# Rule 1 (A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1931, historical)

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

Standard courts shall have four walls and a ceiling, shall be 22 feet in width, 46 feet in length and 22 feet in height.

The building and use of standard courts is advised, but championships may be held on courts of other sizes as approved by the Handball Committee.

A serving space enclosed by two parallel lines, 5 feet apart, drawn across the width, shall be laid out on the floor of the court (the back line shall be called the short-line and shall divide the court equally and the front line shall be 5 feet in front thereof; thus in a 46-foot court the short line will be 23 feet from the back wall and the front line 18 feet from the front wall). Eighteen inches from and parallel with each side wall a line shall be drawn to form a box where the partner to the man who is serving shall stand with his back to the side wall while the ball is being served. Should he leave the box before the ball crosses the short-line, the referee shall declare it a short ball. If the server's partner is hit by the ball while in the box, it shall be considered a dead ball, and the ball shall be out of play.

## Mentioned here

- [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md)
- [Partner](https://handball.theperfectship.com/partner.md)
- [Referee](https://handball.theperfectship.com/match-referee.md)
- [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.md)
- [Short serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-serve.md)
- [Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/court.md)
- [Front wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/front-wall.md)
- [Back wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/back-wall.md)
- [Side wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/side-wall.md)
- [Ceiling](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ceiling.md)
- [Short line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-line.md)
- [Service line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-line.md)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md)
- [Four-wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/four-wall.md)
- [Wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/wall.md)
- [Floor](https://handball.theperfectship.com/floor.md)

How this rule changed: [wording in every rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/code-fourwall-american/1.md)

## Relationships

- Server relates to Serve: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 8 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Wall: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Floor: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Partner relates to Ball: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- Referee relates to Ball: mentioned together in 6 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Wall: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Short serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ball: mentioned together in 6 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 6 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Floor: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Wall: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- No link to the other terms shown: Back wall, Ceiling, Court, Short line, Side wall.
- 30 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn.
- 2 more terms are mentioned but not drawn (the best linked 14 are shown).

Rulebook: [A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1931](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/aau-fourwall-1931.md)

Source: Charles J. O'Connell, How to Play Handball ... Including Official Rules for Play and Diagrams of Court Construction (New York: American Sports Publishing Company, copyright 1931; Spalding's 'Red Cover' Series of Athletic Handbooks No. 114R), pp. 65-69; Ohio State University copy (HathiTrust osu.32435007267735), page screenshots saved by the user from HathiTrust's viewer. Public domain in the US.