Referee guidelines released for Men's EHF EURO 2016

In order to ensure a high standard of refereeing and to contribute to the success of the Men's EHF EURO 2016 the EHF Technical Refereeing has created the 2015/16 EHF Referee Guidelines.

They are addressed to both the EHF EURO referees and to the team coaches with the aim to ensure the uniformity of the interpretations of the rules, especially in the following areas:

• Pivot play
• 7-metre decision
• Disqualification & two-minute suspension
• Wing play

Pivot play

Setting the block shall be done in a passive manner by using the trunk only. The EHF EURO referees will not permit players to block an opponent with arms, hands, legs, or with any part of the body to displace or push away the opponent nor to hold the body or the uniform.

7-metre decision

The EHF EURO referees will award a 7-metre throw when a.) a clear chance of scoring a goal is prevented by a rule infringement anywhere on the court and 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.

A clear chance of scoring exists when a player who has already ball/body control is facing the opponent’s goal and either has the chance to score without any opponent being able to prevent the shot with legal methods or is running/dribbling alone towards the goalkeeper in a counter attack, without any opponent being able to come in front of him and stop the counter attack.

Disqualification & two-minute suspensions

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

Immediate two-minute suspensions:

• Fouls 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 him down
• Fouls against 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.

Immediate red card:

• 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 part of the body, especially face, throat or neck;
• Goalkeeper leaving goal area for the purpose of catching a pass intended for an opponent and colliding with the 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

Players who are already in the air are unable to protect themselves. In this type of situations it is not the intensity of the body contact that will be the basis for the judgment whether a disqualification is warranted or not, but the danger which could come from a very small physical impact such as:

• Slight pushing 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/leg movement or long step
• Player moving inside goal area to defend.