---
title: "Court of Arbitration for Sport Orders IIHF to Return Russian National Teams to World Championships"
description: "The Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered the IIHF to admit Russian national teams to the 2026/27 world championships. The federation expressed disappointment but confirmed compliance with the verdict."
date: 2026-10-30T11:46:09.695Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/cas-iihf-russian-teams-hockey
tags: [cas, iihf, hockey, russia, international-tournaments]
author: "Dmitriy Shatolov, Inna Kinsheva"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Court of Arbitration for Sport Orders IIHF to Return Russian National Teams to World Championships

![Ice hockey arena with a glowing LED cube bearing the IIHF logo hanging from the ceiling](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/30/cas-iihf-rossiyskie-sbornye-hokkey/cas-iihf-rossiyskie-sbornye-hokkey-1.webp)

## Key Points

- CAS satisfied the Russian Ice Hockey Federation's appeal and annulled five IIHF decisions suspending Russian teams
- The IIHF is obliged to admit Russian teams to the 2026/27 season tournaments, including world championships
- The IIHF expressed disappointment but confirmed compliance with the verdict and pointed to organizational difficulties
- The issue of competing under national symbols was not resolved within the framework of the verdict

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued a ruling obligating the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow Russian national teams to participate in international competitions under the organization's auspices. The verdict concerns the 2026/27 season tournaments, specifically the senior and junior world championships, and was delivered following the review of an appeal filed by the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia. This is reported by [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/skandalne-rishennya-cas-mizhnarodnu-federatsiyu-1793360469.html) with reference to the official CAS ruling.

### Essence of the Verdict: Five Decisions Annulled

The arbitration court satisfied the Russian federation's appeal and annulled five decisions of the IIHF Council by which Russian national teams had previously been suspended from international tournaments. Thus, the international federation is obliged to ensure the participation of Russian teams in the 2026/27 season competitions, which means the return of teams across various age groups to the world championships. According to the court, the IIHF's arguments regarding security and other risks were not supported by sufficient evidence.

### IIHF Position: Disappointment and Readiness to Implement the Decision

The International Ice Hockey Federation expressed disappointment with the verdict, yet confirmed that it respects the powers of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and intends to comply with its decisions. The IIHF emphasized that previously adopted restrictions were necessary to ensure the safety of all participants and preserve sporting integrity, and noted that the ruling does not eliminate these issues. The federation also drew attention to organizational challenges associated with the return of Russian teams: it will be necessary to review competition formats, schedules, logistics, accommodation conditions, and security measures. The organization stated that it will urgently assess the necessary steps and the timeframe for implementing the verdict.

### What Remained Open

The court did not determine separately whether Russian hockey players should compete under national symbols — this issue was not regulated within the framework of this verdict. According to the IIHF statement, the CAS decision concerns five international tournaments in 2027. Specific timelines and practical conditions for implementing the verdict had not yet been agreed upon at the time of publication, leaving room for further organizational and legal procedures.

### Context: Suspension Since 2022

Russian teams were suspended from IIHF-run competitions in February 2022 following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine; the federation regularly extended the restrictions, citing security risks. Following the CAS decision, the international federation must organize the return of Russian national teams to tournaments. It was previously reported that Russia received the opportunity to host the world championship in Moscow — for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, which increases the organizational burden on the calendar for upcoming seasons.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Скандальное решение CAS: Международную федерацию хоккея обязали вернуть в соревнования российские сборные](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/skandalne-rishennya-cas-mizhnarodnu-federatsiyu-1793360469.html) - Primary source: details of the CAS verdict, annulment of five IIHF decisions, federation position, five tournaments in 2027.
- [Скандальное решение CAS: российским хоккеистам открыли путь к соревнованиям](https://korrespondent.net/sport/hokey/4924782-skandalnoe-reshenye-CAS-rossyiskym-khokkeystam-otkryly-put-k-sorevnovanyiam) - Confirms the verdict in favor of Russia, the IIHF's position of disagreement and readiness to fulfill the decision, and organizational difficulties.
- [Скандальное решение CAS: Россию допустили к международным хоккейным турнирам](https://sport.nv.ua/hockey/cas-razreshil-rossii-vystupat-na-chempionatah-mira-po-hokkeyu-50654793.html) - Confirms the satisfaction of the Russian federation's appeal and the admission of Russian teams to the 2026–2027 tournaments.
- [Журова призвала давить в суде на Международную федерацию хоккея](https://tass.ru/sport/28066451) - Early context (September) regarding legal pressure on the IIHF; does not contradict the main verdict.

## FAQ

### What exactly did CAS decide?

The Court of Arbitration for Sport satisfied the appeal of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia and annulled five decisions of the IIHF Council suspending Russian national teams from international tournaments.

### Which competitions will Russian teams be admitted to?

To 2026/27 season tournaments under the auspices of the IIHF, specifically senior and junior world championships; according to the federation's statement, the verdict concerns five international tournaments in 2027.

### How did the IIHF react?

The federation expressed disappointment, but confirmed respect for the powers of CAS and the intention to fulfill the decision, pointing out organizational difficulties.

### Has the issue of national symbols been determined?

No, the court did not determine separately whether Russian hockey players should perform under national symbols.