Handball

Decade

The 1920s

63 dated items, 5 rulebook editions and 20 championship result rows are in the record for the 1920s.

Years with their own page

A year gets a page when the record holds at least 3 dated items for it.

Dated items

1920

  • 1920-1923: A.A.U. R2: 'standard rubber handball'; the 1923 guide adds '(Spalding's No. 101 ball is used in the national championship tournaments)' (Hand Ball (1920), Official Handball Rules of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (1923); Source: Amateur Athletic Union, official athletic rules (Library of Congress digitised volume, 1920)
  • 1920-1929: An Irish Times article of 2025 says handball was not in the GAA's first constitution and became an official part of its activities in the 1920s, when national championships gave it structure; GAA Handball's own page says it was included from 1884 (conflicting) Sources differ on when handball became part of the GAA's official activities: an Irish Times article says it was added in the 1920s after being left out of the 1884 constitution, while GAA Handball's own history page says it was among the sports to be promoted from the founding in 1884. Source: The Irish Times, "Traidisiún fada na liathróide láimhe" (Gaeilge section, 14 October 2025)
  • 1 January 1920: The 35-rule four-wall text is in force (Hand Ball (1920), A.A.U. handbook): court approximately 24 x 50 ft, ceiling at least 25 ft, 'covered ball' defined, hinders to the referee without appeal, 'points' instead of 'aces'. Source: Amateur Athletic Union, official athletic rules (Library of Congress digitised volume, 1920)
  • 4 January 1920 to 22 February 1920: First Metropolitan Association A.A.U. handball championship, Annunciation A.C., New York: 'amateur handball came in for official recognition for the first time on the A.A.U. curriculum'; Cyril Regan beat Dan Shea in the singles final Source: The New York Herald (New York), 5 January 1920, p. 20, p. 20
  • 7 April 1920 to 9 April 1920: A.A.U. warns its associations off the Detroit A.C.'s unsanctioned 'junior national championship' handball tournament; Carl Haedge beat William Sackman in the Detroit national invitational singles final (9 Apr) Source: New-York Tribune (New York), 8 April 1920, p. 12, p. 12
  • 22 May 1920 to 29 May 1920: A.A.U. national handball championships at the Los Angeles Athletic Club: Max Gold beat George Klawitter in the singles final; holder Bill Ranft lost in the semi-final Source: New-York Tribune (New York), 25 April 1920, p. 19, p. 19
  • 24 September 1920 to 25 October 1920: Jim Kelly and Pete Burke (of Casey's old Degraw St. court) are to play a leather-ball exhibition; the Van Kelton Stadium (57th St. and 8th Ave.) open singles handicap championship, in a Herald item, lists Kelly as 'world's champion' Source: The Washington Times (Washington, D.C.), 24 September 1920, p. 18, p. 18
  • 16 November 1920: A.A.U. convention (16 Nov 1920) awards the 1921 national handball championships: junior to the New York A.C., senior to the Detroit Y.M.C.A. Source: The Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham), 16 November 1920, p. 10, p. 10

1921

  • 22 March 1921 to 25 March 1921: A.A.U. national handball championships at Detroit: Dr Carl Haedge (St. Paul) retained the senior singles title over William Sackman, 14-21, 21-16, 21-12 Source: Great Falls Tribune (Great Falls), 27 March 1921, p. 11, p. 11
  • 15 May 1921: Tribune: the Brighton Beach Baths (Coney Island) has constructed twelve 'regulation' handball courts, to be opened free to the public; 'American handball' to be revived on a pretentious scale; July tournament planned Source: New-York Tribune (New York), 15 May 1921, p. 20, p. 20
  • 23 July 1921 to 9 October 1921: A.A.U. outdoor handball tournaments on the Brighton Beach Baths' seaside courts, July-October 1921 (first major tournament 23 July; second from 11 September, finals 25 September; Sakman winner of singles and doubles in the first) Source: New-York Tribune (New York), 23 July 1921, p. 8, p. 8
  • 13 November 1921 to 11 December 1921: Metropolitan Association A.A.U. handball championship at the Van Kelton Stadium courts (57th St. and 8th Ave.): Jack Byrne (West Side Y.M.C.A.) beat William Sakman in five games on 11 December Source: The New York Herald (New York), 12 December 1921, p. 12, p. 12
  • 19 December 1921: Central A.A.U. (Milwaukee, Dec 1921): Milwaukee Athletic Club awarded the national handball championships (held March 1922) Source: The Milwaukee Leader (Milwaukee), 20 December 1921, p. 10, p. 10

