Intercollegiate rules

Rule I: Matriculation

A. Participation is permitted in any collegiate handball contest provided the player is a bona fide matriculated student in good standing at university or college that has been recognized through the standard, national accreditation process (not a business or trade school, etc.), and is making legitimate progress toward a degree as defined by passing a minimum of six hours the previous semester.

B. Eligibility of participants shall by verified by letter, with school seal affixed, from the office of the dean of admissions or registrar before the tournament.

Rule II: Participation

A. Participation in collegiate handball will be limited to four national collegiate tournaments over a period of five consecutive college years. This rule is intended to allow full- time undergraduates, part-time seniors and full-time graduate students to play in four national collegiate tournaments within five years from the time they played in their first such tournament as an undergraduate. Exception to this rule must be appealed to the national collegiate commissioner. (The intent of this rule is to encourage participation of new handball players at the collegiate level; it is not for veteran players who may have returned to graduate school.)

B. In the event of a student’s regular attendance being interrupted by military service in any of the armed forces, the period of eligibility shall be five years exclusive of time in military service, except the years in which, during the player's military service, he or she may have represented an educational institution.

C. Freshmen are eligible for varsity competition in handball.

D. Transfer students or graduates from a junior college may continue handball competition without complying with the one - year residence rule. Total years of competition shall not exceed four.

E. Senior students requiring less than a full- time academic curriculum to graduate will be allowed to participate.

Rule III: Tournament play

A. Players may participate in only one singles event.

B. Members of a doubles team must be from the same home campus institution.

C. Players are permitted to participate in both singles and doubles.

D. Players considered by themselves or their coaches to be “Open” or “A” players shall play in the “Open Doubles” division. (“B Doubles” is for “B” players or a lower skill classification).

Rule IV: Scoring

A. Each school represented at the national tournament will be awarded points based on the achievements of its players. There is no limit to the number of participants from any school, but a maximum of six men and six women scorers will count toward the men’s, women’s and combined championships. Players entering both singles and doubles can earn points in only one event. The determinant in awarding points to players competing in both singles and doubles will be the event in which most points are won, i.e., combined singles points or doubles points.

Special note

Tournament host has the option to shorten matches by using best two-of-three to 15 points and 11-point tiebreaker for first two rounds.

*All players must abide by the USHA Code of Conduct found at: ushandball.org/infocenter/CodeofConduct.html