# The Y.M.C.A. and the gym game

In: [Learn](https://handball.theperfectship.com/learn.md) > [History](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history.md) > [Threads](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/threads.md) > The Y.M.C.A. and the gym game

Thread. 1898-1968 · American four-wall, One-wall (small and big ball), Three-wall.

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

The Young Men's Christian Association ran a parallel handball from the 1890s to the 1960s, in gymnasiums rather than saloon courts or athletic clubs, and it wrote its own rules. The Athletic League's handbook of 1899 prints a thirteen-rule hand-ball code approved by the Physical Directors' Conference in 1898; a committee at Thousand Island Park revised it in June 1900 as rules for a single-wall court, printed in the handbooks from 1904 to 1913, fifteen years before Brokaw's 'American hand ball' and the A.A.U.'s one-wall code; the Physical Directors' Society adopted four-wall court rules at Asilomar in May 1915. Branches adopted local rules (Honolulu, 1907), fielded teams (Washington, 1909), owned one-wall courts (Norwich, 1916) and the field next to which the first one-wall tournament match was reported (the West Side Y.M.C.A., 1915); a Y.M.C.A. hosted the 1921 A.A.U. nationals and a West Side Y.M.C.A. man won the Metropolitan titles of 1921-22. The General Board registered four-wall and single-wall leaflets in 1929, revised its rules in 1940 and again in 1952 under a National Y.M.C.A. Handball Committee, built the first all-glass court (Aurora, 1958, secondary), and sat on the Unified Handball Rules Committee of 1958-60 with the A.A.U., the USHA and the Jewish Welfare Board; the 1968 unified booklet was issued by the A.A.U., the J.W.B. and the Y.M.C.A. without the USHA.

## The take

The Y.M.C.A. is the missing third author of American handball: a national code older than the A.A.U.'s own writing (1920), a one-wall text older than any other we hold, and a committee seat at the unification. This record now has its texts for 1899-1915 and photographs of its covers for 1940-1968; what it lacks is the Association's own championship record and the date it stopped.

