Group play for this year’s Champions League ended a couple of weeks ago. So what did we learn after 5 months, 10 rounds and 120 matches? In short, not a whole lot. In summary we learned the following:

- Chambery (France) proved that without Daniel Narcisse they are not a top 16 side.
- Kielce (Poland) and Constanta (Romania) are a little better than anticipated.
- KIF Kolding (Denmark) can play with the big dogs at home. (Draws vs. Kiel and Barcelona)

Wow, that’s a lot of games to find out so very little. But it’s nothing new for Group play in the Champions League as there have been very few surprises in recent years.

The EHF has been experimenting with the Champions League format in recent years. Previously group play was with 8 groups of 4 teams with 2 teams advancing from each group to the Round of 16. This year it was 4 groups of 6 teams with four teams advancing. This resulted in the 4 extra rounds, but the results were again all too predictable. The Round of 16 should prove a little more interesting, particularly with the #2 vs. #3 home and away matches. The #1 vs. #4 matchups are less likely to be interesting, although Kolding could surprise. More appealing will be the quarterfinals where Hamburg and Barcelona are likely to test the #1 seeds which are drawn against them. And the crème de la crème will be the Final Four where the top 4 teams will stage a final knock out tourney over 1 weekend in 1 location.

So what should be done to make the Champions League more interesting? Maybe it’s time to start thinking about scrapping Group play and home/away aggregate matches entirely. Why just have a Final Four? I say why not further copy the NCAA tournament and start with a field of 64?

For the Euros not familiar with America’s love affair with the NCAA basketball tournament a little education is in order. The NCAA basketball tournament is a single elimination knockout tournament played over 3 consecutive weekends by the basketball teams at American colleges and universities. 64 teams are selected through a combination of automatic and “at-large” bids and seeded 1-16 in four separate regions. The first weekend cuts the field from 64 to 16, the next weekend cuts it from 16 to 4 and the 3rd weekend is the Final Four. Unlike the more subdued crowds often associated with the NBA, collegiate crowds are more comparable to the atmosphere often seen at Handball matches in the Balkans. The first round matches, particularly the 16 vs. 1 seeds are often blowouts, but usually there are a few lower seeds that shock the favorites and become the darling of the tournament. Overall, the interest in terms of crowds and TV audience is massive with the month of March simply being renamed March Madness. Everywhere, even casual fans are filling out the 64 team brackets with their predictions of every game. Office betting pools abound with the secretary who knows nothing about basketball somehow always winning the contest.

So how would you adopt the NCAA format to European Handball? First off, you would make it “the end of season tournament” to be played after every national league’s season is over. The national leagues would wrap up on the 1st or 2nd weekend of May and then the tournament would take place the following 3 weekends. (As an example a would be tournament this year would start the 15th of May and conclude on the 29-30 May.) Participants would include every club champion in each European nation, perhaps with a reasonable cut off for 100% amateur leagues. (I don’t think we want to see England’s Great Dane vs. Ciudad Real.) Additionally, about 30 “at large” bids which would be awarded to the most deserving clubs in the top leagues. A fair distribution would probably have about 7 clubs from Germany and Spain, 3 or 4 from France, Denmark and Hungary and perhaps a few extra clubs from the Balkans, Poland and Romania. In terms of venues, neutral sites would be the most fair, but that would have to be weighed with locations that could assure good crowds. Top seeds could also be awarded with the right to host. The first weekend would have 8 sites, the 2nd weekend would have 4 sites and the last weekend would, of course, have 1 site just like Cologne this year. Also, depending on associated costs the sites could have staggered dates of competition for TV. (i.e. some sites could play Friday/Saturday or Sunday/Monday so that more games could be aired at different times.)

