In 2006 the EHF Methods Commission added wheelchair handball to its responsibilities. A demonstration match was played at the EHF Youth Handball Convention in Vienna that year to start the initiative.
Wheelchair handball is not new, with the sport being popular for men’s, women’s and mixed teams for some time around the world. However, it has grown significantly in the past 15 years.
The Methods Commission introduced a classification system and four wheelchair handball Nations’ Tournaments were played before wheelchair handball was formally given EHF status. That has paved the way for the first European Wheelchair Handball Championships, set to take place in Portugal in November 2022. The first International Handball Federation (IHF) Four-a-Side Wheelchair Handball World Championship took place in Egypt in September 2022.
The IHF have also published rules for both four-a-side and six-a-side wheelchair handball, and regulations for classification in both disciplines.
Wheelchair handball has been developed with as few adaptations from the standard game as possible, in order to give players a true handball experience.
Have a look at the intense games here.