## Moments in order

- **1898-1899** (Documented): The Athletic League of the Y.M.C.A.s of North America prints a thirteen-rule hand-ball code 'Approved by the Physical Directors' Conference, 1898' in its handbook of 1899 (OCR read; [H-139](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-139.md)): the parent of the 1900 text.
  Source: [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1899)](https://archive.org/details/officialhandbook01athl)
- **June 1900** (Documented; a turning point): A committee of the Physical Directors' Conference at Thousand Island Park revises the code as rules for a single-wall court ([Hand Ball Rules (1900)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-onewall-1900.md)), adopted by the League's Governing Committee ([H-141](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-141.md)) and printed in the handbooks of 1904 (Canada), 1906, 1907 and 1910: the earliest one-wall rules text in this record.
  Source: [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of Canada, Official Handbook (1904)](https://archive.org/details/cihm_85174), pp. 79-81
  Read the rulebook: [Hand Ball Rules](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-onewall-1900.md)
- **19 October 1907 to 5 March 1908** (Documented): Honolulu: the Y.M.C.A. courts adopt seven new rules (eleven-point games, a red boundary line, a limit of three games when others wait), printed in two papers ([New handball rules (Y.M.C.A., Honolulu) (1907)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-honolulu-1907.md)); the branch runs a tournament 'for the championship of the Territory' in 1908. Local rules, not the national text ([H-109](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-109.md)).
  Source: [The Hawaiian Star (Honolulu), 23 October 1907, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82015415/1907-10-23/ed-1/?sp=6). Also: [The Pacific Commercial Advertiser (Honolulu), 19 October 1907, p. 5](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85047084/1907-10-19/ed-1/?sp=5); [The Hawaiian Star (Honolulu), 4 March 1908, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82015415/1908-03-04/ed-1/?sp=6)
  Read the rulebook: [New handball rules (Y.M.C.A., Honolulu)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-honolulu-1907.md)
- **1909** (Documented): Spalding's Official Sporting Rules indexes 'Y.M.C.A. Hand Ball Rules' in the Association's own handbook, No. 302 (Y.M.C.A. Hand Ball Rules (index entry) (1909) is a pointer to the single-wall text, [H-136](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-136.md)); the Washington Y.M.C.A. fields a first team in 'a newly developed sport'.
  Source: [Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 6 April 1909, p. 13](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045462/1909-04-06/ed-1/?sp=13). Also: [[James E.] Sullivan, Official Sporting Rules (1909)](https://www.loc.gov/item/unk82075824/)
- **1913** (Documented): The single-wall text is revised by J. H. Scott for the 1913 handbook ([Hand Ball Rules: Single Wall Court (1913)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-onewall-1913.md)): an 'Irish Ace' ball named, a shorter rule 10, a fourth kind of hinder ([H-140](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-140.md)).
  Source: [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1913)](https://archive.org/details/officialhandbook05athl), p. 119
  Read the rulebook: [Hand Ball Rules: Single Wall Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-onewall-1913.md)
- **May 1915** (Documented): The Physical Directors' Society, meeting at Asilomar, California, adopts rules for the four-wall court, printed in the 1915 handbook after the single-wall rules ([Hand Ball Rules: Four Wall Court (1915)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-fourwall-1915.md)): the Y.M.C.A. now has both codes in print, five years before the A.A.U. drafts its own.
  Source: [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1915)](https://archive.org/details/officialhandbook06athl), p. 181
  Read the rulebook: [Hand Ball Rules: Four Wall Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-fourwall-1915.md)
- **April 1915 to February 1916** (Documented): The first one-wall tournament match reported is at the Van Kelton Field 'next door' to the West Side Y.M.C.A. (April 1915); the Norwich, Connecticut, Y.M.C.A. has a one-wall court on its street floor (1916). The gym game and the playground game are neighbors.
  Source: [The Evening World (New York), 26 April 1915, p. 12](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030193/1915-04-26/ed-1/?sp=12). Also: [Norwich Bulletin (Norwich), 17 February 1916, p. 8](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014086/1916-02-17/ed-1/?sp=8)
- **16 November 1920 to 12 November 1922** (Documented): The A.A.U. convention awards the 1921 senior nationals to the Detroit Y.M.C.A.; Jack Byrne of the West Side Y.M.C.A. wins the Metropolitan A.A.U. championship (1921) and the Metropolitan one-wall singles (1922).
  Source: [The Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham), 16 November 1920, p. 10](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85038485/1920-11-16/ed-1/?sp=10). Also: [The New York Herald (New York), 12 December 1921, p. 12](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045774/1921-12-12/ed-1/?sp=12); [The Evening World (New York), 17 October 1922, p. 20](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030193/1922-10-17/ed-1/?sp=20)
- **7 June 1929** (Documented): The General Board of the Y.M.C.A.s registers two leaflets on one day, 'Hand ball rules; four wall court' and 'Hand ball rules; single wall court' (Hand ball rules; four wall court (1929), Hand ball rules; single wall court (1929)): the Association still prints its own codes seven years after the A.A.U.'s one-wall rules.
  Source: [Internet Archive, Catalog of Copyright Entries 1953-1970, searched for handball (seen 30 October 2026)](https://archive.org/details/copyrightrecords)
- **15 February 1940 to 1952** (Documented): Y.M.C.A. Hand Ball Rules revised 15 February 1940 with seventeen changes, and the 1952 Y.M.C.A. Handball Rules of a National Y.M.C.A. Handball Committee, which require doubles teams to come from one branch; both known from seller photographs, their four-wall Rule I in the same wording ([H-127](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-127.md)).
  Source: [eBay listing 800803333404: seller photographs of Y.M.C.A. handball rules (revised 15 February 1940) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/800803333404). Also: [eBay listing 237044877541: seller photographs of Y.M.C.A. handball rules (1952) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/237044877541)
- **1958** (Documented): The A.A.U.'s 1962 book dates the first all-glass court to the Aurora, Illinois, Y.M.C.A. in 1958 ([H-128](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-128.md); seller photographs).
  Source: [eBay listing 178429923015: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1962) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/178429923015)
- **1958-1960** (Documented): A Unified Handball Rules Committee of four bodies (USHA, Y.M.C.A., A.A.U., Jewish Welfare Board) prepares the unified four-wall rules that the A.A.U.'s 1960 and 1962 books print; the Champion Glove booklet names the committee and its chairman from the New York A.C. ([H-123](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-123.md), [H-124](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-124.md), [H-125](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-125.md); seller photographs; secondary dates 1958 or 1959, [H-19](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-19.md), [H-03](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-03.md)).
  Source: [HathiTrust Digital Library, catalog record 102896696 (seen 28 October 2026)](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102896696). Also: [eBay listing 206605328625: seller photographs of the unified handball playing rules (Y.M.C.A., 1960) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/206605328625); [eBay listing 286432748460: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1960) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/286432748460); [eBay listing 178429923015: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1962) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/178429923015)
- **19 January 1968** (Documented): 'Handball Official Unified Playing Rules' for four-wall, three-wall and one-wall courts, issued by the A.A.U., the J.W.B. and the Y.M.C.A.; its introduction says the USHA took part in the discussions but declined to co-publish ([H-129](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-129.md), [H-126](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-126.md); a library copy adds racquetball rules, [H-132](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-132.md)). The Association's last rule text in this record.
  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)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/800810243429). Also: [eBay listing 117431883952: seller photographs of "Handball Official Unified Playing Rules" (A.A.U., J.W.B., Y.M.C.A., 1968) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/117431883952); [Open Library, editions of work OL10794547W (seen 30 October 2026)](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL10794547W)

