Detection and differentiation of serotype 1 infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus (IBDV) field strains are important for effective control of IBD. Restriction enzyme analyses have been reported to differentiate serotype 1 strains into specific genotypes. However, the methods previously reported are not suitable for genotyping the African very virulent IBDV (VV-IBDV) in endemic settings of Africa. In this study, an appropriate molecular typing method for IBDV field strains with restriction endonucleases was determined. Six restriction patterns were identified to categorize the serotype 1 strains into six molecular groups by using Aat I, Ban III, Bsp MI, Ssp I, Sac I and Nco I restriction endonucleases. One restriction pattern was specific for the classical IBDV strains, whereas five patterns were able to categorize the VV-IBDV strains into five molecular groups. Of the five restriction patterns for VV-IBDV, one pattern was unique to the Tanzanian VV-IBDVs, whereas four patterns were able to differentiate the African and the European/Asian VV-IBDV genotypes. The six restriction endonucleases were practically applied to differentiate the Tanzanian and Zambian field IBDV strains into specific molecular groups. The molecular typing method reported in this study could be used for epidemiological surveillance of the field IBDV strains, particularly in areas where sequencing cannot be performed.