# Rule 31 (A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1 January 1920, historical)

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

After a completion of a rally both players shall be allowed a reasonable time to get in position, after which the referee may call play. If the server fails to serve the ball after play is called the referee or the other player may count ten as nearly as possible at the rate of one count per second and if the ball is not served before the completion of the count the server shall be declared out.

## Mentioned here

- [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md)
- [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md)
- [Referee](https://handball.theperfectship.com/match-referee.md)
- [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.md)
- [Rally](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rally.md)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md)

How this rule changed: [wording in every rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/code-fourwall-american/31.md)

## Relationships

- Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Referee: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Serve: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 13 sub-rules.
- Referee relates to Ball: mentioned together in 6 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- No link to the other terms shown: Rally.

Rulebook: [A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1 January 1920](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/aau-fourwall-1920.md)

Source: Official Athletic Rules and Official Handbook of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (Spalding's Athletic Library, Group VII, No. 12A; American Sports Publishing Co., ©1920), rules in force January 1, 1920, pp. 118-120 (Library of Congress, gdc officialathletic13amat); reprinted from the same setting in the edition in force January 1, 1921, pp. 122-124 (officialathletic12amat). Public domain.