What happens if a shot hits the goalkeeper in the head in handball?
A · Advanced · Fouls and punishments · 3 of 3The shooter is suspended for two minutes, if the shot was unhindered, in open play with no defender between shooter and goalkeeper, and the head was the first thing the ball hit. The same applies at a 7-metre throw. It does not apply if the goalkeeper moved their head towards the ball.
How it works
- The rule: a direct two minutes "when the shot of a player, who is unhindered and throwing in an open play situation, hits the goalkeeper's head".
- Open play: "no defender is between the thrower and the goalkeeper".
- First contact: "The head must be the first point of ball contact." A ball that hits the body and then the head does not count.
- Not if the goalkeeper moves into it: the rule does not apply if the goalkeeper is moving the head in the direction of the ball.
- At a 7-metre throw: the same punishment, if the goalkeeper is not moving the head towards the ball to block.
- After the final signal: a free-throw shooter who hits a defender's head in the wall is punished the same way.
- Faking it: a goalkeeper who pretends to be hit in the head, to get the shooter punished, is suspended for two minutes for simulation.
- Treatment: a goalkeeper treated on court after a ball to the head does not have to sit out three attacks.
- A recent change:
The glossary has the hitting the goalkeeper's head entry, the goalkeeper, the two-minute suspension, the 7-metre throw, the shot and the save.
Tricky cases
A shot through a crowd of defenders hits the goalkeeper's face. Is the shooter suspended?
No. The rule applies only in open play with no defender between the thrower and the goalkeeper.
The ball hits the goalkeeper's shoulder and then their chin. Is that a head shot?
No. The head must be the first point of contact.
A 7-metre throw hits the goalkeeper's head as they dive low towards the ball. What happens?
No punishment under this rule if the goalkeeper was moving the head in the direction of the ball to block.
The goal is scored off the goalkeeper's head. Does it count?
The rule read gives the shooter's punishment and says nothing about cancelling the goal. A goal is disallowed only for a rule broken by the attacking team before or during the throw, so check how this is applied.
Why the rule exists
From six or seven metres a goalkeeper cannot get out of the way of a ball at their face, so the rules put the duty on the shooter, who can choose where to aim. The conditions limit it to shots where the shooter had a free choice. A deflection, or a goalkeeper who ducks into the ball, is nobody's fault.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Open play, unhindered | Two-minute suspension | IHF 8:8d |
| 7-metre throw | Two-minute suspension | IHF 8:8d |
| Free throw after the final signal | Two minutes for hitting a defender's head | IHF 8:8e |
| Goalkeeper simulating | Two minutes for the goalkeeper | IHF 8:8h |
From the rule book
International Handball Federation, Rules of the Game: Indoor Handball (1 July 2025), Rule 8:8 with its note, and Clarification No. 8. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IX. Rules of the Game, a) Indoor Handball (PDF).