In our effort to upgrade the officiating in handball, the USHA
now offers five levels of certification for referees. They are:
Level One: Pass written certification exam or attend a referee's clinic.
Level Two: Pass written certification exam and attend a referee's clinic.
Level Three: Pass exam, attend clinic, and receive positive observation
report by qualified official (Level 4 or 5).
Level Four: Pass exam, attend clinic, positive observation officiating
Open play by Level 4 or 5 official.
Level Five: This level of certification is reserved for Level
4 officials who are also qualified to conduct referee's clinics.
PART I - Multiple Choice
On the answer sheet, write in the correct letter of the appropriate answer
and the page number in the rulebook where the answer was found.
1. Server is not ready to serve when referee calls score.
A. Sideout.
B. Fault.
C. Referee calls score again.
D. Server has 10 seconds to serve.
2. Partner (A) is first server but partner (B) serves first.
A. Sideout.
B. Partner (A) loses serve and partner (B) serves.
C. Partner (B) loses serve and partner (A) serves.
D. Legal, either partner may serve first.
3. Before ball is served, it is discovered that the ball is broken.
A. Play continues after referee gives a new ball to players.
B. Previous rally or action (fault, out serve, etc.) is replayed.
4. After the score is announced, the server calls a timeout.
A. No penalty, but timeout is not allowed.
B. Timeout is allowed.
C. A sideout should be called.
D. A technical should be called.
5. After serving a fault, server calls timeout before referee
announces "second serve."
A. The timeout is allowed.
B. No penalty, but timeout is not allowed.
C. A sideout should be called.
D. A technical should be called.
6. The receiver swings at a served ball but misses it completely.
The first floor bounce is behind the long line and between the side lines.
A. A point for the server.
B. A fault should be called.
C. The receiver can continue his attempt to return the serve.
7. The receiver calls timeout after the score is announced.
A. The timeout should be allowed.
B. No penalty is assessed but timeout is not allowed.
C. A technical should be called.
D. An avoidable hinder should be called.
8. The receiver is not in a ready position within 10 seconds after
the referee has called point or handout.
A. A point should be awarded the server.
B. Referee should call the score and the server may serve.
C. Server cannot serve until the receiver is ready.
D. A technical should be called.
9. One player on a doubles team is interfered with in trying to hit
the ball but his partner gets to the ball and hits the ball into the floor.
A. No call should be made after the fact if the referee didn't call
a hinder before the shot was missed.
B. A hinder should be called.
10. A player hits the ball in front of himself and stands still. His
opponent cannot see the ball from behind the player. In the referee's judgment,
the receiver would have been able to retrieve the ball on one bounce.
A. A hinder should be called.
B. An avoidable hinder should be called.
C. Player who hit shot is awarded the rally.
11. The linesman calls a fault but realizes he made a mistake, and
the serve was good. The receiver had no chance to retrieve it.
A. The fault call should stand.
B. The fault call should be reversed and the server awarded another serve.
C. Server should be awarded a point.
12. The linesman calls a fault, but realizes he made a mistake and
the serve was good.
A. The fault call should be reversed and the server given another serve.
B. The fault call should stand.
13. During a rally, the ball strikes the top edge of the wall and then
rebounds into the playing zone.
A. The ball is out.
B. The ball is still in play until it bounces twice.
14. The referee can't tell if an attempted killshot was good or
skipped in. Both players agree that the shot was good, and there
are no linesmen.
A. The referee should call the shot good.
B. The referee should call for a replay of the rally.
C. The referee should make his call of good or skip-in without
the help of the players.
15. The referee can't determine whether an attempted killshot was good.
There are no linesmen and the players disagree.
A. The referee must make a call of good or skip-in.
B. The referee should call for a replay.
16. A player is injured during a rally and falls down while the ball
is still in play.
A. Play should be stopped immediately.
B. Player who is injured loses the rally.
C. Opponent of injured player should be allowed to continue play as long
as the injured player doesn't create interference.
17. A player gets leg cramps.
A. Play continues.
B. An injury timeout should be allowed.
18. A player contacts his opponent during a backswing.
The referee doesn't see the contact.
The shot doesn't reach the wall and the player calls "contact"
after the shot hits the floor.
A. An avoidable hinder should be called.
B. A hinder should be called.
C. The player who hit the shot loses the rally.
19. A player accidentally runs into his opponent in his effort to
make a retrieve.