Of course, some of the same controversies that have plagued the NCAA tournament would be exacerbated in an International event. The NCAA tournament field is seeded by a committee and every year there are complaints that this team shouldn’t have made the field or this team didn’t deserve such an easy bracket. If Americans show strong allegiance to their college conferences it certainly can be said that Europeans would be even more parochial when it comes to defending their national leagues. The EHF would probably have to establish a ranking system that awarded national leagues a certain number of spots and then teams would have to be randomly assigned via some sort of drawing.

There surely would be other challenges to be resolved, but the plusses would outweigh the negatives. Here are some of the advantages to a 64 Team Tournament:

It builds momentum: Playing the tournament over 3 consecutive weeks would avoid the current start and stop nature of the Champions League. Fans won’t have to wait for the next big game and would be less likely to lose interest.

Rewards current season performance: One of the stranger aspects (at least to this American) of the current European Championship format is that entry into the competition is now based on last year’s performance. Why base a competition on last year’s results when due to transfers the teams could be totally different? Instead this format would reward teams that do well in the current season.

Increased prestige: As the sole end of season tournament it will become the focus of clubs and fans. With the current format some clubs are conflicted with their national competitions. With nothing else going on this event will take prioirity

Greater chance of upsets: As a couple of clubs proved during group play it’s possible for a lower rung team to beat (or at least scare) a good team once. It’s less likely though to happen over two games or over the course of a ten game round robin. The better team will still usually win, but it will only be a matter of time before some team from the Balkans celebrates while the big bad Bundesliga team goes home with their season being over. That’s drama and it will happen.

Settle arguments: Another interesting aspect would be the opportunity to at least partially settle arguments about the relative strength of the different national leagues. This could be accomplished by placing the multiple German and Spanish sides in different sections of the bracket so that teams from the same nation can’t play each other until the quarter finals. Theoretically, you could have a final 8 with 7 Spanish sides. Unlikely perhaps, but should it happen I don’t think anybody would argue against any other league being better.

Fewer games for top players: The fewer games would also have the added benefit of at least partially resolving the “too many games” issue impacting the world’s top players. Some of the weekends that would be freed up could also be used to encourage more cross nation club competition. You could even stage a couple Bundesliga – Liga Asobal showdown weekends that could be used to determine which league was entitled to more bids in the tourney. France and Denmark could also have a mini-competition to decide who’s third best.

Financial considerations: Some might argue that this format would be less profitable as the clubs would have fewer games and fewer games at home. While there would be fewer games, the financial success of the NCAA tournament should give club executives at least reason to consider the possibility of an alternative. What kind of financial success are we talking about? Well, the current TV broadcasting contract alone was for $6 billion over 11 years. Yes that’s billion with a “b”. Contrast that to the average annual operating budget (perhaps $5 Million for the top clubs) in Europe. I have no idea what the current TV contract is for the Champions League, but I’m guessing it’s quite a bit South of 6 billion dollars. If you could replicate even a tenth of the revenue it would be an overwhelming financial success.

And if you could get even a hundredth of the interest the NCAA tournament has in the U.S. it would be a major promotional victory for the sport.

Wikipedia: NCAA Tournament: -link-
Sports Business Journal (7 Dec 09): NCAA, TV talk about bigger men’s tourney: -link-

The results are in for the Slate Magazine “Hang Up and Listen” Podcast competition to get selected as a guest co-host. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago listeners were invited to send in their stories about how they’ve converted podcast newbies to check out the Slate sportscast. I didn’t win, but I got an extended shout out as co-hosts Mike Pesca and Stefan Fatsis expressed outrage at my being snubbed by the selection committee. For you Euro readers out there the reference is related to the NCAA basketball tournament field of 64 teams that is discussed at length in the show’s first segment. Every year there are always a few teams that are upset that they didn't make the cut.

Thanks to everyone who sent in their conversion stories. Maybe I’ll find an NIT tournament Podcast that I can participate in.

