Handball is still a beautiful game!

Latest events on EHF EURO 2018 in Croatia just made me thinking about leaving this beautiful sport as active participant. I have been playing handball for 10 years, then I had elbow surgery and now I am a referee for more than 6 years. The handball was put into my cradle. It is our family sport. As proud Slovenian and a person, who just loves handball, I follow every match of Slovenia national team. 

At first I have to apologize to my fellow referees about my reaction after match, it was in the affect. There in Arena Zagreb was few thousands Slovenian fans and I was one of them. In moments like the last minute of the match you lose your clear mind. Referees are also humans and fall under an impression of a crazy last 30 seconds, but still they are trained and chosen to be the best in moments like this. Both of them were the only ones in Arena to see the video of last few seconds. IHF and EHF changed the rules for last 30 seconds two years ago just for situations like this one between Slovenia and Germany. They also included  videotechnology for this event in Croatia to follow the rules in critical situations. We are trained to make a decision in few seconds, it cannot take you whole 7 minutes to take a decision. And it is a big "coincidence" it rules in favor of a handball giant. I can say there were some critical situations in last 30 seconds, but they video reviewed only the last one. Photo of Veselin Vujović stepping in the goal to defend the 7m throw will be one of the most controversal in hanball history. What can you do, if you do not have influence and money? Imagine, if the situation was reverse. I am 100% sure, they would not see the video. 

"What can you do, if you do not have influence and money?" Veselin Vujović about to defend the 7m throw. 

It is what it is. In handball decision of a referees is the last one. I could not get over this situation so I reviewed it for 15 times and went through rules to make clear the situation. I could not sleep, I hope that it will make an lection for all referees in future. They made a mistake according to the rules. If you just see the video, there should be few different decisions in last 15 seconds and it would not come to this situation. 

Rules about throw in last 30s. 

It is over. I got an lection of handball rules, Germany got a point, Slovenia big disappointment. After 14 losses and 1 draw Slovenia was a reasonable decision away from first win against Germany. It does not feel right to finish a game in a way like that. It is not bad that they outplayed European Champions and got a point, but the way it happened is wrong. Handball is sport about players and fans, not about referees. I hope we will reach reasonable decision and step together to make this beautiful sport more clear to all. 

The biggest problem for me, handball referee, is to come to a match this weekend and all next weekends, to referee some 10-14 years old boys, who all watched the match, and be respected in their eyes. How can they trust referees, if in front of million viewers the best of the best referees made such a farce? Will they trust my decisions?

C'mon people of handball, step together for this beautiful game. 

SR