# Rule 10 (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/

If a served ball hits the ceiling, floor, or either side wall before hitting the front wall, the server is out. A ball bouncing over the back wall, either on the serve or in play, or that is driven over the back wall without hitting the floor except on the serve, shall be a dead ball and shall be played over without penalty to either side.

## Mentioned here

- [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md)
- [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.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)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.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/10.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.
- Serve relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ball: mentioned together in 6 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 6 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Wall: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- No link to the other terms shown: Back wall, Ceiling, Side wall.
- 26 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn.

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.