Silver Goal Meaning in Handball

The silver goal was a tie breaking rule used in older tournament formats. This rule stated that a team winning after one extra time half won. If one team led after five minutes the second half was not played. This differed from the golden goal because the half had to finish first. Officials removed this rule to return to standard two half extra time periods. A team leading by two goals at the silver goal break won. This created a frantic atmosphere during the first five minutes of the overtime. It was designed to shorten games while still giving the losing team chance. Most modern competitions have replaced this with a full ten minute extra time period. Understanding past rules like the silver goal helps fans know the game’s history.