Competition Regulations

Group stage

• All teams within a group play each other once (round robin), spread across three separate tournament windows.
• Each window is one tournament hosted by one of the group's member associations.
• Six group matches per team in total. There are no bye weekends — every team plays in every window.
• Three match days per tournament: the host plays on the first and the last day, the two visiting teams meet on the middle day.

Final window

• After the three group-stage windows, the final window hosts three parallel tournaments determined by group finishing positions.
• Cross-group seeding applies: Group A against Group D · Group B against Group C.
• Two semi-finals on day one, then the final and the third-place match on day two.
• Every team finishes the season with a definitive placement between first and twelfth.

Host association obligations

• Provide a suitable indoor venue with a minimum capacity of 200 spectators.
• Ensure changing rooms, medical assistance and basic media facilities.
• Arrange accommodation for visiting teams upon request, or provide a hotel list.
• Appoint a local organising committee and a tournament director.
• Submit a venue confirmation form to U16@rr-liga.com no later than 60 days before the tournament.
• Provide match officials in coordination with the national referee commission.
• Report results to the competition office immediately after each match day.

Points system

• A win is worth 3 points, a draw 1 point and a loss 0 points.

Group stage ranking

• In the event of equal points between two or more teams, the tiebreaker criteria are applied in order until the tie is broken.
• A team that fails to appear for a scheduled match without a valid, documented reason receives a technical defeat of 0:3 and 0 points. Repeated no-shows may result in exclusion from the competition.

Tiebreaker criteria

1. 1.Total points accumulated across all three group-stage tournaments
2. 2.Goal difference — all matches
3. 3.Total goals scored — all matches
4. 4.Head-to-head points between the tied teams
5. 5.Head-to-head goal difference between the tied teams
6. 6.Draw conducted by the Regional Handball League

Qualification for the final window

• 1st place in each group → Final A (places 1–4)
• 2nd place in each group → Final B (places 5–8)
• 3rd place in each group → Final C (places 9–12)

• Available indoor venue — minimum 500 spectators for Final A, 200 spectators for Finals B and C.
• Confirmed accommodation for four delegations.
• Previous experience organising international handball events.
• Hosting application submitted no later than 30 days after the conclusion of the third window.
• Boys and girls final tournaments are hosted separately, on different weekends. An association may apply to host both if it has sufficient venue capacity.

Eligibility

• Players must be born in 2010 or 2011 (U16 category, season 2026/27).
• Players must hold the nationality of the association they represent and be eligible under EHF and IHF regulations.
• Each association enters one boys team and one girls team.
• Each association may register a squad of up to 16 players per gender per tournament.
• Players may not represent more than one association during the season.

Match rules

• Matches are played under the current IHF Rules of the Game as adopted by the EHF.
• Standard match duration is two halves of 30 minutes with a 10-minute half-time interval.
• In group-stage matches a draw stands — there is no overtime or shootout.
• In final-window semi-finals and finals, a draw is decided by 2 × 5 minutes of overtime, then a penalty shootout.
• IHF-approved match balls are provided by the host association.

Officials and referees

• Each tournament is officiated by referee pairs approved by the host national federation.
• The Regional Handball League may assign or approve officials for the final window.

Disputes and appeals

• Protests must be submitted in writing to the match commissioner within 30 minutes of the final whistle.
• Decisions on protests are made by the Regional Handball League within 24 hours.
• Appeals may be referred to the competent arbitration body under EHF statutes.