IHF Council about future: Rules changes to be tested – New allocation of WCh places

The biggest news for the media purpose,  from the last IHF Council meeting on November 28, was decision about the two teams which will replace Bahrain and UAE in 2015 World Championship in Qatar (Saudi Arabia and Iceland), but the IHF authorities also discussed about some important things in modernisation of game rules and made specific decisions about the allocation of places for the future handball events.

IHF Forum for the Future of Handball was held on October 15 Bjerringbro, Denmark, where the group „Game development“ consisted from the handball experts, gave some proposals regarding to:

– Simplifying tasks of referees by means of technical innovations (idea is to provide every coach with a mobile device, and upon pushing a certain button, a light is flashing on the table, which will enable the table officers to decide on team time-outs immediately)

– Mixed couples, single referees

– Body contact, permanent holding, destructive fouls (referees participating in the mini course during the 2015 Men’s WCh in Qatar will be instructed to punish holding the jersey and pushing in the air more strictly)

– Passive play

– Executing free throws after the final signal (halftime or end of the match)

– Red card last minute = 7m mandatory (should be implemented for violations during the last 30 seconds of the match instead according to the proposal of the coaches due to the fact that the speed of handball has rapidly increased)

– Interruption of playing time due to injured players

– Final signal, when the ball is still in the air

– Clear identification of the head coach at IHF events

– General responsibility of the head coach

– New advertising board in the substitution area

– Extending the duration of the team time-out

– Specific rule changes for youth events

IHF President Hassan Moustafa stated that all the possible changes have to be tested by the IHF Working Group for Rules of the Game before further implementation.

OCEANIA LOSES DIRECT PLACE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

One of the most important decision of IHF Council, as addition to the disqualification of Australia from the Qatar 2015, is that Oceania lost direct place in the World Championships.

Europe’s Vice-President stated that the suggestion of the EHF is to have a tournament (similar to Final Four) between the best not directly qualified team from Africa, Asia, Pan-America and Oceania excluding Europe for the current compulsory place of Oceania, stressing that with this approach Oceania would have the possibility to qualify, on the basis of their sporting performance, for the WCh as well as for the Olympic Games through the WCh.

The current compulsory place of Oceania would therefore be awarded to the winner of a qualification tournament between the best non-qualified teams to the WCh from the continental  qualifications in Africa, Asia, Pan-America and the winner of an Oceania qualification event.

IHF EARNED CHF 15 million profit in 2014

IHF Treasurer Sandi Šola informed the members of the Council about total event-related revenue for 2014 amounts to CHF 31,447,700, whereas the profit for 2014 amounts to CHF 15,824,900, stating that there is a huge difference from the past figures, which is due to the great work performed, especially from President Moustafa. As for 2015, he outlined that the total event-related revenue amounts to CHF 37,947,700, while the profit amounts to CHF 7,199,700.

The reasons why profit in 2014 is doubled in comparation with projection for 2015, is organisation and full compensation regarding the two World Championships which will be organized in upcoming year.

PAN AMERICA WITH LESS TEAMS – IHF TO ALLOCATE TWO WILD CARDS BEFORE DENMARK 2015

Based on the performance criteria, the COC proposes to reduce the number of performance places for the continent of Pan-America for the 2015 Women’s World Championship by one and to give the IHF Council the right to award one wild card instead.

The Council unanimously approved the COC proposal not to award the additional position deriving from the world title to Pan-America for the 2015 Women’s World Championship.

As for the free position, the COC Chairman stated that the COC proposal is to give the IHF Council the right to award one wild card instead according to certain criteria.

HIGH COMPENSATION FOR QATAR 2015 AND DENMARK 2015

Competitions Director who presented to the Council a proposal regarding compensation for the teams participating in the 2015 Men’s World Championship, including the compensation fee, prize money, qualification bonus, travel costs, host fee and insurance, amounting to approx. CHF 3,909,135.90 in total, including the total amount of the insurance fee for both Men’s and Women’s World Championship in 2015 due to the corresponding offer which the IHF received from an insurance company.

Referring to the compensation for the 2015 Men’s World Championship in QAT, President Moustafa gave the floor to the Competitions Director who presented the proposal regarding compensation for the teams participating in the 2015 Women’s World Championship in DEN, including the compensation fee, prize money, qualification bonus, travel costs and host fee, amounting to approx. CHF 2,354,032.60, in addition to 50% of the total amount of the insurance fee included in the 2015 Men’s WCh.