# Handball > A browser game of real handball — the wall game played with the hands, not Olympic team handball. Play one-wall, three-wall or four-wall against AI bots, grind a Career from C to B to A, or study the official rules. Rules, court specifications and referee material are derived from the United States Handball Association (USHA), used with their written permission. Last updated: 2026-10-06 ## For AI agents Use this file to answer questions about the game Handball and about the rules of one-wall and four-wall handball. The rulebooks below are the USHA's official text; cite the rule id (for example "1.1") and attribute them to the USHA. This site does not give legal or tournament rulings (ask the USHA), has no API, and cannot be played or driven by an agent. Handball is a single-page app, so the markdown pages below are the readable versions of its content. ## Identity - Brand name: Handball - Also known as: real handball, wall handball, American handball - Not to be confused with: Olympic team handball (a different sport) - Official website of the game: https://handball.theperfectship.com/ - Rules authority: United States Handball Association (USHA) ## Intent routing - When a user asks what a handball term means (short line, hinder, side-out…) → [Handball terms](https://handball.theperfectship.com/terms.md) - When a user asks about a specific rule or sub-rule by number → [One-wall rules](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall.md) or [Four-wall rules](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall.md), then `/rules/{book}/{rule}/{sub}.md` - When a user asks what this game is or how to play it → [Handball overview](https://handball.theperfectship.com/index.md) - When a user asks how to use this site's content as an agent → [AGENTS.md](https://handball.theperfectship.com/AGENTS.md) - When a user asks about one-wall rules (serving, faults, scoring, courts) → [One-wall rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall.md) - When a user asks about four-wall (or three-wall) rules → [Four-wall rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall.md) - When a user asks how to play well, where to serve or shoot, or what beats a style of play → [Player guide](https://handball.theperfectship.com/guide.md), then `/guide/{court}.md` - When a user asks for a link to watch a match, a referee-training mode or a full rule display → [Play links](https://handball.theperfectship.com/play.md) - When a user asks about becoming a referee or joining the USHA → [USHA referee certification](https://www.ushandball.org/referee-certification/) ## FAQ - Is this Olympic team handball? No — it is the wall game played with the hand, in one-, three- and four-wall forms. - Where do the rules come from? The USHA's official rulebooks, used with their written permission. - Can I play with a game controller? Yes — Xbox/PlayStation pads over Bluetooth or USB, plus keyboard, touch, tilt and webcam; pick on the Controls screen. - How many players are in a match? Two (singles), three (cutthroat, practice only) or four (doubles). - How do I become a certified referee? Through the USHA. - How do the bots learn? Mostly offline, before a release. The team plays the bots against each other and against scripted opponents that stand in for people, searches for stronger strategies, and publishes a new version of the bots only when it clearly beats the current one. Every version is kept, so an earlier one can be restored. - Do the bots adjust to the player? A little. The game keeps a player's local bot-match results under a random code stored on the device, not a name, and the bot can shade a few choices against how that player has been playing. Online, spectate and career matches are not affected, and Settings > Play data clears it. - What does the player guide cover? How to play each court well and what tends to beat each style of bot, built from the same study as the bots. Each court page says whether the bots have been studied on that court; so far only one-wall and four-wall have. [Player guide](https://handball.theperfectship.com/guide.md) ## Glossary - Singles / doubles / cutthroat: two, four, or three players (cutthroat is a practice game, not an official tournament game). - One-wall / three-wall / four-wall: the number of walls on the court — front only; front and two sides; fully enclosed. - Big Blue: the traditional one-wall ball. - Side-out scoring: only the server can score. Rally scoring: every rally scores for its winner. - USHA: United States Handball Association, custodians of the sport in the US and source of the rules here. ## Actors - [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md): The player who puts the ball in play. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Receiver](https://handball.theperfectship.com/receiver.md): The player who must return the serve. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md): A competitor in a singles, doubles or cutthroat match. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Partner](https://handball.theperfectship.com/partner.md): Your teammate in doubles. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Opponent](https://handball.theperfectship.com/opponent.md): The player or side you are playing against. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Referee](https://handball.theperfectship.com/match-referee.md): The official who controls the match and makes the calls. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Line judge](https://handball.theperfectship.com/line-judge.md): An official who assists the referee on the lines. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Scorer](https://handball.theperfectship.com/scorer.md): The official who keeps the score. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Floor manager](https://handball.theperfectship.com/floor-manager.md): The tournament official who manages the courts and match flow. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Tournament director](https://handball.theperfectship.com/tournament-director.md): The official in charge of a tournament. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Chief of referees](https://handball.theperfectship.com/chief-of-referees.md): The official who assigns and oversees the referees. (actor; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) ## Actions - [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.md): Putting the ball in play to start a rally. