IHF decision about transfers from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia | Handball Planet
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IHF decision about transfers from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia

The IHF Council decided today to include a temporary appendix in the IHF Regulations for Transfer between Federations related to exceptional transfers of handball players contracted by Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian clubs.

In view of the current situation in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, which represents a breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government, the IHF Council decided earlier this month that all teams, officials, referees, lecturers and experts from Russia and Belarus are banned from taking part in IHF events and activities until further notice.

Subsequently, a solution had to be found regarding the situation of foreign handball players, including Ukrainians, currently contracted by a Ukrainian, Russian or Belarusian club. Therefore, the IHF Council decided that a temporary appendix will be included in the IHF Regulations for Transfer between Federations, which will come into effect immediately. This appendix shall automatically become void as soon as the war between Russia and Ukraine is over and handball activities have resumed in the countries affected by the war situation.

According to the appendix, any foreign player who is under a current professional contract with a club in Ukraine, Russia or Belarus may submit a request to the IHF and the Continental Confederation concerned to suspend this contract if the player does not find an amicable solution with the club. The IHF and the Continental Confederation concerned shall grant the requesting players the suspension of their contracts until the end of the current season of the national competitions, with the suspension of the contract taking effect from the date of approval by the IHF and the Continental Confederation concerned.

After the end of the season, either a new request may be submitted or the new club may submit an ordinary transfer request according to ordinary procedure as defined in Article 2 of the Regulations for Transfer between Federations.

Effects of the suspension

An approved suspension of a current contract suspends all rights and duties under that contract, including but not limited to the following:

  • A player has no right to be paid wages;
  • A club has no duty to pay wages;
  • The registration of a player (having a suspended employment contract) with a new club does not entitle the previous club to any transfer compensation. Consequently, Article 9 of the Regulations for Transfer between Federations shall not be applicable.
  • The registration of a player (having a suspended employment contract) with a new club does not entitle the previous club to any education compensation. Consequently, Article 11 of the Regulations for Transfer between Federations shall not be applicable.
  • In order to avoid distorting ongoing national competitions as much as possible, the number of players that may be registered by a club during the extraordinary transfer period should be limited to two players.
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