## What the sources do not show

- The Y.M.C.A.'s own championships (secondary accounts say nationals from 1925) have no results, dates or venues in this record.
- Spalding No. 302, the Y.M.C.A. Official Handbook that the 1909 index points to, is unseen ([H-27](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-27.md)); the handbooks of 1908, 1909, 1911, 1912 and 1914 are unseen ([H-140](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-140.md)).
- The 1929 leaflets, the 1940 and 1952 rules and the 1960 and 1968 unified booklets are known from copyright registrations and seller photographs; none is held in full, and the 1940-68 texts are in copyright (quote limits apply).
- Whether the 1920 A.A.U. text borrowed from the Y.M.C.A. four-wall rules of 1915 ([H-83](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/open-questions/#H-83.md) names the Y.M.C.A. as a candidate source) has not been tested against [Hand Ball Rules: Four Wall Court (1915)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-fourwall-1915.md).
- When and why the Y.M.C.A. stopped issuing handball rules, and whether it kept a code after 1968: no source.
- The 'J.W.B.' (Jewish Welfare Board) as a fourth rule-making body has no record in this record beyond the unified booklets.
- Gymnasium court dimensions (the Y.M.C.A. four-wall court of 1915, the Aurora glass court) are not recorded.

## Eras this thread crosses

- [The A.A.U. takes the amateur game; the professionals keep the 'world' title (1896-1919)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/eras/us-aau-amateur-championships.md) (United States, 1896-1919)
- [The A.A.U. rule codes: four-wall, one-wall, hardball (1920-1950)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/eras/us-aau-rule-codes.md) (United States, 1920-1950)
- [One-wall rises in New York (1915-1922)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/eras/us-one-wall-rises-in-new-york.md) (United States, 1915-1922)
- [The USHA, the common rules and the end of A.A.U. handball (1951-1978)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/eras/us-usha-and-the-common-rules.md) (United States, 1951-1978)

## Related threads

- [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)
- [Professionals and amateurs: the world title and the A.A.U.](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/threads/professionals-and-amateurs-the-world-title-and-the-aau.md)
- [Who writes the rules: court keeper, newspaper, federation, board](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/threads/who-writes-the-rules.md)

## Rulebooks cited here

- [Hand Ball Rules](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-onewall-1900.md)
- [New handball rules (Y.M.C.A., Honolulu)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-honolulu-1907.md)
- [Hand Ball Rules: Single Wall Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-onewall-1913.md)
- [Hand Ball Rules: Four Wall Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/ymca-fourwall-1915.md)

## Sources

- [[James E.] Sullivan, Official Sporting Rules (1909)](https://www.loc.gov/item/unk82075824/)
- [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of Canada, Official Handbook (1904)](https://archive.org/details/cihm_85174)
- [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1899)](https://archive.org/details/officialhandbook01athl)
- [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1913)](https://archive.org/details/officialhandbook05athl)
- [Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1915)](https://archive.org/details/officialhandbook06athl)
- [eBay listing 117431883952: seller photographs of "Handball Official Unified Playing Rules" (A.A.U., J.W.B., Y.M.C.A., 1968) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/117431883952)
- [eBay listing 178429923015: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1962) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/178429923015)
- [eBay listing 206605328625: seller photographs of the unified handball playing rules (Y.M.C.A., 1960) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/206605328625)
- [eBay listing 237044877541: seller photographs of Y.M.C.A. handball rules (1952) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/237044877541)
- [eBay listing 286432748460: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1960) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/286432748460)
- [eBay listing 800803333404: seller photographs of Y.M.C.A. handball rules (revised 15 February 1940) (seen 30 October 2026)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/800803333404)
- [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)](https://www.ebay.com/itm/800810243429)
- [Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 6 April 1909, p. 13](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045462/1909-04-06/ed-1/?sp=13)
- [HathiTrust Digital Library, catalog record 102896696 (seen 28 October 2026)](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102896696)
- [Internet Archive, Catalog of Copyright Entries 1953-1970, searched for handball (seen 30 October 2026)](https://archive.org/details/copyrightrecords)
- [Norwich Bulletin (Norwich), 17 February 1916, p. 8](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014086/1916-02-17/ed-1/?sp=8)
- [Open Library, editions of work OL10794547W (seen 30 October 2026)](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL10794547W)
- [The Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham), 16 November 1920, p. 10](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85038485/1920-11-16/ed-1/?sp=10)
- [The Evening World (New York), 17 October 1922, p. 20](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030193/1922-10-17/ed-1/?sp=20)
- [The Evening World (New York), 26 April 1915, p. 12](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030193/1915-04-26/ed-1/?sp=12)
- [The Hawaiian Star (Honolulu), 23 October 1907, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82015415/1907-10-23/ed-1/?sp=6)
- [The Hawaiian Star (Honolulu), 4 March 1908, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82015415/1908-03-04/ed-1/?sp=6)
- [The New York Herald (New York), 12 December 1921, p. 12](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045774/1921-12-12/ed-1/?sp=12)
- [The Pacific Commercial Advertiser (Honolulu), 19 October 1907, p. 5](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85047084/1907-10-19/ed-1/?sp=5)

## Corrections

Found a mistake, or a source we missed? Email perfectshipllc@gmail.com with the subject "History correction: The Y.M.C.A. and the gym game (/history/threads/the-ymca-and-the-gym-game/)". Please name the page and, if you can, the source.