section_path: Structure/Six confederations and 209 national associations
section_name: Six confederations and 209 national associations
paragraph_text: Six confederations and 209 national associations
  
  The IHF is composed of six continental federations which organize continental championships held every other second year:
  
  In addition to continental competitions between national teams, the federations arrange international tournaments between club teams.
  
  Until 2017, there were five continental confederations. On 14 January 2018, the IHF Council divided the Pan-American Confederation into the North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation and the South and Central America Handball Confederation. The authority to divide a continental confederation was assigned to the IHF Congress, but the 36th IHF Congress in 2017 authorized the IHF Council to divide the Pan-American Team Handball Federation.