How much contact is allowed in handball?
B · Beginner · Fouls and punishments · 7 of 8A good deal, from the front. A defender may block an opponent with the trunk, make contact with bent arms and follow them that way, and knock the ball out of a hand with an open hand. Holding, pushing, hitting, pulling the ball away and running or jumping into an opponent are fouls.
How it works
- Allowed: "to use an open hand to play the ball out of the hand of another player".
- Allowed: "to use bent arms to make body contact with an opponent, and to monitor and follow him in this way".
- Allowed: "to use one's trunk to block the opponent, in a struggle for positions".
- Not allowed: to pull or hit the ball out of an opponent's hands.
- Not allowed: to block with arms, hands or legs. Nor may a player push an opponent away, including with the elbow.
- Not allowed: to hold an opponent by the body or shirt, "even if he remains free to continue the play".
- Not allowed: "to run into or jump into an opponent".
- The ordinary result: a free throw, or a 7-metre throw if a clear chance was destroyed.
- Aimed at the body: fouls "mainly or exclusively aimed at the body of the opponent" also bring a personal punishment.
- How serious: judged by where the foul came from, which part of the body it was aimed at, how hard it was and what it did to the opponent.
- Attackers too: an attacker who runs or jumps into a defender commits the foul.
- Blocking: setting and leaving a block must be passive in relation to the opponent.
The glossary has the foul, the block, the screen, the free throw, the progressive punishment entry and the two-minute suspension.
Tricky cases
A defender stands still and an attacker charges into their chest. Whose foul is it?
The attacker's. Running into or jumping into an opponent is not permitted, and the defenders have a free throw.
A defender slaps the ball out of an attacker's hand with an open hand. Is that a foul?
No. Playing the ball out of the hand with an open hand is allowed. Pulling or hitting it out of the hands is not.
A defender holds an attacker's shirt for a moment and the attacker still passes. Is it a foul?
Yes. Holding is a foul even if the opponent remains free to continue, though the referees may let play go on if the attack is not harmed.
Why do some fouls bring a card and others only a free throw?
A foul aimed at the ball or at stopping a move brings a free throw. One aimed mainly at the opponent's body brings a personal punishment as well.
Why the rule exists
Handball allows more contact than basketball and less than rugby, and the line is drawn at the ball and at the front of the body. A defender who gets in the way with the chest is playing the game. One who goes for the body and not the ball, from the side or behind, is stopping it.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary foul | Free throw | IHF 8:2; IHF 13:1 |
| Foul aimed at the body | Free throw and progressive punishment | IHF 8:3 |
| Reckless foul | Direct two-minute suspension | IHF 8:4 |
| Foul dangerous to health | Disqualification | IHF 8:5 |
From the rule book
International Handball Federation, Rules of the Game: Indoor Handball (1 July 2025), Rule 8:1 to 8:3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IX. Rules of the Game, a) Indoor Handball (PDF).