Overview

• The HBL’s 60th season starts Wednesday night in Hannover with TSV Hannover-Burgdorf vs. VfL Gummersbach, as Füchse Berlin defend their title and SC Magdeburg are seen as the primary rival.
• SC Magdeburg goalkeeper Nikola Portner is officially suspended after a positive doping test and cannot play until 10 December, with the club bringing in Croatian keeper Matej Mandic early from RK Zagreb.
• The IHF’s updated rules apply this season in Germany: specified head contacts now result in two-minute penalties instead of red cards, the null step from a player’s own dribble is permitted, and squads expand to 16 with five team officials.
• High-profile moves reshape contenders, including Juri Knorr to Aalborg, Marko Grgic’s early transfer to Flensburg, Aitor Ariño and Tobias Grøndahl to Berlin, Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas to Kiel, and Elvar Örn Jonsson to Magdeburg.
• The women’s Bundesliga starts with 11 teams after HB Ludwigsburg’s financial collapse, prompting calls from HBF leaders for stricter licensing and oversight, while Dyn continues to stream all 306 HBL matches.