Everything is ready for the SCA U-18 and U-20 handball tournaments, which will take place over five days in Asunción, Paraguay. Qualifying spots for the World Championship will be up for grabs in each age group.
Two simultaneous tournaments will take place from November 10 to 14, featuring 16 national teams. The tournaments will be held at one venue and two stadiums: the COP Arena and the COP CEO.
Both tournaments serve as qualifiers for the World Cup
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SCA / IHF U-18 Trophy
This U-18 tournament serves as a qualifier for the IHF Youth World Championship, awarding three spots and one berth to the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase.
The Championship will be contested by teams divided into two groups of four teams each, with group composition determined by merit and ranking based on the most recent competition (Managua 2024).
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Chile
- Nicaragua
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Guatemala
Teams from the qualifying zone The IHF Trophy Central America group is ranked as follows:
+ Nicaragua
+ El Salvador
Meanwhile, the South America group is ranked as follows:
+ Paraguay
+ Colombia
Group Configuration Rules:
1. Teams from the same IHF Trophy qualifying zone may not be placed in the same group.
2. The winner of the Central American zone and the winner of the South American zone may not be placed in the same group.
Therefore, the groups are organized as follows:
Group A: Brazil , Chile, Nicaragua, and Colombia; Group B includes Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and El Salvador.
The Colombian and Salvadoran national teams have switched positions to comply with the rule that teams from the same IHF Trophy qualifying zone may not face each other.
SCA U-20 Championship / IHF Trophy
In the U-20 category, the tournament serves as a qualifier for the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, awarding 3 spots, and for the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase, awarding 1 spot.
The tournament will feature 8 teams divided into 2 groups, with the groups determined based on merit and ranking (Managua 2024).
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Uruguay
- Chile
- Nicaragua
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Nicaragua
Teams from the IHF Trophy Central America qualifying zone will advance as follows:
+ Nicaragua
+ Guatemala
Meanwhile, the following teams are entering from South America:
+ Colombia
+ French Guiana
The reservations for determining the groups:
1. Teams from the same IHF Trophy qualifying zone may not be placed in the same group.
2. Winner of the Central American zone and the winner of the South American zone may not be placed in the same group.
The two groups for the competition are as follows: Group A consists of Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, and French Guiana. Group B consists of Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, and Guatemala.
Tournament Format for Both Tournaments
Once the group stage is over, every match must have a winner, and the game cannot end in a tie. If a tie occurs, a winner must be determined.
Teams competing in the Championship Round—that is, in the semifinals and the 1st- through 4th-place games—will play one overtime period. If the score remains tied, a second overtime period will be played.
If it is still not possible to determine a winner, a series of 7-meter throws must be conducted in accordance with IHF regulations.
Meanwhile, in the case of a tie among the teams competing for 5th through 8th place, the match will proceed directly to a 7-meter shootout, in accordance with IHF regulations.
During a 7-meter throw contest, one team gains an insurmountable lead over its opponent and not all throws in the series have been taken, the series will end with the team that has gained that lead being declared the winner.
Match Results and Final Standings in Both Tournaments
The standings for the participating teams will be determined based on the total number of points earned. A win is worth 2 points, a tie is worth 1 point, and a loss is worth 0 points.
If two or more teams have earned the same number of points after the group stage matches have been completed, the standings will be determined as follows:
- Point total between the tied teams
- Goal difference in matches played between the tied teams
- Greater number of goals scored in matches played between the tied teams.
After successively applying the criteria listed above, the teams remain tied, a decision will be made by applying the following criteria among the teams with the same number of points:
- Goal difference based on all matches played
- Highest number of goals scored, considering all matches played.
If, after applying these criteria, it is still not possible to determine the teams’ standings, a draw will be held among the teams tied on points to decide the ranking.
Everything is ready for the SCA U-18 and U-20 handball tournaments
Important: Qualification for the IHF World Championship in Both Competitions
The teams that finish in the top 3 positions will qualify for the IHF World Championship in their respective categories, while teams from the Trophy Zone that finish in the top 3 positions will qualify directly for the IHF World Championship.
In addition, they will compete for the available spot in the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Final.
If a team from the IHF Trophy Zone secures one of the qualifying spots and is the highest-ranked team among those from the IHF Trophy Zone, it will also be eligible to compete in the Intercontinental Phase.
You can watch the matches live on our YouTube channel Handball SC América Everything is set for the Handball SCA competitions.
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Photos: COSCABAL / Carlos Montealto