THN (17 Feb 10): Check out a free podcast and promote handball: -link-
Slate ‘Hang Up and Listen’ podcast page: -link-
‘Hang Up and Listen’ Facebook page: -link-
This week’s Hang Up and Listen Podcast: -link- (I’m mentioned around the 22:45 minute mark)

As a resident of Las Vegas I am very pleased that USA Team Handball has chosen my adopted home town as the site for this year’s National Championship tournament (21-23 May). Some might even theorize that a leading Handball proselytizer such as I consider myself to be may have been lobbying behind the scenes for Sin City. No, I played no such role although I have indicated to USA Team Handball a willingness to help out and will try and get a local team entered in the tourney.

In reality, I’ve actually been more of a proponent for combining our National Championships with this summer’s Poland v. Germany friendly in Chicago on July 17th. Last year I lobbied hard to have the National Championships combined with the French club Final Four in Miami. My logic then, as now, is that if your community is not very large it’s better to have two marquee events at the same time and the same place. It’s doubtful as to whether the extra 500 or so fans would have made much of a difference attendance wise in Miami, but it still would have been great for the younger players to see high level handball first hand. While a July Nationals was 2 months later than normal, I would have preferred to combine the events. But apparently, I was in the minority as the community spoke up, the Federation listened, and now we have Vegas.

And it’s a good choice, in my opinion. Even if the economy has hit our city hard, there’s still no other place in the country (arguably the world) that can provide better hospitality and accommodations at reasonable prices. Air fares are relatively low and lodging deals are the best they’ve been in years. Factor in the Gaming (aka Gambling), dining options and the high quality shows the city offers and few people need an excuse to come visit.

Team Handball, certainly isn’t the only sport that recognizes this. Two NCAA basketball conferences (MWC, WCC) already stage their post season tourneys here and a 3rd (WAC) will join the party next year. The National Finals Rodeo invades the town every year and you’ve never seen more cowboy hats outside the state of Texas. Not my cup of tea, but this past February I enjoyed another minor sports invasion as the Rugby 7’s World circuit came to town. You’ve never seen more Commonwealth members (Brits, South Africans, Kiwis and Aussies) and Pacific Islanders outside those home countries.

Which leads me to conclude that perhaps this is only the first major Team Handball event to be staged in Las Vegas. If Kiwis and Brits can come watch rugby here in the desert, why not Handball. It’s only a matter of time before we see a European Handball invasion. I’m thinking an EHF Final Four, say in May 2012. Maybe we’ll schedule Nationals in Vegas again, so everybody can attend both events.

THN (15 Oct 08): U.S. National Championships in Miami: Just Make it So: -link-
Las Vegas Review Journal (15 Feb 10): Rugby a passion play for U.S. team: -link-

Did you notice that there was a worldwide celebration of International Women’s Day earlier this week? And did you realize that it was the 100th anniversary of this event?

Superficially, one might think that we have gender equality in handball; after all, at the international level we have the same events for both men and women, and we now finally after years of struggle also have the same number of men’s and women’s teams playing in the Olympics. But I really do not think that this suggests we do not have any issues!

In fact, I continue to be surprised that one hears relatively little debate about gender issues in our sport. Is there not much discussion going on, or is just not loud enough? Through this article and a second part in the near future, I would want to encourage more debate. Because surely there are realities that give us reason to have opinions and to discuss ways of improving. For instance:

-- Why is the spectator interest in women’s handball much smaller than that for men’s handball in the large majority of countries?

-- Why are most top level women’s teams coached by men, while it is almost unthinkable to see men’s teams coached by women?

-- Why is there only 1 woman among 17 persons on the IHF Council (and why is the situation almost as bad in many national federations)?

-- Why do the newspapers and web pages tend to write so much less about women’s handball compared with men’s handball?

-- Why are the top women’s players of the world paid clearly less than the top men’s players?

-- Why are there so few women referees at both the international level and in most national federations?

-- Why do more sponsors seem to prefer to support men’s clubs and men’s championships instead of women’s clubs and women’s events?