A. An avoidable hinder should be called against the player who ran into
his opponent.
B. A hinder should be called immediately.
C. A hinder should be called only if the ball was retrievable had the
interference not occurred.
20. A player accidentally loses his shoe during the rally, and the
ball is still in play.
A. A hinder should be called immediately.
B. A hinder should be called only if the shoe poses a threat to the
player's safety.
21. A player calls a timeout, but has already used his allotted
number of timeouts.
A. A technical should be called.
B. No penalty should be assessed, but the timeout is not allowed.
C. An avoidable hinder should be called.
22. In singles which player serves first in a tie breaker?
A. The player who scored the most total points in the first two
games.
B. The player who served first in the first game.
C. The player who won the second game.
D. First serve should be determined by a coin toss.
23. In singles, which player serves first in the second game?
A. The player who wins the first game.
B. First serve should be determined by a coin toss.
C. The player who didn't serve first in the first game.
D. The player who didn't serve first in the first game has
the choice of serving or receiving.
24. The doubles team wins the coin toss.
A. Team must serve first.
B. Team can choose to serve or receive.
25. A player's return hits a spectator.
A. The return will be judged as if it had hit his opponent.
B. Dead-ball hinder.
26. A player calls two timeouts in a row.
A. The second timeout should be allowed.
B. A technical should be called.
C. The second timeout should not be allowed, but no penalty should be assessed.
27. A player leaves the court during a timeout.
A. No penalty.
B. The player must have permission from the referee.
C. It is illegal for the player to leave the court. The match should be
defaulted.
28. The time allowed between the first and second games is:
A. One minute.
B. Two minutes.
C. Five minutes.
D. Ten minutes.
29. The time allowed between the second and third games is:
A. Two minutes.
B. Three minutes.
C. Five minutes.
D. Ten minutes.
30. The time permitted for a glove change is:
A. One minute.
B. Two minutes.
C. Three minutes.
D. Five minutes.
31. A player, attempting to make a retrieve, slips on a wet spot. He
could have made the retrieve if he hadn't slipped.
A. A hinder should be called.
B. No hinder should be called.
32. A player hits a shot that is not going to reach the wall, and be fair, and his
opponent catches the ball before it hits the floor.
A. The rally should be awarded the player who caught the ball.
B. A hinder should be called.
C. An avoidable hinder should be called against the player who caught the ball.
D. A technical warning should be issued against the player who caught the ball.
33. A player is hit by his own shot on the rebound from the wall, but
the opponent could not have made the retrieve.
A. The player who is hit wins the rally.
B. The player who is hit loses the rally.
C. A hinder should be called.
34. The maximum amount of time for a player to be late for his
match before forfeit is:
A. Five minutes.
B. Ten minutes.
C. Fifteen minutes.
D. Twenty minutes.
35. A player does not return to the court within one minute after a timeout has
been called.
A. No penalty should be assessed.
B. The match should be defaulted.
C. The late player's opponent should be awarded one point for every minute the
player is late in returning.
After 10 minutes the match should be forfeited.
D. The game that is being played is awarded to the late player's opponent,
but the match should continue.
36. The matches are running ahead of schedule and one player starts warming up
10 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time of the match. His opponent arrives
at the scheduled starting time and starts to warm up.
A. The player may continue to warm up until he is ready to start play.
B. The player can warm up for a maximum of 10 minutes.
C. The player should not be allowed to warm up.
37. If the matches are running behind schedule, the players should
be allowed a warmup period of:
A. Five minutes.
B. Ten minutes.
C. Until they are ready to start play.
38. On any situation not specifically covered by the rulebook.
A. The referee has the final authority.
B. A replay should be called.
C. Whatever the players agree to do.
D. The referee may rule on this matter but may be overruled by the
referees chairman or tournament director.
39. A technical call results in:
A. The match being defaulted.
B. A point is awarded to the offending player's opponent.
C. A point is deducted from the offending player's score.
40. The referee determines that the ball has become defective during a game.
A. The referee has the authority to call for a change of balls.
B. The referee should call for a new ball only if both players agree.
C. The ball should only be changed between games.
41. The referee determines that a player's shirt is wet and is
causing the floor to get wet.
A. The referee should tell the player to change his shirt.
B. The referee should wait until a timeout is called and then
ask the player to change his shirt.
C. The referee can ask the player to change his shirt, but it
is the player's option.
