# Rule 24 (A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923, historical)

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

It is the duty of the referee to decide all hinders and covered balls without being appealed to by the players as it is often distasteful to a player to make claims especially in close cases, and failure to claim a hinder or covered ball does not relieve the referee from the duty of rendering a decision.

## Mentioned here

- [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md)
- [Referee](https://handball.theperfectship.com/match-referee.md)
- [Hinder](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hinder.md)
- [Appeal](https://handball.theperfectship.com/appeal.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/24.md)

## Relationships

- Player relates to Referee: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Hinder: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 11 sub-rules.
- Referee relates to Hinder: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Referee relates to Ball: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- Hinder relates to Ball: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- No link to the other terms shown: Appeal.
- 4 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn.

Rulebook: [A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/aau-fourwall-1923.md)

Source: Spalding's Official Handball Guide, 1923, ed. Robert L. Ripley (Library of Congress, LCCN 23002979), pp. 69-72; also printed in the Official Handbook of the A.A.U., 1923, section LXI. Public domain.