A new feature was unlocked for the first time in the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship history, as the Video Replay (VR) was introduced for the last 14 games scheduled in the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin at Germany/Greece 2023.

Video Replay (VR) offers the possibility for the referees to immediately watch a situation on a TV screen if they cannot see the complete action on the court and wish to check again before reaching a decision. This specifically refers to key-match situations where the referees decide to consult the TV picture in addition
to their view on the court.

The Video Replay was first rolled out at the 2016 IHF Men’s Super Globe and is now available in all the senior IHF World Championship editions. It appears for the first time at the younger age category events in Berlin, having already been available at the Placement Matches 9-16 between France and Brazil and also at the match between Spain and Tunisia without being needed.

“This is a very important tool for the referees because handball needs it, as it has gotten faster and faster. We have used the system over the last senior competitions and the results were excellent, with over 90% of the decisions taken correctly after the video replay system was used,” says Per Morten Sødal, the Chairman of the IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission (PRC).

The Video Replay system was used 83 times at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship in Poland and Sweden, helping referees take the correct decisions after reviewing the plays in question.

“It is important to note that this is a Video Replay system, not a Video Assistant Referee system. Therefore, the decisions are taken by the referees themselves after reviewing the play from multiple angles and the responsibility is shared with the referees,” added Sødal.

Having such a system at hand not only helps ensure the quality of the refereeing stays high but also improves the level of certainty of the decisions taken on the court, which are in the hundreds per game for a referee pair.

“One thing we should be certain of is that we are using the Video Replay system only when there is a big degree of uncertainty regarding a decision. We do not want to interrupt the flow of the game. We want to streamline it as much as possible and intervene whenever there is a situation which needs to be addressed,” concludes the Chairman of the IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission.