International Handball Federation

The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the global administrative and controlling body for handball, beach handball and wheelchair handball. Founded in Copenhagen in 1946, it brings together 211 member federations through six continental confederations: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and the Caribbean, Oceania, and South and Central America. The IHF organises the sport's principal international competitions, including men's and women's World Championships, youth and junior World Championships, the Club World Championship, beach handball World Championships, wheelchair handball World Championships, the IHF Trophy and the IHF Nations Trophy. It also maintains international event calendars, rules of the game, regulations, anti-doping and integrity frameworks, and education programmes for coaches, referees and technical officials. Congress is the federation's highest body; its Council and Executive Committee undertake executive functions, including event awarding, governance decisions and the international calendar.