A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules · American four-wall
Rule 5 Returns and service
HistoricalA.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1903 (historical)
All balls must be recovered on the first bound after reaching the floor. That is, a ball can take the circuit of the four walls before it can be termed returnable. The service is considered to be very difficult when the ball, after hitting the front wall, takes in either the side walls on a fly, bounds on the floor and then comes off the back wall; or after hitting one side wall bounds from the floor to the back wall, and thence to the other side wall. The great trouble in recovering these balls is that the force of their flight is expended when they come in contact with the last wall, and, therefore, drop dead to the floor. If the ball is returned to the front wall the server must recover it, either on the fly or first bound; if he fails the hand is out and his opponent becomes a server. It is allowable to serve at either side of the court, but always within the two parallel lines. Stepping beyond the inner line twice in succession, or hitting either side wall, roof or floor before striking the front wall, or serving three short balls in succession, shall cause the loss of a hand.
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How this rule changed
See the wording of this rule in every rulebook, with the changes marked.
How these ideas connect in this rule
- Actor
- Action
- Place
- Thing
- related term
- mentioned together in sub-rules (×number)
- Server relates to Opponent: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Serve: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Wall: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Opponent relates to Serve: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Opponent relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Opponent relates to Ball: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Opponent relates to Wall: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ball: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Hand-out: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Hand-out: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
No link to the other terms shown: Foot fault, Short serve, Back wall, Ceiling, Court, Service line, Side wall. 1 weaker link (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) is not drawn. 2 more terms are mentioned but not drawn (the best linked 14 are shown). Open the full graph.