# Wallball organizes: the big ball finds its bodies (1996-)

In: [Learn](https://handball.theperfectship.com/learn.md) > [History](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history.md) > [Eras](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/eras.md) > Wallball organizes: the big ball finds its bodies (1996-)

Era, United States. from 1996. One-wall (small and big ball).

Status: Machine-reviewed. A person has not yet read this page through.

The New York park game with the big blue ball acquired institutions late: the St. Albans Handball Association (1996) and its King of the Courts (1998-), the United States Wall Ball Association (2010) with its own rules online from 2018 (revised 22 Oct 2026), a World Wall Ball Association formed in Dublin in 2012 (secondary), the CIJB's international wallball rules (2023, 6.10 x 10.60 m, two sets of 21) and a World Wallball Championships in 2026. The USHA's one-wall rules admit the big ball as an exception; the USWA's rules omit court, ball and game length altogether ([H-75](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-75.md)): the code is the game people already play.

## The take

Wallball is the one code whose bodies were founded by its players in living memory, and the one whose rules say least: the USWA's text assumes you know the court. Its internationalization (CIJB meters, GAA feet, USWA none) is the project's best live example of a code being written in several places at once.

## Moments in order

- **1996** (Documented): St. Albans Handball Association founded ([St. Albans Handball Association](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/organizations/saha.md), [St. Albans Handball Association, "About" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/about)); King of the Courts from 1998 (King of the Courts; champions list [St. Albans Handball Association, "King" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/king)).
  Source: [St. Albans Handball Association, "About" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/about). Also: [St. Albans Handball Association, "King" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/king)
- **2010** (Documented): United States Wall Ball Association founded by Jasmine Ray ([United States Wallball Association](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/organizations/uswa.md), [United States Wall Ball Association, "Our story" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://uswallball.org/about)); IRS ruling 2012.
  Source: [United States Wall Ball Association, "Our story" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://uswallball.org/about)
- **2012** (Documented): World Wall Ball Association formed at the 2012 World Championships, Dublin, by GAA Handball, the WHC and the CIJB (secondary: [jeudepaume.fr, World Wall Ball Association page (seen 28 October 2026)](https://jeudepaume.fr/wwba-1.php)).
  Source: [jeudepaume.fr, World Wall Ball Association page (seen 28 October 2026)](https://jeudepaume.fr/wwba-1.php)
- **30 August 2018 to 19 October 2018** (Documented): USWA 'Wall Ball Rules' (24 rules + code of conduct) and 'USWA Official Rules' (25 rules) online (Wall Ball Rules (2021), USWA OFFICIAL RULES (2022); page markup dates): blocks, screens, 'keep a short', downs; no court or ball stated ([H-75](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-75.md)).
  Source: [United States Wall Ball Association, "Wall Ball Rules" (Wayback snapshot of 11 April 2021)](https://web.archive.org/web/20210411163601/https://uswallball.org/wall-ball-rules). Also: [United States Wall Ball Association, "USWA OFFICIAL RULES" (Wayback snapshot of 8 August 2020)](https://web.archive.org/web/20200808233102/https://uswallball.org/uswa-official-rules/)
- **March 2023** (Documented): CIJB 'Wallball Rules' (WALLBALL RULES (2023)): court 6.10 x 10.60 m, wall 4.90 m; two sets of 21, tie set to 11; all lines good.
  Source: [CIJB Wallball Rules (English), file dated 23 March 2023 (seen 28 October 2026)](https://cijb.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wallball_eng-1.pdf)
- **2025** (Documented): GAA Handball's combined rulebook adds a Wallball section (Official Irish 4-Wall, Softball, Hardball & Wallball Playing Rules (2025): 20 x 34 ft, 16-ft wall, 'Big Blue Wallball' and 'Penn Wallball' balls); SAHA requires eye guards at the 2025 King of the Courts ([St. Albans Handball Association, "Home" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/)).
  Source: [St. Albans Handball Association, "Home" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/). Also: [GAA Handball Playing Rules: 4-Wall, Wallball, 60x30 Softball and Hardball (Wexford GAA copy), file dated 29 May 2025 (seen 28 October 2026)](https://wexfordgaahandball.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Playing-Rules-4-Wall-Wallball-60x30-Softball-Hardball-2025.pdf)
- **2026** (Documented): USWA playing rules 'Revised October 22, 2026' (USWA playing rules (2026): 21 rules, three timeouts) and a World Wallball Championships (World Wallball Championships, 2026; hosted by ICHA with the WHC).
  Source: [United States Wall Ball Association, "Rules & Conduct" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://uswallball.org/rules). Also: [United States Wall Ball Association, "Meet the Champions | 2026 World Wallball Championships" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://uswallball.org/champions-2026.html)

