RINCK Convention on the mutual recognition of standards and certificates in the field of handball coaches’ education in Europe, including the EHF Master Coach Education, will remain the 'educational coaching convention' in Europe.

At the same time it shall serve as the basis for an obligatory EHF Coaching Licensing System to be introduced in EHF Competitions from the 2014/15 season onwards.

At the 2013 EHF RINCK Convention Seminar earlier this year the currently 33 signatory nations confirmed their willingness to support the EHF Licensing System which includes a cooperation in issuing EHF PRO-Licenses, EHF Coaching Licenses as well as the set-up of an EHF Coaching Database.

The 33 signatory nations currently are: Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Spain, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, FYR Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey.

The EHF Methods Commission (pictured at the top the commission's chairman Jerzy Eliasz) at their meeting at the beginning of September emphasised the development aspect of the planned procedure and suggested Level 3 of the EHF RINCK Convention as a minimum requirement for mandatory EHF Coaching Licensing in all EHF Competitions from the 2014/15 season onwards.

The methods commission's proposal in connection with an appropriate development plan and implementation guidelines with regard to the mandatory EHF Coaching Licensing as of the 2014/2015 season was presented to the Executive Committee and approved by the EXEC in the following way:

• Mandatory EHF Coaching Licensing from the 2014/15 season onwards for the EHF's European Cup competitions and the EHF Champions League, EHF EURO Events including qualification and Younger Age Category European Championships based on Level 3 of EHF RINCK Convention
• Comprehensive information to all EHF Member Federations on various occasions and by means of an EHF information manual
• Making non-signatory nations join the EHF RINCK Convention either on Level 2 or 3
• Administrative cooperation between EHF and Member Federations by means of a new database, which will add value for all parties involved

In the upcoming transition period flexibility will be provided by the following means

• Exemptions for EHF RINCK Convention Level 2 (this concerns the three signatory nations England, Ireland and Malta)
• Exemptions for young Younger Age Category European Championship coaches who will receive a temporary license until 2015/16 including an educational option

In order to grant these exemptions the highest national coaching level (for the first exemption) and a CV outlining the coaching level have to be confirmed and/or provided to the EHF by the respective national federation.