Handball

Thread

Who writes the rules: court keeper, newspaper, federation, board

1873-2025 · American four-wall, One-wall (small and big ball), Irish 60x30 (hardball and softball), 40x20 and international four-wall

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

American handball's rules were written in turn by whoever could make a stake match stand: the court keeper's custom (Casey's 1875 account), a sporting publisher (Ed. James's Manual of Sporting Rules, 1873, reprinted by Spalding in 1886), a newspaper (the Sun, which reprinted that code as the 'set rules' in 1889 and reformed it in 1890, adopted by club resolution), a publisher (Spalding's Deshong, Egan and Brokaw books), a federation that first adopted a newspaper's code (A.A.U., 1896) and only in 1920 drafted its own, and finally a players' association (USHA, 1951) whose rules now live in board minutes and a web page. Ireland's line is shorter and institutional from the start (GAA 1884, Irish Handball Council 1924, GAA Handball), but its newest codes are borrowed USHA text. Rules follow the body that runs the championship, and the championship follows the money or the membership.

The take

The received history ('the AAU codified the rules in 1897') is wrong in the detail that matters: the first printed American code was a sporting publisher's (1873), a newspaper gave it currency and reformed it, and the federation adopted it. The pattern repeats, with a correction: the USHA inherited the A.A.U.'s game and a few phrases, not its text (the A.A.U.'s 1931 book and the USHA's 1990 rules share 5.7% of their five-word runs); the GAA did copy the USHA's text (84.7% of the five-word runs of its 2019 one-wall document). Nobody has written handball rules from nothing since 1919, and perhaps not then.

Moments in order

30 moments. Each shows its status in words and its source.

  1. 8 December 1875 · Documented

    Custom, spoken: Casey tells the Herald how the game is played; no written code exists.

    Source: The New York Herald (New York), 9 December 1875, p. 10

  2. 22 February 1876 · Documented

    A committee tries: the Metropolitan Committee of players at McQuade's aims at a permanent national organization (H-88); nothing follows.

    Source: The New York Herald (New York), 5 March 1876, p. 6

  3. 1873 · Documented

    A sporting publisher prints the code: Ed. James, Manual of Sporting Rules (New York, 1873), 'Hand Ball Rules', 23 rules (Hand Ball Rules (1873), H-111); reprinted by Chadwick 1884 and in Spalding's Hand Book of Sporting Rules 1886 (Hand Ball (1886)), whose preface hopes its rules will be 'adopted by common consent'.

    Source: Ed James, Manual of sporting rules (1873), p. 76. Also: George H. Benedict, Spalding's hand book of sporting rules and training (1886), p. 45

    Read the rulebooks: Hand Ball Rules; Hand Ball

  4. 17 March 1889 · Documented

    A newspaper prints the code: the Sun's 'set rules of the game' (The set rules of the game (1889)), issuer unnamed (H-89); the text is the James/Spalding code, not a new draft.

    Source: The Sun (New York), 17 March 1889, p. 7

    Read the rulebook: The set rules of the game

  5. 27 October 1890 to 4 January 1891 · Documented

    The newspaper reforms it and the clubs ratify: the Sun proposes ace-line service; Brooklyn courts play it within a month; the Brooklyn Handball Club resolves unanimously to play 'under the Sun's new rules'.

    Source: The Sun (New York), 27 October 1890, p. 4. Also: The Sun (New York), 21 November 1890, p. 4; The Sun (New York), 5 January 1891, p. 6

  6. 31 October 1893 · Documented

    A publisher enters: Spalding's Dime Athletic Library announces Deshong's 'Handball and How to Play It' with 'Rules and Explanations' (Rules and Explanations (1893)), reprinted in Spalding's Official Sporting Rules 1894 (H-11).

    Source: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 31 October 1893, p. 4. Also: Maurice W. Deshong, The Game of Hand Ball and How to Play It (1893), p. 12

    Read the rulebook: Rules and Explanations

  7. by 18 January 1894 · Documented

    The rules get a name: Casey says 'The Sun's rules, as they are called' have governed his court for five years and every court of account.

    Source: The Sun (New York), 18 January 1894, p. 8

  8. 1896 · Documented

    The club's committee rules are 'recognized as standard wherever the game is played'; a Cork convention is expected to adopt the Sun code worldwide (H-92).

    Source: New-York Tribune (New York), 27 December 1896, p. 21. Also: The Sun (New York), 5 April 1896, p. 30

  9. 17 November 1896 · Documented

    The federation adopts, it does not write: the A.A.U. Board creates a championship and 'adopted THE SUN's rules of competition' (H-78); the first championship follows in January 1897.

    Source: The Sun (New York), 18 November 1896, p. 4. Also: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3

  10. by 1903 · Documented

    The federation revises: 'Revised Handball Rules of the Amateur Athletic Union ... for the Government of the National Championship in Singles' (Revised Handball Rules of the Amateur Athletic Union of America, For the Government of the National Championship in Singles (1903)), a committee, a scorer, conduct and dress rules added to Deshong's wording; a publisher's book (Deshong 1903, Egan 1914) is still where they are printed.

