# Handball codes compared, 1893

The rules in force in 1893, one column per code. Each cell is the code's newest edition on or before 1893.

- American four-wall: Four-wall (Deshong, 1893)
- One-wall, small ball: no edition yet
- Three-wall: no edition yet
- Wallball, big ball: no edition yet
- Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet

## Concepts

- **Appeals and finality**: American four-wall: rule 9: Referee decides all claims; final; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Ball hits an opponent before reaching the wall**: American four-wall: rule 4, 5: 'A hinder is when a ball strikes your opponent' and stops it reaching the wall; effect unstated; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Ball hits the hitter or his partner**: American four-wall: rule 5: Recoverer striking his partner = ace against; server hit by partner's ball = hand out; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Ball: specification**: American four-wall: rule 3: 1 7/8 in, 1 5/8 oz; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Change of serve**: American four-wall: rule 2: Hand is out and the opponent becomes server; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Court: service zone**: American four-wall: rule 2: Serve from either side, always within 'the two parallel lines'; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Court: short line (minimum serve length)**: American four-wall: rule 2: 'Ace line': serve must reach the court beyond it; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Doubles: serving order and first hand**: American four-wall: rule 4: Toss winners allowed only one hand at the start; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **First service (toss)**: American four-wall: rule 4: Four-handed: toss winners get only one hand at the start; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Game length**: American four-wall: rule 1: 21 aces; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Game types: singles, doubles, cutthroat**: American four-wall: rule 4: Four-handed (doubles) match provided for; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Obstruction: penalised (intentional / avoidable) interference**: American four-wall: rule 5: Intentional hinder: ace against or hand out, at the referee's opinion; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Obstruction: unintentional interference replayed (dead-ball hinder)**: American four-wall: rule 5: Hinders mostly 'accidents pure and simple'; effect unstated; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Officials: who officiates**: American four-wall: rule 9: The referee (sole official); One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Rally: failure to return**: American four-wall: rule 2: Server who fails to recover a returned ball loses the hand; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Rally: play before the second bounce**: American four-wall: rule 2: All balls recovered on the first bound; may circuit the four walls; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Scoring: who scores and the unit**: American four-wall: rule 2: Ace = serve beyond the ace line not returned; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve hits a player**: American four-wall: rule 5: Serve striking an opponent = ace to the server; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve: faults that lose the serve**: American four-wall: rule 2: Three short balls in succession lose the hand; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve: foot fault**: American four-wall: rule 2: Stepping beyond the inner line twice in succession loses the hand; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve: must hit the front wall first**: American four-wall: rule 2: Side wall, roof or floor before the front wall loses the hand; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve: playing a fault serve**: American four-wall: rule 6: Receiver may play a short with hand (counts as regular serve) or foot; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve: positions of the other players**: American four-wall: rule 4: Server's partner inside the ace line, back to a side wall; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve: server's position**: American four-wall: rule 2: Either side of the court, within the two parallel lines; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Serve: short**: American four-wall: rule 2: Serve must reach beyond the ace line; 'short balls'; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Striking: hand only**: American four-wall: rule 6: Foot allowed to play a short serve; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Striking: one hand at a time**: American four-wall: rule 7: One hand only; otherwise a foul; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet
- **Time between rallies and service delay**: American four-wall: rule 8: Retired server and partner given sufficient time to take positions; One-wall, small ball: no edition yet; Three-wall: no edition yet; Wallball, big ball: no edition yet; Irish 60x30 hardball: no edition yet

## What the codes share

- Shared (0): none
- Converging (0): none
- Unique (28): Appeals and finality (American four-wall); Ball hits an opponent before reaching the wall (American four-wall); Ball hits the hitter or his partner (American four-wall); Ball: specification (American four-wall); Change of serve (American four-wall); Court: service zone (American four-wall); Court: short line (minimum serve length) (American four-wall); Doubles: serving order and first hand (American four-wall); First service (toss) (American four-wall); Game length (American four-wall); Game types: singles, doubles, cutthroat (American four-wall); Obstruction: penalised (intentional / avoidable) interference (American four-wall); Obstruction: unintentional interference replayed (dead-ball hinder) (American four-wall); Officials: who officiates (American four-wall); Rally: failure to return (American four-wall); Rally: play before the second bounce (American four-wall); Scoring: who scores and the unit (American four-wall); Serve hits a player (American four-wall); Serve: faults that lose the serve (American four-wall); Serve: foot fault (American four-wall); Serve: must hit the front wall first (American four-wall); Serve: playing a fault serve (American four-wall); Serve: positions of the other players (American four-wall); Serve: server's position (American four-wall); Serve: short (American four-wall); Striking: hand only (American four-wall); Striking: one hand at a time (American four-wall); Time between rallies and service delay (American four-wall)