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.
Concepts come from the research crosswalk. Wording is shown only for editions whose text is republished on this site; for the Irish (GAA) and wallball (USWA) rules a cell says the concept is in the rules, with the rule number where known, and no wording. A code appears from its first edition on record. The Irish column holds the 1903 hardball rules only; later Irish editions are not yet in the comparison. Terms as of a year has the glossary; the family tree of the rulebooks shows how the editions descend from one another.
Year
| Concept | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appeals and finality | Yes, rule 9 Referee decides all claims; final | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Ball hits an opponent before reaching the wall | Yes, rule 4, 5 'A hinder is when a ball strikes your opponent' and stops it reaching the wall; effect unstated | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Ball hits the hitter or his partner | Yes, rule 5 Recoverer striking his partner = ace against; server hit by partner's ball = hand out | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Ball: specification | Yes, rule 3 1 7/8 in, 1 5/8 oz | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Change of serve | Yes, rule 2 Hand is out and the opponent becomes server | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Court: service zone | Yes, rule 2 Serve from either side, always within 'the two parallel lines' | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Court: short line (minimum serve length) | Yes, rule 2 'Ace line': serve must reach the court beyond it | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Doubles: serving order and first hand | Yes, rule 4 Toss winners allowed only one hand at the start | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| First service (toss) | Yes, rule 4 Four-handed: toss winners get only one hand at the start | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Game length | Yes, rule 1 21 aces | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Game types: singles, doubles, cutthroat | Yes, rule 4 Four-handed (doubles) match provided for | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Obstruction: penalised (intentional / avoidable) interference | Yes, rule 5 Intentional hinder: ace against or hand out, at the referee's opinion | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Obstruction: unintentional interference replayed (dead-ball hinder) | Yes, rule 5 Hinders mostly 'accidents pure and simple'; effect unstated | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Officials: who officiates | Yes, rule 9 The referee (sole official) | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Rally: failure to return | Yes, rule 2 Server who fails to recover a returned ball loses the hand | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Rally: play before the second bounce | Yes, rule 2 All balls recovered on the first bound; may circuit the four walls | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Scoring: who scores and the unit | Yes, rule 2 Ace = serve beyond the ace line not returned | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve hits a player | Yes, rule 5 Serve striking an opponent = ace to the server | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve: faults that lose the serve | Yes, rule 2 Three short balls in succession lose the hand | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve: foot fault | Yes, rule 2 Stepping beyond the inner line twice in succession loses the hand | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve: must hit the front wall first | Yes, rule 2 Side wall, roof or floor before the front wall loses the hand | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve: playing a fault serve | Yes, rule 6 Receiver may play a short with hand (counts as regular serve) or foot | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve: positions of the other players | Yes, rule 4 Server's partner inside the ace line, back to a side wall | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve: server's position | Yes, rule 2 Either side of the court, within the two parallel lines | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Serve: short | Yes, rule 2 Serve must reach beyond the ace line; 'short balls' | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Striking: hand only | Yes, rule 6 Foot allowed to play a short serve | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Striking: one hand at a time | Yes, rule 7 One hand only; otherwise a foul | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
| Time between rallies and service delay | Yes, rule 8 Retired server and partner given sufficient time to take positions | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet | No edition yet |
What the codes share
0 concepts appear in more than one code, 28 in only one.
Shared (0)
In two or more codes, each with it from the first edition of its line on record.
None this year.
Converging (0)
In two or more codes, at least one of which added it in a later edition of its line (first year per code shown).
None this year.
Unique (28)
Only one code has it.
- 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)