-- Why, in the current discussion about the international competition calendar and the excessive demands on the players, is all the focus on the men’s side?

* * *

Gender issues in sports tend to be a reflection of gender issues in society at large: the continuing impact of traditions, concerns about unequal opportunities, biases in evaluation and appreciation of performances, limited participation in governance, prejudices in public opinion and in media treatment etc.

However, one might think that gender issues in sports should be less dramatic or less serious than in other aspects of life, because in sports they do not involve matters of life and death, they do not involve violence and abuse, and they do not typically involve fundamental human rights.

But there are reasons why gender issues may, in fact, be seen as more sensitive in sports than elsewhere. To some extent this may be because there are expectations regarding sports that are not quite realistic. As an analogy, people who view corruption or unfairness as a normal, albeit regrettable, part of life in politics and business, somehow are almost unwilling to believe that sport is not free from similar attitudes and behaviors. In other words, people expect sports to be above what is the norm elsewhere.

Another consideration is that when one discusses gender issues in sports, it is natural (or almost inevitable) to think of it in an international context. After all, many decisions that impact participants in sports at the national or local level are taken at a higher, i.e., global level. And there are many aspects, e.g., culture or religion, directly affecting the gender issues, which are viewed very differently in different environments. What is a ‘hot issue’ for some may be normal and uncontroversial to another group.

Also, in business and politics the decision-makers and the key ‘players’ tend to be from the same generation. In sports, the key players, the athletes, are often one, or even two, generations removed from the top decision-makers. So how can one expect that the viewpoints of the two groups are the same!?

After these statements as background, you may believe that I am about to enter into a lengthy ‘philosophical’ discussion that will make you want to tune out quickly. But that is not the case. However, before I stop for the moment: I venture to believe that in handball we should be better off than some other sports. We do not have the problems of icehockey (not enough top countries), ski jumping (too new and not enough athletes yet), or softball (inadequate global coverage). In fact, we are well ahead of football/soccer and basketball, in terms of longstanding traditions for the women’s game.

Also, we are not one of those sports that need to adapt its entire format or its basic rules to suit the women. All that differs in handball is the size of the ball. There is nothing about handball that makes it a ‘strange’ sport for women, and it is not the type of sport, like swimming or track & field (athletics), where measurable results could imply that the women’s game is inferior. A high-quality and evenly matched women’s game is just as exciting.

I will give you a few days to think about your experience and ideas regarding gender issues in handball. Then, in Part 2, you will hear from a number of women with different roles in handball (and also some men…) about their views on issues and possible solutions. And in the meantime, it would be really nice if some of you decided to volunteer your input!!!

Editor's Note: Join in on the discussion at our Facebook Fanpage: -link-

The New York Times has a story that highlights how Google translate has improved dramatically in the past few years. I’ve mentioned this in passing several times and this article explains how Google’s computing power has made it possible. In turn, it has made finding out what’s going on in the Handball world significantly easier. As little as a year ago translating an article from Arabic or Danish was either a time consuming process or impossible. Now, it can be done with a click of a button. While automatic translation can’t yet substitute for a human translation by a native speaker, it’s surely the next best thing.

New York Times (9 Mar 10): Google’s Computing Power Refines Translation Tool: -link-

New York Times (9 Mar 10): Putting Google to the Test in Translation: -link-

Like other similar sports, handball has rules with provisions that state that “decisions made by the referees on the basis of their observations of facts or their judgments are final”. By contrast, “appeals can be lodged only against decisions that are not in compliance with the rules”. The latter category applies to situations that, fortunately, do not occur in the great majority of matches.

Also sports (such as NBA, NHL and NFL) that for a long time have been used to a high-tech environment that goes beyond what is the case at most top level handball matches, have come to realize that the human factor must remain fundamental to the decision-making in the matches and that excessive recourse to high technology is not advantageous to the proper running of the game. In other words, these sports use “instant replay” or “video review” very cautiously and only in situations (and for purposes) that are carefully specified and highly regulated.

