Handball codes compared, 1903

The rules in force in 1903, one column per code. Each cell is the code's newest edition on or before 1903.

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.

What the codes share

21 concepts appear in more than one code, 29 in only one.

Shared (17)

In two or more codes, each with it from the first edition of its line on record.

• Appeals and finality (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Ball hits an opponent before reaching the wall (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Ball: specification (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Change of serve (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Court: short line (minimum serve length) (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• First service (toss) (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Game length (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Obstruction: penalised (intentional / avoidable) interference (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Officials: who officiates (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Rally: failure to return (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Rally: play before the second bounce (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Scoring: who scores and the unit (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve hits a player (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: faults that lose the serve (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: must hit the front wall first (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: playing a fault serve (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: short (American four-wall, Irish 60x30 hardball)

Converging (4)

In two or more codes, at least one of which added it in a later edition of its line (first year per code shown).

• Match format (American four-wall 1903, then Irish 60x30 hardball 1903)
• Obstruction: unintentional interference replayed (dead-ball hinder) (American four-wall 1893, then Irish 60x30 hardball 1903)
• Obstruction: who calls hinders (American four-wall 1903, then Irish 60x30 hardball 1903)
• Striking: one hand at a time (American four-wall 1893, then Irish 60x30 hardball 1903)

Unique (29)

Only one code has it.

• Ball hits the hitter or his partner (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Catching or stopping the ball (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Conduct and player code (American four-wall)
• Court: dimensions (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Court: long (back) line (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Court: service zone (American four-wall)
• Court: wall surface and top (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Doubles: serving order and first hand (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Equipment: dress and uniform (American four-wall)
• Equipment: gloves (American four-wall)
• Game types: singles, doubles, cutthroat (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Lines: ball on a line (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Obstruction: duty to give way (American four-wall)
• Officials: referee's charge and powers (American four-wall)
• Officials: scorer (American four-wall)
• Penalty: refusing the referee's decision (American four-wall)
• Rally: ball landing out (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Rally: one touch only (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: foot fault (American four-wall)
• Serve: how it is put in play (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: landing outside the side lines (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: long (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: missed serve (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: positions of the other players (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: receiver's position (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: screening / moving on the serve (Irish 60x30 hardball)
• Serve: server's position (American four-wall)
• Striking: hand only (American four-wall)
• Time between rallies and service delay (American four-wall)