    Source: Michael Egan, Handball and How to Play It (1903), p. 41

    Read the rulebook: Revised Handball Rules of the Amateur Athletic Union of America, For the Government of the National Championship in Singles

  11. 1908 · Documented

    The A.A.U. constitution claims jurisdiction over handball, Article IX (H-33 supported).

    Source: Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, Official Athletic Rules (1908 handbook)

  12. by 1909 · Documented

    A rival body: the Y.M.C.A. has its own hand-ball rules (Y.M.C.A. Hand Ball Rules (index entry) (1909), H-07).

    Source: [James E.] Sullivan, Official Sporting Rules (1909)

  13. November 1919 · Documented

    The federation drafts: 'an entirely new set of handball rules ... prepared and approved by many of the handball experts of the United States' goes to the A.A.U. convention (H-63, H-83); in force 1 Jan 1920 (Hand Ball (1920)).

    Source: The News Scimitar (Memphis), 13 November 1919, p. 15. Also: Amateur Athletic Union, official athletic rules (Library of Congress digitised volume, 1920)

    Read the rulebook: Hand Ball

  14. 20 November 1922 · Documented

    The federation legislates a second code by adapting its first: A.A.U. one-wall rules adopted at the annual meeting (A.A.U. One-Wall Rules (1922), H-62).

    Source: Robert L. Ripley (ed.), Spalding's Official Handball Guide (1923), p. 75

    Read the rulebook: A.A.U. One-Wall Rules

  15. 1923 · Documented

    A publisher's editor proposes changes to the federation: Ripley's seven 'Suggested Rule Changes' in Spalding's guide (Suggested Rule Changes); outcome unknown (H-18).

    Source: Robert L. Ripley (ed.), Spalding's Official Handball Guide (1923)

  16. 1949-1960 · Documented

    The A.A.U. serial 'Official Rules, Handball' (1949 printing; 1955, 1957, 1960 volumes) while the USHA runs its own nationals from 1951: two bodies (H-32, H-101).

    Source: US Handball Association, "National Champions" (seen 28 October 2026). Also: WorldCat, search for AAU official rules handball (seen 28 October 2026); New York Public Library, Catalog of Copyright Entries registrations 1931-1964, handball hits; HathiTrust Digital Library, catalog record 102896696 (seen 28 October 2026)

  17. 1958 or 1959 · Documented

    Common rules between the A.A.U., USHA and Y.M.C.A. (H-03, H-19; secondary, undated by any primary source).

    Source: eBay listing 206605328625: seller photographs of the unified handball playing rules (Y.M.C.A., 1960) (seen 30 October 2026). Also: eBay listing 286432748460: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1960) (seen 30 October 2026)

  18. 1978 · Hypothesis, not yet settled

    USHA alone (H-04, H-107; secondary).

    Source for the whole thread: The New York Herald (New York), 9 December 1875, p. 10

  19. 2018-2026 · Documented

    A players' association writes for its own game: USWA rules online 2018, revised 22 Oct 2026 (USWA playing rules (2026)), ending with a note that such details are settled by each event's organizer.

    Source: United States Wall Ball Association, "Rules & Conduct" (seen 27 October 2026)

  20. 26 January 2025 · Documented

    Rules as a living document: USHA's web rulebooks 'as of January 26, 2025', with changes kept in board minutes and marked in green (Four-Wall Rulebook (2025)).

    Source: US Handball Association, "Four-Wall Rulebook" (seen 28 October 2026)

  21. 1884 · Documented

    Ireland: the GAA founds itself with handball among its sports; its 28 rules (Gaelic Rules (1903)) are 'the rules of the Gaelic Athletic Association of Ireland'.

    Source: Michael Egan, Handball and How to Play It (1903), p. 33

  22. 1924 · Documented

    Ireland: the Irish Handball Council (GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026); H-102 on the IAHA name).

    Source: GAA Handball Ireland, "History" (seen 28 October 2026)

  23. 2019-2025 · Documented

    Ireland borrows: GAA Handball's 1-wall rules are 'consistent with' USHA's (H-21 supported), its 40x20 rules are USHA four-wall text (H-24 supported); Congress adopts the combined book on 9 Feb 2025.

    Source: GAA Handball Playing Rules: 4-Wall, Wallball, 60x30 Softball and Hardball (Wexford GAA copy), file dated 29 May 2025 (seen 28 October 2026)

  24. 1898-1915 · Documented

    A third author: the Y.M.C.A.'s Physical Directors' Conference approves a hand-ball code (1898), revises it for the single-wall court (1900) and its Society adopts four-wall rules (1915) (Hand Ball Rules (1900), Hand Ball Rules: Four Wall Court (1915); H-139, H-141): a national association writing handball rules twenty years before the A.A.U. drafted its own.

    Source: Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of Canada, Official Handbook (1904), pp. 79-81. Also: Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1915), p. 181

    Read the rulebooks: Hand Ball Rules: Four Wall Court; Hand Ball Rules

  25. 1931 · Documented

    The A.A.U.'s three codes (soft-ball four-wall, one-wall, hard ball) printed in O'Connell's How to Play Handball (A.A.U. Soft Ball Four-Wall Rules (in Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball, 1931) (1931), A.A.U. One-Wall Rules (in Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball, 1931) (1931), A.A.U. Hard Ball Rules (in Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball, 1931) (1931)), the hard-ball text adapted from the Union's own four-wall rules rather than from the GAA's (H-138).