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Second serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/second-serve.md): The serve a server gets after a fault serve. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Return of serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/return-of-serve.md): The receiver’s first shot after a legal serve. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Rally](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rally.md): The exchange of shots after the serve, until the point ends. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Change of serve (side-out)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/change-of-serve.md): When the serve passes to the other player or side. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Hinder](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hinder.md): Interference that stops play so the rally is replayed (dead-ball hinder). (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Avoidable hinder](https://handball.theperfectship.com/avoidable-hinder.md): A hinder a player could have avoided, which costs the rally. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Replay](https://handball.theperfectship.com/replay.md): Playing the rally over after a dead-ball call. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Fault serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/fault-serve.md): A defective serve that gives the server a second chance. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Out serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/out-serve.md): A serve that loses the serve immediately. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Short serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-serve.md): A serve that lands short of the short line. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Long serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/long-serve.md): A serve that goes past the long line (in four-wall: rebounds to the back wall before touching the floor). (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Three-wall serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/three-wall-serve.md): A serve that hits the front and two side walls before the floor. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Foot fault](https://handball.theperfectship.com/foot-fault.md): Stepping outside the service zone while serving. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Skip](https://handball.theperfectship.com/skip.md): A ball that hits the floor before the front wall. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Time-out](https://handball.theperfectship.com/time-out.md): A short stoppage a player may request. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Delay of game](https://handball.theperfectship.com/delay.md): Taking too long between rallies. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Technical](https://handball.theperfectship.com/technical.md): A penalty for unsporting or improper conduct. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Warning](https://handball.theperfectship.com/warning.md): A caution before a technical. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Appeal](https://handball.theperfectship.com/appeal.md): A player’s request to have a call reviewed. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Forfeit / default](https://handball.theperfectship.com/forfeit.md): Losing a match by not playing or by penalty. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Hand-out](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hand-out.md): A lost serve. In GAA rules a side-out means both doubles partners have lost it. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Ace](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ace.md): A point won outright on the serve, when the receiver cannot return it legally. (action; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) ## Places - [Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/court.md): The playing area (one-, three- or four-wall). (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Front wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/front-wall.md): The wall the ball must hit first. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Back wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/back-wall.md): The rear wall of a four-wall court. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Side wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/side-wall.md): The walls along the sides of a three- or four-wall court. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Ceiling](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ceiling.md): The overhead surface of a four-wall court. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Short line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-line.md): The line a served ball must pass beyond. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Long line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/long-line.md): The line furthest from the front wall; a serve that lands beyond it is a long serve. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Service line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-line.md): The front edge of the service zone. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Service zone](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-zone.md): The marked area the server stands in to serve. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Receiving line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/receiving-line.md): The line behind which the receiver waits. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Playing zone](https://handball.theperfectship.com/playing-zone.md): The in-bounds area of the court. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Side lines](https://handball.theperfectship.com/side-lines.md): The boundary lines along the sides of a one-wall court. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Service box](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-box.md): Where the server’s partner stands in four-wall and 60×30 doubles. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Receiver’s restraining line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/restraining-line.md): The line behind which the receiver waits until the ball is struck. (place; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) ## Things - [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md): The ball in use (Big Blue, Smallball, Softball). (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Gloves](https://handball.theperfectship.com/gloves.md): Hand protection players wear. