Refereeing guidelines for Women's EHF EURO 2014 released

The EHF has provided all 16 teams participating at the Women's EHF EURO 2014 with the video teaching material and the corresponding referee guidelines.

The instructions cover the following topics of reference:

7-metre decision

A 7-metre throw shall be awarded in situations when:

a) a clear chance of scoring a goal is prevented by a rule infringement anywhere on the court

b) a player deliberately enters the own goal area to stop the ball or gain other advantages over an attacking player in possession of the ball

2-minute suspension and disqualification

A clear distinction shall be made between fouls that will be punished in the traditional way (beginning with the yellow cards) and those fouls that go beyond the usual tradition and will be punished with an immediate a) 2-minute suspension or b) direct disqualification:

a) Fouls that are committed with high intensity or against an opponent who is running fast (i.e. counter attack) / Holding on to the opponent for a long time, or pulling her down / Fouls against the head, throat or neck / Hard hitting against the torso or throwing arm / Attempting to make the opponent lose body control / Pushing from the side or from the back an opponent who is running or jumping.

b) Loss of body control while running or jumping or during a throwing action / Attacking the thrower’s arm from the side or from behind / Aggressive actions against a apart of the body, especially face, throat or neck / Goalkeeper leaving goal area for the purpose of catching a pass
intended for an opponent / When a foul under Rule 8:5 or 8:6 is committed during the last minute of a game, with the purpose of preventing a goal.

Wing play

The danger to a wing player who is jumping and not the intensity of the body contact shall be the basis for the judgment whether a disqualification is warranted or not. A small physical impact could be enough, such as:

• Slight push on the hip or slight touch on shoulder / Catching or trying to catch the leg of the winger who is jumping / Displacement with small hip or a long leg movement / Player moving inside goal area to defend.

Pivot play

Setting the block, maintaining the block and moving-out of the block shall be done in a passive manner in relation to the opponent, and it will not be permitted to:

• Block the opponent with arms, hands, legs, or to use any part of the body to displace her or push her away / Hold an opponent (body or uniform).

Offensive foul

If a defensive player stands in a correct position (frontally) and the offensive player runs or jumps into her then an offensive foul shall be called.

All topics have been discussed with the nominated EHF EURO referees on the occasion of the kick-off seminar being held this summer in Vienna and they will be further dealt with at the officials conference in Györ prior to the start of the championship on 4/5 December.

Teaching material available online

The referee teaching material covering the abovementioned topics is available and can be watched online via eurohandball.com.

The web tool which gives the complete overview and access to all clips has been produced by the University of Las Palmas in close cooperation with the EHF Competence Academy & Network (EHF CAN).

More than 100 clips from men's and women's handball have been collected. The clips were taken from matches played at the Men's EHF EURO 2014 in Denmark and the Women's EHF EURO 2012 in Serbia.

Each clip shows a single punishable action in real time as well as in slow motion. While watching, it is possible to halt the clip by hitting 'space' and then to continue it frame by frame, using the arrow kews.