# Rule 7 Ball served inside the ace line; foot debarred (A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1903, historical)

> **Historical rulebook: not the current rules.** The current rules are here: https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/

When a ball from the server drops anywhere inside of the ace line, the player has the privilege of playing it should he so desire, but in doing so the play counts the same as though the ball had been served regularly over the ace line, and if it reaches the front wall the ball must be returned by the opponent. In the return of all balls the use of the foot is debarred, and a player using the foot at any time will have committed a foul and the punishment will be the loss of an ace or a hand out.

## Mentioned here

- [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md)
- [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md)
- [Opponent](https://handball.theperfectship.com/opponent.md)
- [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.md)
- [Front wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/front-wall.md)
- [Short line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-line.md)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md)
- [Hand-out](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hand-out.md)
- [Ace](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ace.md)
- [Wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/wall.md)

How this rule changed: [wording in every rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/code-fourwall-american/7.md)

## Relationships

- Server relates to Opponent: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Ace: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ace: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Opponent relates to Ball: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Opponent relates to Ace: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ball: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ace: mentioned together in 3 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 Ace: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- No link to the other terms shown: Serve, Short line.
- 23 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn.

Rulebook: [A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1903](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/aau-fourwall-1903.md)

Source: Handball and How to Play It (American Sports Publishing Co., ©1903), pp. 41-42 (Library of Congress, LCCN 04000015); reprinted from the same type in M. Egan, Hand Ball and How to Play It (©1914 printing, LCCN 13015574). Public domain.