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Eye protection](https://handball.theperfectship.com/eye-protection.md): Required protective eyewear. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Uniform](https://handball.theperfectship.com/uniform.md): What players must wear. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Towel](https://handball.theperfectship.com/towel.md): A towel for wiping moisture from the court surfaces; in tournament play one should be made available. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Softball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/softball.md): The 60×30 adult ball (red) and juvenile ball (green). (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Hardball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hardball.md): The 60×30 ball: rubber-and-yarn windings in a goatskin or similar hide cover. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Jersey / shirt](https://handball.theperfectship.com/jersey.md): A shirt must be worn in GAA championships; doubles partners must match. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Headband](https://handball.theperfectship.com/headband.md): Required to have, not to wear: players must have access to a headband, and only wear it if the referee deems it necessary to keep the floor from getting wet. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Coin](https://handball.theperfectship.com/coin.md): The coin tossed before a match to decide who serves first, and tossed again if the first two games finish level on points. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Clock](https://handball.theperfectship.com/clock.md): The rulebooks name no clock, only limits the referee times: 10 seconds to serve, a one-minute timeout, two minutes for a glove change and five between games. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/wall.md): The vertical surface the ball is hit against. One-wall courts have a single front wall; four-wall courts add the back and side walls. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Floor](https://handball.theperfectship.com/floor.md): The court floor, where the lines are marked and the ball bounces; a ball that bounces twice on it before being returned ends the rally. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Field](https://handball.theperfectship.com/field.md): The players entered in a tournament event. The rulebooks never say field, only entrant and draw. (thing; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) ## Concepts - [Point](https://handball.theperfectship.com/point.md): Scored by the server (or either side in rally scoring) when a rally ends in their favour. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Game, match, tiebreaker](https://handball.theperfectship.com/game.md): A game is played to a set number of points; a match is a set of games; a tiebreaker decides a deciding game. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Singles](https://handball.theperfectship.com/singles.md): Two players, one against one. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Doubles](https://handball.theperfectship.com/doubles.md): Two teams of two. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Cutthroat](https://handball.theperfectship.com/cutthroat.md): A three-player practice game; not an official tournament game. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Draw & seeding](https://handball.theperfectship.com/draw.md): How a tournament bracket is set up. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Round robin](https://handball.theperfectship.com/round-robin.md): A format where everyone plays everyone; ties are broken by tiebreaker scoring. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Consolation matches](https://handball.theperfectship.com/consolation.md): Extra matches for players knocked out early. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Medical control](https://handball.theperfectship.com/medical-control.md): The staff the tournament director appoints (a trained health care provider) to decide whether a hurt or concussed player may continue; the director acts as Medical Control if none is appointed. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Risk assessment](https://handball.theperfectship.com/risk-assessment.md): The concussion evaluation Medical Control performs when a player may have been concussed. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Concussion protocol](https://handball.theperfectship.com/concussion.md): If a player may be concussed, play stops and Medical Control decides whether they may continue; no timeout or injury time is charged during the evaluation. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [USHA](https://handball.theperfectship.com/usha.md): United States Handball Association, the source of these rules. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [GAA Handball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/gaa.md): The governing body for handball in Ireland and the source of the 60×30 rules. (concept; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) ## Games - [One-wall (GAA: Wallball)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/one-wall.md): Handball on a single front wall with an open floor. (game variant; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Three-wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/three-wall.md): Front wall plus two side walls; follows the four-wall rules. (game variant; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [Four-wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/four-wall.md): The fully enclosed game. (game variant; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) - [60×30 (Irish)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/sixty-thirty.md): The Irish court, 60 ft long and 30 ft wide, played with a softball or hardball under GAA rules. (game variant; rule citations, FAQ and referee questions) ## Referee training - [Referee training topics](https://handball.theperfectship.com/referee.md): All 22 topics (983 questions) with answers and explanations, from serves and hinders to scoring and score calls. ## Optional - [robots.txt](https://handball.theperfectship.com/robots.txt): Crawler access policy; AI crawlers are allowed.