    Source: Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball (American Sports Publishing Company, 1931), p. 65

    Read the rulebooks: A.A.U. Soft Ball Four-Wall Rules (in Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball, 1931); A.A.U. Hard Ball Rules (in Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball, 1931); A.A.U. One-Wall Rules (in Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball, 1931)

  26. 1960-1968 · Documented

    Rules by committee: a Unified Handball Rules Committee of the USHA, the Y.M.C.A., the A.A.U. and the J.W.B. (printed in the A.A.U. books of 1960 and 1962), then a 1968 unified booklet issued by three of the four without the USHA (H-125, H-129; seller photographs).

    Source: eBay listing 206605328625: seller photographs of the unified handball playing rules (Y.M.C.A., 1960) (seen 30 October 2026). Also: 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); eBay listing 178429923015: seller photographs of an A.A.U. handball rules booklet (1962) (seen 30 October 2026)

  27. 1963-2009 · Documented

    Ireland's institutional line between the 1903 text and GAA Handball: an 'Official rules' of 1963 under the Irish Handball Association heading (Official rules (1963), H-130), 'Handball Playing Rules' of 1997 (Handball Playing Rules (1997)) and the Council's 'Official Playing Rules' modified January 2009 (Official Playing Rules (Handball Playing Rules) (2009)); only the last is readable, and it is research-only.

    Source: Wexford GAA Handball, "Playing Rules" PDF (uploaded August 2016) (seen 28 October 2026). Also: Open Library, editions of work OL10794547W (seen 30 October 2026); Internet Archive, full-text search for "hand ball" AND "rules" AND "1886" (seen 28 October 2026)

  28. 20 June 1990 · Documented

    The USHA's rules 'with interpretations', adopted 20 June 1990 (The Official United States Handball Association Handball Rules With Interpretations and One-Wall and Three-Wall Addendum Revised 1991 (1990)): the earliest USHA text transcribed (the June 1972 magazine prints an earlier four-wall text), and the form (rules plus numbered interpretations, then board minutes) the USHA has kept since.

    Source: Colorado Handball Association, "The Official United States Handball Association Handball Rules" (Wayback snapshot of 19 May 1998)

    Read the rulebook: The Official United States Handball Association Handball Rules With Interpretations and One-Wall and Three-Wall Addendum Revised 1991

  29. June 1900 to May 1915 · Documented

    The Y.M.C.A.'s are the only rule-making meetings here whose place is stated: a committee of the Physical Directors' Conference revised the single-wall rules in June 1900 at Thousand Island Park (adoption by its Governing Committee is undated, H-141), and its Society adopted the four-wall rules at Asilomar in May 1915. The A.A.U.'s adoptions of 1922 and 1927 give dates, not places.

    Source: Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of Canada, Official Handbook (1904), pp. 79-81. Also: Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, Official Handbook (1915), p. 181; Robert L. Ripley (ed.), Spalding's Official Handball Guide (1923), p. 75; Google Books, Spalding's Official Handball Guide (1928), p. 31 text view (seen 30 October 2026)

    Read the rulebooks: A.A.U. One-Wall Rules; One-Wall Playing Rules (in Spalding's Official Handball Guide, 1928); Hand Ball Rules: Four Wall Court; Hand Ball Rules

  30. 1960-1968 · Documented

    The committee chairs are named, from seller photographs of printed lists (rank 3; dates as printed): Charles J. O'Connell for the Unified Handball Rules Committee of 1960, Robert Quinn for the A.A.U. National Handball Committee 1966-1968, Joe Templeton for the USHA Rules Committee of 1960 (H-123, H-125, H-129).

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

What the sources do not show

  • Who wrote the 1873 James code (H-111: possibly taken from the New York Clipper), who put it in the Sun in 1889 (H-89), and whether the 1890-91 reformed text was ever printed (H-91).
  • The A.A.U.'s rules between 1897 and 1903 (H-14) and between 1903 and 1920 (H-15): no text, no minutes.
  • A.A.U. annual-meeting minutes for 1896, 1919, 1921, 1922 and 1927: the adoption votes are known only from press notices or the printed heading.
  • American rule texts 1932-1989: registrations, catalog records and seller photographs only (A.A.U. to 1962 and 1983 by citation, Y.M.C.A. 1940 and 1952, unified 1960-68); the USHA's own texts begin in 1990 in this record.
  • The 1958/59 unification and the 1978 A.A.U. exit (H-03, H-19, H-04, H-107): seller photographs and secondary pages; the Jewish Welfare Board as a co-author has no other record.
  • Irish rule-making 1903-2009: three catalog or bibliography entries (1963, 1997) and one research-only booklet (2009); no GAA or Council minutes; the GAA's own texts are untranscribed.

Eras this thread crosses

Rulebooks cited here

Sources