Football/soccer, through its International Football Association Board (IFAB), just a few days ago took an amazing decision to remain completely conservative. IFAB decided that further experiments with goal-line cameras or balls with computer chips will not be pursued. This was not due to problems with the technology; it was simply a decision taken ‘on grounds of principle’. It was noted that the introduction of such methods would “open the door for video review, something that we absolutely do not want”. -link-

As some IFAB members put it: “the human aspect of football is essential” and “the big moments [ed.: meaning mistakes or controversies] get the supporters talking and this is what makes the game so vibrant…” In other words, it is implied that mistakes and controversy are good for the popularity of football!!! But at the same time, IFAB left the door open for ‘other (=human) ways of helping the referees make the right decision’. This would involve an expansion of the role of the ‘4th official’ and the possible introduction of two more officials, along the lines of what is now being tested by UEFA.

One might hope that the strange preference for the ‘excitement of serious and import mistakes’ is not shared by handball. Presumably, also in handball we all want a match to run smoothly, without excessive interruptions. But handball is different from football, as there are more stoppages and as we use time-outs, even though it does not go as far as in basketball. Moreover, video review could only exist in handball at those levels where there is adequate availability of cameras and other equipment. Nevertheless, for that elite level, it behooves us at least to consider whether video review is desirable on grounds of principle and, if so, feasible in a practical sense. To make such determinations, one needs to have an idea of what methods and what procedures would be involved. The text below is intended to provide some ‘food for thought,’ and not as a way of prejudging the whole matter.

Possible situations

1. As valid protests can be lodged against decisions that “are not in compliance with the rules”, it follows that it would be important to use available replays to avoid suspected non-compliance immediately when it occurs (so that if possible it could be corrected before the game is continued) or at least to determine the reality after the fact. In the latter case, it could be done in response to a protest lodged.

(For illustrative purposes, some examples of decisions “not in compliance with the rules” are: (i) giving possession of the ball to the wrong team, after the game has been interrupted due to a faulty substitution; (ii) not giving time-out in a situation where it is obligatory; (iii) allowing a suspended player to remain on the court. By contrast, subjective referee judgments regarding offensive fouls or 7-meters, or observations of facts such as ‘stepping on the line or not’, ‘goal or no goal’ or faulty substitutions etc, basically must not be subject to review).

2. While ‘goal or no goal’ was just mentioned as an example of decisions that, on grounds of principle, must not be subject to review, there is one specific situation that fully warrants an exception. This is the situation where the real issue is not whether the ball entered the goal or not, but as to whether it did so before the end of a half, or before a whistle signal (for some other reason) from the time/scorekeeping table. In such a case it is conceivable that the referees may not have a clear opinion, and it would be legitimate to resort to video review.

3. A similar exception would also be prudent, for the sake of the image of our sport, in cases where serious violations occur “behind the back” of the referees, and would go unpunished unless the relevant managers of the competition could act on the basis of video evidence. It would only involve very serious forms of fouls or misconduct, i.e., those types that according to the playing rules require reporting for further action.

Procedures

It is important to note that it is not enough, from the standpoint of adequate legal safeguards and practical reliability of the video review approach, to determine exactly when such review may be used. It is equally important to ensure that solid procedures exist for how it should be used.

This obviously involves reliable access to a video monitor, staffed by a neutral and competent person under the control of the match supervisor, and equipped to handle the retrieval and playback with the sophistication needed, for instance slow-motion and comparison of image and sound. Quickness is also a major consideration in making a review viable, particularly one that involves situations where the game cannot be restarted until a result is available.

Moreover, it has to be absolutely clear who is responsible for the decisions to use the video replay and who has the final word on the evaluation of the replay. The rule book is clear about the normal authority of the referees, but it seems that in connection with a video review all authority essentially must pass to the senior official who is supervising the match. This person would also have to decide whether the video really is conclusive.

