Norway’s women’s beach handball team was fined by the European Handball Federation on Monday, because players wore shorts, and not the required bikini bottoms.
Norway’s women’s beach handball team was fined by the European Handball Federation on Monday, because players wore shorts and not the required bikini bottoms. The choice to cover up with shorts came after their requests to change the bikini bottom rule went unacknowledged. The uniform choice is important not only because it reflects the personal preference of the players, but because research indicates there may be a link between revealing clothing and mental and physical performance. The International Handball Federation rules stipulate that female athletes must wear bikini bottoms, “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg.” Men’s beach handball players have much more flexibility. The men’s rules state, “The players’ shorts, if not too baggy, can be longer but must remain 10 centimeters above the kneecap.” A spokeswoman for the International Handball Federation, Jessica Rockstroh, told the New York Times that she did not know the reason for the rules. After complaining about the bikini bottom rule for fifteen years, Norway’s female handball team wore shorts for Sunday’s bronze medal game against Spain at the European Beach Handball Championships.
