The Council unanimously approved the amendments. The basis for the decision were inputs by the Forum Club Handball (FCH) which had been discussed in the various bodies of the FHC as well as among the stakeholders in boards, i.e. the Professional Handball Board, of the European Handball Federation over the past months and were finally discussed on the level of the International Handball Federation.
In detail, "Article 8 – Transfer Procedure" was amended adding that the regulations “shall always apply in case any third party intervenes in the transfer of a player, even in the event that no agent licenses are delivered by the IHF.”
Furthermore, it was added that "a third party shall not intervene for more than one party in a transfer and must be remunerated only by the party in question."
"We are satisfied that the Council of the International Handball Federation has followed our inputs. It means that as of 1 July 2022 a player, who has authorised a player agent to represent his interests, shall remunerate his agent," said FCH Managing Director Gerd Butzeck.
"Clubs shall no longer reimburse the player’s agent, if the agent represents the interests of the player.
"We have already been in contact with the European Handball Players Union to provide a contract template which the players can use to define the relationship between the player and the agent,” said Butzeck.
Martin Hausleitner, EHF Secretary General, said: "Transfers within the territory of the European Handball Federation as well cross-continental player exchanges play an important role in our sport.
"In this regard a clarification of the roles of the involved parties is an important next step on the road to further professionalisation."
As part of the amendments, the International Handball Federation also specified the definition of players’ agents in the regulations.
Furthermore, the National Federations according to the regulations are requested to adapt their internal transfer procedures and regulations to reflect the amendments approved by the IHF Council.