42. A player has a bruised hand and wants to tape a piece of metal
over the bruise inside his glove.
A. This is illegal. No hard object such as metal may be worn under the
glove.
B. The referee should allow this as long as he feels the metal
doesn't create an unfair advantage for the player.
43. A player uses rubber bands across the palms of his gloves.
A. This is legal.
B. This is illegal.
44. A player is wearing a shirt, during an indoor match, that is cut
off just below the chest.
A. The shirt is legal attire.
B. The shirt is illegal.
45. A player's shirt has a pattern of blue polka-dots the size of
handballs all over it.
A. The shirt is legal attire.
B. The shirt is illegal.
46. A player appeals a referee's "judgment" hinder call.
A. The referee should allow the appeal.
B. The referee should not allow the appeal.
47. A "non-seated" spectator interferes with the play.
A. There should be no call if the ball does not reach the wall.
B. Play continues.
C. A dead ball should be called.
48. Receiver steps into the service zone before the served ball, from the
wall, passes the short line.
A. Fault serve.
B. Server is awarded a point.
C. Out serve.
49. Receiver steps on the service line before the serve, from the wall,
crosses the short line.
A. Fault serve.
B. Play continues.
C. Server is awarded a point.
50. Server leaves the service zone before the serve passes the short
line.
A. Fault serve.
B. Server is awarded a point.
C. Out serve.
51. The referee calls a hinder and then realizes he made a mistake
and a hinder should not have been called.
A. The referee's call stands.
B. The referee can change his call.
52. The maximum time allowed for injury timeouts is:
A. Five minutes.
B. Ten minutes.
C. Fifteen minutes.
D. Twenty minutes.
53. A player incurs an injury and must seek medical attention. His
opponent agrees to wait for him to return to the court although the
time exceeds the maximum allowed by the rules.
A. The referee should not allow this. The match must be forfeited
once the legal time is exceeded.
B. The referee should allow this concession by the opponent.
54. The tournament director in any USHA-sanctioned event decides to
change courts during a game to better accommodate spectator viewing.
A. Court cannot be changed during a match.
B. Court can be changed if both players agree to change.
C. Tournament director has authority to make the change.
55. The referee judges that a player has caused an avoidable hinder,
but it is his first offense of the match.
A. An avoidable hinder should be called.
B. The referee must give a warning and not call an avoidable until
the next offense.
C. The referee may give a warning if he chooses.
56. The server serves a fault, then a legal serve, that takes a bad
bounce (court hinder) before the receiver attempted to return the serve,
then another fault.
A. Sideout.
B. Server has one fault.
57. The server serves a fault, then a legal serve but the ball breaks
during the rally, and then another fault.
A. Sideout.
B. Server has one fault.
58. A player hits his opponent with the ball and the ball would obviously
not have been fair if it hadn't hit the opponent.
A. Player who was hit with the ball wins the rally.
B. Avoidable hinder should be called.
C. Dead ball hinder should be called.
59. During a rally, the ball takes a bad bounce, but the referee
judges that the shot was unretrievable even had it bounced in a true fashion.
A. Dead ball hinder should be called.
B. Player who hit shot wins rally.
60. A player, while being legally hindered, incidentally strikes his
opponent with his follow through after contacting the ball.
A. A dead ball should be called.
B. There should be no call if the ball does not reach the wall.
C. Play continues.
PART II - Matching
From the following list, write in the correct letter of the appropriate
answer and the page number where the answer was found in rulebook.
A. Fault serve or hinder serve.
B. Out serve.
C. No penalty (legal and play continues).
D. Dead-ball hinder.
E. Avoidable hinder.
F. Illegal (point or sideout, depending on whether the
offender was serving or receiving).
G. Match is defaulted.
H. Technical.
61. An official interferes with a player's attempt to return the ball.
62. The server bounces the ball more than three times, without
catching it each time, before serving.
63. The server accidentally drops the ball on his foot before starting
his service.
64. After the score is called, the server throws the ball against the
wall.
65. When attempting to serve, the server swings at, but completely
misses, the ball.
66. The service attempt hits the wall and the floor simultaneously.
67. The service attempt hits the floor before hitting the wall.
68. The server's foot touches the service line in his act of serving.
69. The server's foot is behind the back edge of the service line
when he begins his service attempt, but both feet are inside the service
zone when the ball is contacted by the server's hand.
