A Norwegian women's handball team was fined for refusing to wear bikini bottoms. Now the handball federation hints it'll change its rules after the punishment sparked outrage.

• The Norwegian women's beach-handball team was fined for choosing to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms at a tournament last month.
• The punishment sparked an international outcry and other teams from around the world have pressured the sport's governing body to change the rules.
• The International Handball Federation is now hinting at a potential rules change, according to a report in The New York Times.

When a Norwegian women's beach-handball team was fined at last month's European championship for choosing to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms, international outrage ensued.

The sport's governing body is now hinting it'll change its rules about what female athletes are allowed to wear, according to a report in The New York Times.

Hassan Moustafa, President of the International Handball Federation (IHF), said on Wednesday that new rules were "very likely," according to the report.

Moustafa said the federation requires bikini bottoms because it's the same rules for beach volleyball, which is played on the same surface, the Times reported.

The Norwegian team was slapped with a fine of 1,500 euros - or about $1,760 - for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms in the bronze medal game against Spain during July's European beach-handball championship.

The rules say women need to wear a "tight-fitting sports bra with deep openings at the arms" and a bottom no more than "10 centimeters on the sides."

Men, on the other hand, can play in shorts and tank tops.

The Norwegian team's fine drew condemnation, a petition to drop the penalty, and an offer from singer Pink to pay the fine. Critics accused the federation of sexism and double standards for male athletes.

Norwegian officials have been complaining to the European Handball Federation about the rules since 2006 and recently proposed changing the rules.

Teams from the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, Denmark, Spain and American Samoa have also put pressure on the IHF to change, The Times said.

The Switzerland-based IHF thus far said it wouldn't make any changes until its international conference in November, the report said.