1922

  • 1 January 1922: The handbook in force 1 Jan 1922 already prints the 1923 text (Official Handball Rules of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (1923)): court 24 x 48 ft, 'covered ball' deleted except the leftover in R24 (H-63, H-64). Source: Robert L. Ripley (ed.), Spalding's Official Handball Guide (1923), p. 69
  • 12 March 1922 to 17 March 1922: First New York State doubles one-wall handball championship at the Crescent Athletic Club, Brooklyn: 42 teams; won by Robert Powers Jr. and William F. Wigmore Source: The New York Herald (New York), 13 March 1922, p. 12, p. 12
  • 20 March 1922 to 25 March 1922: A.A.U. national handball championships at the Milwaukee Athletic Club: Art Schinner beat William Sakman for the singles; Gold and Laswell (Los Angeles) won the senior doubles; format reported as four-wall (preview) and one-wall (year review) (conflicting) The newspapers disagree on the form of the 1922 championship: a March preview called it the national four-wall championship, but a December review said the doubles, like the singles, was played at one wall. Source: The New York Herald (New York), 26 March 1922, p. 56, p. 56
  • 6 May 1922 to 10 September 1922: A.A.U. tournaments on the 'new courts' of the Brighton Beach Baths, Coney Island, May-September 1922 (singles/doubles, New York v. Boston intercity match 29 July, invitation tournament at Manhattan Beach Baths); Murray Vernon the leading player Source: The Evening World (New York), 3 May 1922, p. 23, p. 23
  • 17 May 1922 to 18 May 1922: Wheeling Intelligencer serialises 'Hand Ball Rules' (rules 1-14 on 17 May, 15 onward on 18 May) matching the A.A.U. 1920/21 four-wall text, including 'covered ball'; possible newspaper edition Source: The Wheeling Intelligencer (Wheeling), 17 May 1922, p. 7, p. 7
  • 14 June 1922: Joe Heaney and Bill Bryan, Brooklyn doubles claimants of the world title, likely American team to the Irish games in Dublin; they 'defeated all comers at Casey's alley, Brooklyn' Source: The New York Herald (New York), 14 June 1922, p. 14, p. 14
  • 22 October 1922 to 12 November 1922: Metropolitan Association A.A.U. singles one-wall championship at the Van Kelton Handball Club courts (58th St. and 8th Ave.): Jack Byrnes (West Side Y.M.C.A.) beat Robert Powers 21-12, 21-14, 21-12 Source: The Evening World (New York), 17 October 1922, p. 20, p. 20
  • 16 November 1922 to 10 December 1922: A.A.U. handball committee ordered the Metropolitan four-wall final (Shea v. Sakman) replayed; Sakman retained the title on 10 December, 3 games to 1 Source: New-York Tribune (New York), 17 November 1922, p. 14, p. 14
  • 19 November 1922 to 21 November 1922: A.A.U. national convention (19-21 Nov 1922): amendments sought included 'numerous minor changes' to handball rules; 1923 national handball championships awarded to St. Paul (senior) and Pittsburgh (junior) Source: The Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham), 13 November 1922, p. 6, p. 6
  • 20 November 1922 to 14 October 1994: The one-wall short line moved a foot at a time: at least 13 ft in 1922, 14 ft in 1927, 15 ft in 1931 and 16 ft, to its back edge, in the USHA's text of 1994; the GAA of 2019 and the CIJB of 2023 (16.1 ft) use 16. Source: Robert L. Ripley (ed.), Spalding's Official Handball Guide (1923), p. 75
  • 20 November 1922: The A.A.U. adopts one-wall rules at its annual meeting (A.A.U. One-Wall Rules (1922), printed in Spalding's Official Handball Guide 1923): court about 20 x 34 ft, wall 16 ft, short line at least 13 ft, two faults, standard rubber ball. Source: Robert L. Ripley (ed.), Spalding's Official Handball Guide (1923), p. 75
  • 13 December 1922: Evening World feature: handball played on roofs, basements, clubs, colleges and streets; Kelton's five public courts near Columbus Circle up 300% in a year; 'Nine years ago the sport was little known in New York' Source: The Evening World (New York), 13 December 1922, p. 25, p. 25
  • 24 December 1922: Tribune annual review: with more than fifty new courts in the New York district the 'present set of rules is to be revised and added to by the National A. A. U. committee on handball' Source: New-York Tribune (New York), 24 December 1922, p. 12, p. 12

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

Championships held