70. The service attempt hits the short line after contacting the wall.
71. The service attempt hits the wall and then rebounds past the long line
but between the side lines.
72. The service attempt hits the wall and then rebounds past the long
line but outside the sidelines.
73. The service attempt hits the wall and then rebounds before the
short line but between the sidelines.
74. The service attempt rebounds on the long line.
75. The server does not serve the ball within 10 seconds after the
referee has announced the score.
76. After the score is called, the server serves the ball before the
receiver is ready.
77. The service attempt hits the wall and then rebounds past the
short line but travels between the server's legs.
78. The service attempt hits the wall and then rebounds to hit the
floor in front of the short line. The ball then contacts the server
before bouncing twice.
79. A player swings at and misses the ball completely. It rebounds
into the playing zone and strikes his opponent before the second floor bounce.
80. A player swings at and misses the ball completely. It strikes his
opponent, who is standing behind the long line, on the fly.
81. The server hits the ball with his fist on his service attempt.
82. The service attempt hits the wall, and rebounds into the receiving zone,
passing between his parner's legs. His partner was standing still.
83. The server serves a fault, then a hinder serve, then another
fault.
84. The service attempt hits the wall and then travels past the
short line. The server's partner moves to avoid being struck by the serve,
and interferes with the receiving side's attempt to return the serve.
85. The service attempt hits the wall and then travels past the short
line. The server's partner moves to avoid being struck by the serve,
and in doing so interferes with the receiving side's attempt to return the serve.
86. The server's partner catches the serve to avoid being hit by it.
87. The serve hits the partner who is straddling the service line.
88. The partner enters the receiving zone before the ball passes him.
89. The receiver catches the serve, on the fly, before it bounces
long.
90. The server commits a foot fault but his serve hits the floor
before reaching the wall.
91. The receiver has both feet behind the long line when he returns
a legally served ball.
92. The receiver has one foot outside of the playing zone when he
catches the ball on a fly.
93. The receiver moves in to take a lob serve which has crossed the
shortline from the wall. In doing so the receiver steps into the service
zone.
94. A player suspects that the ball has broken and gives it to the
referee to be inspected. The referee decides that the ball had not broken.
On the next service attempt the ball breaks.
95. A player hits the ball with the back of his hand.
96. A player has his two hands together when contacting the ball but
only hits the ball with one hand.
97. A player contacts the ball with his wrist but his wrist is covered
by the glove.
98. A player hits his opponent with a ball and that would have
reached the wall, and been fair on the wall and floor.
99. A player hits his opponent with the ball and the referee is
unsure whether the ball would have reached the wall, and been fair
on the wall and the floor, if the ball had not hit the opponent.
100. After hitting a shot that is apparently going to be a setup for
his opponent, the player verbally reprimands himself before his opponent
hits the setup.
101. Partner "A" yells to his partner "B" to, "Cover the front court,"
just as one of their opponents is moving into position to hit the return.
102. As one player is about to hit his shot, the opponent moves in
behind him and stomps his feet.
103. A player backs up into his opponent who was not making a
reasonable attempt not to cause interference.
104. A player dives to retrieve a ball in the front court. In his
effort to get back on his feet, he creates interference with his
opponent.
105. During a rally, the ball hits a wet spot and "slides." The player
makes a legal return in spite of the "slide."
106. A player forcibly shoves his opponent during a rally.
107. A player serves two consecutive "hinder serves".
108. The linesman's view was hindered, but the referee was able to
see that the serve landed outside the side line.
109. In an attempt to make a retrieve the defensive player passes in
front of the offensive player just before the ball is struck.
110. Player excessively abusive in the referees judgment.
111. The receiver returns the serve so that it strikes the sideline, on
the wall, and lands on the long line.
112. A player hits a shot that might reach the wall, and be fair on
both the wall and the floor, but the opponent catches it before
it hits the wall or the floor.
113. A player receives two technicals during the first game and then
receives a third technical in the second game.
114. A player engages in unsportsmanlike conduct.
115. A player is wearing a hat which comes off during a rally and
causes interference with the opponent's next return.
116. The serving side commits a hinder.
117. A player fails to properly wear eye protection. It is his first
offense.
118. A player fails to properly wear eye protection. It is his second
violation in the same match.
Once you've completed the entire test and are confident
of your answers, send the completed answer sheet to:
HANDBALL, 2333 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85716