At the half year mark, IHF has put some rule changes in place. For the next season and onwards penalty headshot leads to suspension as opposed to earlier red vard and the throw-off rule has been adjusted, according to the federation website.
Presenting the updated rules, IHF states that the new rules reflect the wish of handball to be ”a fast-paced, entertaining and dynamic sport”.
Until now, penalty headshots hitting a goalkeeper meant a red card was shown to the player. A two-minute suspension will now suffice, meaning that a hit with a penalty or free throw after full time will meet the same consequence as a shot in open play.
For the throw-off, IHF has changed the previous text in rule 10:3b ”The whistle signal by the referees can be given when the ball is inside the throw-off area and the thrower has at least one foot inside the throw-off area.” to ”The whistle signal by the referees can only be given when the ball and the thrower are completely inside the throw-off area.”
There is also an amendment to the steps rule in the updated version per 1 July 2025.