Nov 1, 2021 - Sports

Handball Federation ends bikini bottom requirement after backlash

Ivana Saric

Norway team line up during 2018 Women's Beach Handball World Cup — Norway team at the 2018 Women's Beach Handball World Cup. Photo: Ilnar Tukhbatov/Epsilon/Getty Images

Women handball players will no longer be required to compete in bikini bottoms, according to updated rules by the International Handball Federation.

Driving the news: The new rules, published on Oct. 3, follow the controversy over the bikini bottom requirement. Norway's women's beach handball team was fined in July for wearing shorts in competition — a penalty that sparked backlash over the rules and broader debate about sexism and double standards in sports.

The big picture: Previously, women were required to wear bikini bottoms "with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg." The bottoms could be no longer than 4 inches on the sides.

Male players are allowed to wear shorts as long as 4 inches above the knee that aren't "too baggy."
Under the updated rules, which will take effect Jan. 1, female "athletes must wear short tight pants with a close fit.” The maximum length is mid-thigh, according to an illustration describing the acceptable uniforms in the updated rulebook. Long pants may be acceptable under certain weather conditions.
The IHF did not provide a reason for the change in uniform requirements, but the organization's president, Hassan Moustafa, indicated in August that a change in the rules could be imminent following pressure from teams from Europe and American Samoa, per the New York Times.

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Handball Federation ends bikini bottom requirement after backlash

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