While bureaucracy must be kept to a minimum, these issues about how video review is to be used must be regulated in detail. However, there is little point in getting further into the details for such procedures until, hypothetically, it is agreed that the implementation of video review is being seriously considered.

With my review of the issue, I am just hoping to provide a basis for a further debate about the desirability and the feasibility of video review at the higher levels in handball, and perhaps it could give the IHF and other interested parties an impetus for moving ahead with a serious discussion.

Laszlo Sinka is one of the most well-known handball profiles in Europe. In addition to having been the key figure in Hungarian handball for many years, he is also a member of the EHF Executive Committee (and also the Chair of the EHF Beach Handball Commission).

CA: Laszlo, could you tell our readers a bit about your handball background, before you moved into these top positions in the HHF and the EHF!

LS: I played as an “all-round player” for nearly two decades at different levels in my home town, Százhalombatta. My wife was also a handball player, in the Hungarian 1st division. After my retirement, I played at charity matches, often representing the Hungarian Masters Selections. If I could, I would still like to train and play ,but due to chronic injuries I had to stop.

CA: Hungary is not one of the largest countries in Europe, but it has always had great sports traditions; and for a long time, handball has been able to stay at a high level, both with the national teams and the club teams; what is the secret to this success?

LS: Yes, we are proud of our handball history (nearly 80 years old) and we try to pass on this great heritage to the upcoming generations. But we are also looking ahead and working hard to keep up with the world’s elite. The HHF is a well respected body and has working relations with domestic and foreign associations. Handball is the second most popular sport in Hungary (after soccer of course); last year a total of 83 million viewers watched matches on TV.

CA: in some European countries, the men’s side dominates very strongly, but in Hungary the women’s handball has perhaps remained even more stabile and strong at the international level; what is the reason for this?

LS: Handball is the most popular team sport for women in Hungary and plays an important part in our entire education system. Based on the large quantity, we have an extensive competition system at the developmental level with different age categories. This nurtures quality players for our strong National League from which our national players are mostly selected.

CA:. I would imagine that you were not entirely happy with the result of your men’s team in the EURO2010; what do you see as the main reasons for this result, and what are your expectations for the near future?

LS: I could not identify one main reason for the result. Rather, the team’s performance was greatly influenced by the coincidence of a few components: the relatively short preparation time, a lack of tournament fitness, injuries and late rehabilitation, unavailability of some key players, and perhaps mental weakness hampered us. Yes, it was a painful experience for us but at the same time the early exit from the ECh provided us with the opportunity to analyze, regroup and work out a strategy in order to qualify for the WCh, by winning tough games against Slovenia.

CA: when one follows Hungarian club teams in Champions League on the webcasts, it is always apparent that there is a very enthusiastic spectator support; what is it that leads to this strong support and does it exist also for the lower levels of matches?

LS; Handball provides excellent entertainment for the majority of the population. In certain areas of Hungary, generations have grown up with handball and pass this passion onto their children. Of course, our National Men’s and Woman’s Teams are the most popular and always play in front of a full capacity crowd, at home. Many spectators are watching the 1st division matches for both genders, and our Champions League teams from Veszprém and Győri attract the most supporters. But generally speaking we have a good attendance even in the lower divisions.

CA: it seems that many of the best teams come from cities and town around the country and not from Budapest; does this have a special explanation?

LS: The most successful clubs were situated in Budapest until the last two decades. After the changing of the political system at the end of the 1980’s, the big Budapest clubs lost their government supported “mother companies” and there was not enough private enterprise replace the financing. But in the smaller cities around Hungary people are more fanatic about their ‘home’ teams and there is less competition with other sports for local support. So places like Debrecen, Győr, Veszprém, Békéscsaba and Székesfehérvár became our ‘strongholds.’.

CA: over the years I have observed that you have always been able to come up with new strong coaches for your teams; what programs and efforts do you have in place to be so successful in the area of coaching?