## What the sources do not show

- The big-ball game before 1996 (NYC parks, the 1960s-80s): no source at all; SAHA's and USWA's own histories are the only accounts.
- USWA rules before 2018 and between 2022 and 2026; King of the Courts event rules 1998-2025 (sahany.org PDFs listed, not held).
- When the USHA added big-ball exceptions to its one-wall rules: undated.
- The WWBA (2012) and WHC: no constitution, member list or rules found; worldhandballcouncil.org is hijacked.
- CIJB rules Art. 1-3 unread; earlier CIJB wallball rules (2018 annex) not held.
- No record of the Queen of the Courts beyond ten champions.

## Threads that run through this era

- [Hinder: a word that changed meaning](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/threads/hinder-a-word-that-changed-meaning.md)
- [One-wall becomes its own game](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/threads/one-wall-becomes-its-own-game.md)
- [The ball: from 'about two inches' to 1 7/8 in and 61 grams](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/threads/the-ball.md)
- [Who writes the rules: court keeper, newspaper, federation, board](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/threads/who-writes-the-rules.md)

## Neighboring eras in the United States

- [USHA alone: one body, three codes, online rules (1978-)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/eras/us-usha-alone.md) (earlier, from 1978)

## Sources

- [CIJB Wallball Rules (English), file dated 23 March 2023 (seen 28 October 2026)](https://cijb.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wallball_eng-1.pdf)
- [GAA Handball Playing Rules: 4-Wall, Wallball, 60x30 Softball and Hardball (Wexford GAA copy), file dated 29 May 2025 (seen 28 October 2026)](https://wexfordgaahandball.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Playing-Rules-4-Wall-Wallball-60x30-Softball-Hardball-2025.pdf)
- [jeudepaume.fr, World Wall Ball Association page (seen 28 October 2026)](https://jeudepaume.fr/wwba-1.php)
- [St. Albans Handball Association, "About" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/about)
- [St. Albans Handball Association, "Home" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/)
- [St. Albans Handball Association, "King" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://sahany.org/king)
- [United States Wall Ball Association, "Meet the Champions | 2026 World Wallball Championships" (seen 28 October 2026)](https://uswallball.org/champions-2026.html)
- [United States Wall Ball Association, "Our story" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://uswallball.org/about)
- [United States Wall Ball Association, "Rules & Conduct" (seen 27 October 2026)](https://uswallball.org/rules)
- [United States Wall Ball Association, "USWA OFFICIAL RULES" (Wayback snapshot of 8 August 2020)](https://web.archive.org/web/20200808233102/https://uswallball.org/uswa-official-rules/)
- [United States Wall Ball Association, "Wall Ball Rules" (Wayback snapshot of 11 April 2021)](https://web.archive.org/web/20210411163601/https://uswallball.org/wall-ball-rules)

## Corrections

Found a mistake, or a source we missed? Email perfectshipllc@gmail.com with the subject "History correction: Wallball organizes: the big ball finds its bodies (1996-) (/history/eras/us-wallball-organises/)". Please name the page and, if you can, the source.