Charles J. O'Connell

O'Connell's 1931 book reports that the players at the March 1929 national championship, held at the New York Athletic Club, voted that every player must honestly try to give his opponent a clear, unobstructed play even at some small cost to his own position, and that standing still after hitting the ball to block the opponent's view is not legitimate in four-wall

The USHA champions page lists the 1929 A.A.U. four-wall nationals as held in New York (Al Banuet singles)

Source: Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball (American Sports Publishing Company, 1931), pp. 58-59

Rule 1 of the A.A.U. Hard Ball Rules in O'Connell's 1931 book: standard hard-ball courts have four walls, about 65 ft by 25 ft, front wall 30 ft high, back wall 12 ft, side walls even with the front wall or tapering to the back wall's height; championships may use smaller courts not under 50 x 22 ft

Source: Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball (American Sports Publishing Company, 1931)

O'Connell sets out the case of each camp: four-wall partisans say around-the-wall and back-corner play needs more science; one-wall partisans say their game is faster, needs better condition and demands more control; he adds that a good one-wall player converts to four-wall more easily than the reverse, and that two named New York champions (Groden and Sakmann) who won titles in both games found four-wall the more scientific and enjoyable and one-wall the faster

Source: Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball (American Sports Publishing Company, 1931)

The committee page of the 1968 unified-rules booklet lists Charles J. O'Connell as Chairman of the A.A.U. National Handball Committee 1956-1965 and Robert Quinn as chairman 1966-1968, with the Metropolitan A.A.U. handball chairman alongside; the 1960 A.A.U. book carries a 'Message from National Chairman Charles J. O'Connell'

The USHA tribute of December 1971 says O'Connell served as national A.A.U. chairman for many years

Source: eBay listing 800810243429: seller photographs of "Handball Official Unified Playing Rules" (A.A.U., J.W.B., Y.M.C.A., 1968) (seen 30 October 2026)

The introduction of the 1968 unified-rules booklet says that 'in 1958' the Y.M.C.A., A.A.U., J.W.B. and U.S.H.A. adopted Official Standard Four-wall Handball Rules

The USHA's December 1971 tribute lists, under 1958, 'Chairman Unified Handball Rules Committee selected by YMCA, AAU, USHA, JWB'; the A.A.U. 1960 contents list 'United Four-Wall Rules Adopted by A.A.U.-Y.M.C.A.-U.S.H.A. and J.W.B.' on p. 5 and a Champion Glove booklet's committee page names the four bodies' members under O'Connell as chairman, serving 'for the year of 1960'

Source: eBay listing 800810243429: seller photographs of "Handball Official Unified Playing Rules" (A.A.U., J.W.B., Y.M.C.A., 1968) (seen 30 October 2026)

The A.A.U. 1962 rule book says the three-wall (jai-alai type) court was officially opened on November 29, 1959, at Forrest Park Playground in Queens, New York, with an exhibition by four champions (the Obert brothers and Vic Hershkowitz); the first of the new three-way courts in Brooklyn was at Lincoln Terrace; a brochure was obtainable from the A.A.U.

The USHA's December 1971 tribute credits O'Connell, under 1959, with having originated three-wall 'Ja-Alai Fronton courts' in New York City parks

Source: eBay listing 178429923015: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1962) (seen 30 October 2026), p. 62

The committee page of a Champion Glove 'Official Unified Handball Rules' booklet lists, for the USHA, its executive secretary and its rules chairman; for the Y.M.C.A., its handball committee chairman and a committee member; for the A.A.U., two national handball committee members and 'Chas. J. O'Connell, Chairman of Unified Handball Rules Committee', and says the committee 'has agreed to serve for the year of 1960' and invites suggestions for future rules

The A.A.U.'s own 1960 Official Rules Handball (copyright 1960; cover by Jacobs) lists 'United Four-Wall Rules Adopted by A.A.U.-Y.M.C.A.-U.S.H.A. and J.W.B.' on p. 5, before its A.A.U. one-wall rules

Source: eBay listing 206605328625: seller photographs of the unified handball playing rules (Y.M.C.A., 1960) (seen 30 October 2026)

A February 1972 column recalls that in 1961, at the national tournament and convention in Denver, the USHA 'was locked in a bitter dialogue with the AAU for handball supremacy', and that its nominating committee, after the A.A.U.'s chairman Charles O'Connell's 'vitriolic oratory', looked for a legally-trained national commissioner to replace the then commissioner of six years

Source: Handball (USHA), February 1972, PDF p. 91

The USHA tribute of December 1971 lists under 1964 O'Connell as 'Chairman First World Handball Championship at New York A.C.'

O'Connor's history says the champions of Ireland and America had not played each other after 1909 until the World Championships were inaugurated in 1964

A letter in the August 1972 USHA magazine (from the Irish-American Handball Association of the Bronx) says the World Championships 'are now held every three years' and that a player won the 1970 World Championship in Ireland; the October 1971 issue says an Irish Handball Council chairman presided over the most recent world championships in Dublin

Source: Handball (USHA), December 1971, PDF p. 17

The USHA tribute of December 1971 lists, under 1965, O'Connell as author of 'Handball Illustrated', published by The Ronald Press

Source: Handball (USHA), December 1971, PDF p. 17

The USHA tribute of December 1971 says O'Connell was honoured at his New York Athletic Club on October 1, 1966, with the dedication of its new gallery court, the club's president saying it was 'in recognition of his many contributions toward the growth and development of Handball for more than half a century'

Source: Handball (USHA), December 1971, PDF p. 17

The tribute (written by the USHA although O'Connell had long been in what it calls the A.A.U.'s 'enemy camp') lists: 1909, instrumental in construction of the first one-wall court at Brighton Beach; 1930, author of the first printed book on handball rules; 1957, named to the Helms Hall of Fame; 1958, chairman of the unified rules committee chosen by the Y.M.C.A., A.A.U., USHA and J.W.B.; 1959, originator of three-wall jai-alai fronton courts in New York parks; 1964, chairman of the first world handball championship at the N.Y.A.C.; 1965, author of Handball Illustrated; 1966, honoured with the N.Y.A.C. gallery court; it calls him an octogenarian still active at the club

Source: Handball (USHA), December 1971