Coaching education is an important part of our organization and has a special place in the long-term strategic plan of the HHF. We have a good working cooperation with different institutes and organize coaching education courses along with them. We have a strict licensing system. It is part of our strategy that we encourage our retired yet experienced payers to continue their activity in handball, as coaches or referees.

CA: yes, what about the area of refereeing? you have strong traditions in Hungary; what do you do to encourage young talents to get interested in refereeing?

LS: We think the referees’ education is just as important as that for coaches. In fact, we strongly believe that the two can and should go hand in hand. It is based on our philosophy that tries to keep everybody within the game. So we encourage retired players to do a referee course and start whistling. Talented young couples with enthusiasm and desire then can take a step forward, entering the EHF Young Referee Project. We also test other referees every year.

CA: there is currently an intensive debate about the pressures on the top players, due to the competition calendar for clubs and national teams; what solutions do you see to this problem?

LS: Everybody agrees that the number of matches top players have to play are already too many and to put more matches into the schedule is almost impossible. On the other hand, the media – TV in particular – and sponsors need these high quality matches in order to maintain the momentum of the sport, and this is in our common interest. So within the field of sports administration very little can be done… One area for improvement is perhaps the application of the most up to date sport science for players rehabilitation and better impact of training sessions.

CA: of course, handball must compete with other sports and other activities in order to remain attractive for new young players, spectators, media and sponsors; how do you see the ability of handball to remain competitive in Hungary and more globally?

LS: A decreasing population results in less children and more new age attractions reduce the interest in sport. So the competition amongst the different sports for potential players becomes tougher and more aggressive. Our philosophy is to make handball accessible to everybody. So we start with mini - or as we named it after the ball they are playing with - “sponge” handball even at kindergarten level. We even organize competitions for the +45 age categories. Then we have the growing off-shoot of our sport, Beach Handball. It also depends on the game itself: we are lucky, because handball is a fast and spectacular team sport with lots of excitement and passion, - and this makes promotion easier.

CA: from your long experience, do you have any specific suggestions for how handball could be made even more attractive?

LS: I think the existing playing rules are good, suitable for the public and fulfill the requirements of a game of the 21st century. However, there is room for improvement: the better application of the rules by the referees and the better utilization of the rules by the coaches and players. This is a natural process and it will bring the game forward until another change of the rules becomes necessary to adapt to how the game develops.

CA: On behalf of our readers, I want to thank Laszlo Sinka for making himself available for this very interesting and optimistic commentary on both the background and the future of Hungarian handball!

The Mexico Handball Forum reports that Cuba has decided not to participate in the upcoming Central America and Caribbean Games this summer in Puerto Rico. The Handball tournament at this event serves as a qualifier for the PANAM Games. Unless the Pan American Team Handball Federation (PATHF) alters its qualification format, this will preclude Cuban participation at the PANAM Games. In addition to its status as the preeminent multi-sport event in the American Hemisphere the PANAM Games has also served as the Handball qualifier for the Olympic Games.

At the 2007 PANAM Games, the Cuban women finished 2nd and the Cuban men placed 3rd. Based on those and recent performances Cuba would again have been a contender to medal and challenge Brazil/Argentina for the title.

Cuba identified concerns with visas, landing rights for Cuban aircraft and security assurances that their delegation could avoid "continuing pressures and provocations" as their reasons for not participating. It should also be noted that Puerto Rico’s status as a Commonwealth of the U.S. would have meant that every athlete setting foot in Puerto Rico could immediately apply for asylum which under U.S. law is granted unconditionally to all Cubans.

Editor’s note: We have posted 2012 Olympic qualification pages (see right hand side links) based on the qualification process used for the 2008 games. These pages are projections based on unofficial information and will be updated once the IHF publishes the official qualification guidelines

Mexico Handball Forum (3 Mar 10): Cuba will not participate in the Pan American Games in Guadalajara!: -link-

The Brazilian Handball Confederation (CBHb) was founded in 1979 and a Brazilian team participated when the 1st Men's Panamerican Championship was organized the following year. Gradually, Brazil has progressed to become a dominating force in Panamerican handball, albeit with the traditional close rivalry with Argentina, on both the men's and the women's side. But while the gold medals in Panamerican competitions have kept piling up, the real successes in international competition, i.e., World Championships and Olympic Games, have so far failed to materialize. Brazilian players have been sought out by European clubs, but the experience gained in this manner has not been enough.

Therefore, notwithstanding the successes within the continent and the strong growth of handball within Brazil, the Confederation and its leadership has received criticism, also from within in its own ranks. For instance, one of the dominating players on the men's national team recently expressed in public his frustrations with the lack of an international break-through and questioned if the methods of the CBHb were the best ones. -link-

Nevertheless, as reported on the CBHB web site -link- from the CBHb General Assembly last weekend, Oliveira found himself presented with a petition that urged him, 'for the sake of continuity', to promise to make himself available also for the period 2013-6, leading up to the Olympic Games in Rio. Needless to say, 'an emotional Oliveira was unable to resist this overwhelming pressure'. He had previously indicated that he would leave in 2012 when his current mandate expires.

Oliveira is the third president in the history of the CBHb, having taken over from Jose Maria Teixeira in the late 1980s. In other words, a re-election for 2013-16 would be for his seventh(!) consecutive period as president. Indeed, this fact has caused some Brazilian observers to ask rather sarcastically if the international results of Brazilian handball really justify that Oliveira becomes such a 'record holder'. -link-

As followers of international handball know, while Oliveira's heart may be in the handball of his Brazil, he is currently also the President of the PanAmerican Team Handball Federation, and therefore also a Vice-President of the International Handball Federation until 2013.

As announced by the IHF on its web site a few days ago, -link- a new rule book has been produced with an effective date that fits with the start of the next season in the Northern hemisphere. It will also apply in the IHF World Championships for Women’s Junior and Women Youth, as well as in the Youth Olympics.

However, in contrast to the most recent rules editions, such as 2005 and especially 2001, there are not many changes in the substance of the rules, so you do not need to worry that there will be a noticeable impact on how our game is played. In fact, there was a widespread opinion in the world of handball that the changes should be kept to a minimum this time.

As indicated in the documents that IHF provide together with the rule book text, the main focus has been on a restructuring and a new approach in Rule 8, which is the rule regarding fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. The structure now consists of two parallel ‘ladders’, one for fouls and one for unsportsmanlike conduct. The intention is to clarify what actions warrant ‘progressive punishment’ (i.e., starting with a ‘yellow card’), a direct 2-minute suspension, a direct disqualification, and a disqualification accompanied by a report intended to be the basis for post-game punishment.

Moreover, the previous approach has been to try to use examples to indicate at which step of the ‘ladder’ that specific actions belong. In the new rules text, the emphasis is instead on criteria, involving aspects such as the position of the guilty player, the part of the body against which the action is aimed, the dynamics of the action, and its impact. The hope is to achieve more clarity and consistency.

The rules have also been expanded in the Clarification regarding passive play. The sense is that the weak point has been the inconsistencies in referee judgment and action, after the forewarning signal has been shown. New instructions have been added on this point.

There are a number of other places in the rules where small changes in the substance have been made or where minor changes in the wording have been undertaken to facilitate the correct understanding. The IHF is offering, for the sake of those who now need to reflect these changes in the rule books of their own languages, a summary that points out where in rules text you will find such changes.

Regarding the changes in Rule 8, the IHF intends to issue DVDs for educational purposes, as this is clearly a more effective method than mere words to explain the new interpretations. Clearly this should be of interest, not just to referee instructors, but also to coaches who want to have the advantage of understanding how some nuances in the rules may make a difference for their own tactics and methods.