Clause history · American four-wall
Rule 11 Rule 11: how the wording changed
7 rulebooks state this rule, from 1873 to 1931. The wording was reworded or changed 1 time.
How to read this page
- Added words are underlined and sit inside [+ +].
Removed wordsare struck through and sit inside [- -].- Each rulebook says in words what kind of change it is: unchanged (same wording as the rulebook it was compared with); punctuation only (only punctuation, spacing or capitals differ); moved (same wording, in another place or under another number); reworded (the sense is the same, said in other words); changed (the rule now says something different).
- A program matched each clause with the one before it. Automatic matches were made by the program alone; machine-reviewed ones were also checked by a second program. A person has not checked either, so a wrong match is possible.
Rulebook by rulebook
The table has one row per rulebook; each date jumps to its wording below.
| Date | Rulebook | Clauses, by kind of change |
|---|---|---|
| 1873 | James's Four-Wall Rules, 1873 | 2 first recorded |
| 1886 | Spalding Four-Wall Rules, 1886 | 1 unchanged, 1 punctuation only |
| 17 March 1889 | The Sun Four-Wall Rules, 1889 | 1 punctuation only, 1 reworded |
| 1 January 1920 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1 January 1920 | 1 first recorded |
| 1923 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923 | 1 unchanged |
| 1928 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1928 | 2 first recorded |
| 1931 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1931 | 2 moved |
The wording
Each part of the rule is followed on its own, oldest rulebook first. Rulebooks of other codes that borrowed the wording appear in their place by date.
Rule 11, part 1 of 5
Begins: “When a ball is served short to the player…”
1873 James's Four-Wall Rules
When a ball is served short to the player he has the privilege of striking it with his hand or foot, if struck with the foot and it fails to go upon the front wall it does not score for the striker.
1886 Spalding Four-Wall Rules
Compared with James's Four-Wall Rules, 1873.
When a ball is served short to the player he has the privilege of striking it with his hand or
foot,foot; if struck with the foot and it fails to go upon the front wall it does not score for the striker.1 word added, 1 removed.
17 March 1889 The Sun Four-Wall Rules
Compared with Spalding Four-Wall Rules, 1886.
When a ball is served short to the player he has the privilege of striking it with his hand or foot; if struck with the foot and it fails to go upon the front
wallwall, it does notscore for the striker.score.2 words added, 5 removed.
Rule 11, part 2 of 5
Begins: “If struck with the hand and it fails to…”
1873 James's Four-Wall Rules
If struck with the hand and it fails to strike the front wall it is an ace for the striker.
- 1886 Spalding Four-Wall Rules Unchanged automatic Read the rule
17 March 1889 The Sun Four-Wall Rules
Compared with Spalding Four-Wall Rules, 1886.
If struck with the hand and it fails to strike the front
wallwall, it is an ace for the striker.1 word added, 1 removed.
Rule 11, part 3 of 5
Begins: “Catching or stopping the ball on the service before…”
1 January 1920 A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules
Catching or stopping the ball on the service before it hits the floor counts as a hand out.
- 1923 A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules Unchanged automatic Read the rule
Rule 11, part 4 of 5
Begins: “A served ball which does not rebound beyond the…”
1928 A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules
A served ball which does not rebound beyond the short line before touching the floor is termed a "short" ball.
1931 A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules
Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1928.
A served ball which does not rebound beyond the
short lineshort-line before touching the floor is termed a "short" ball.1 word added, 2 removed.
Rule 11, part 5 of 5
Begins: “A served ball which rebounds from the front wall…”
1928 A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules
A served ball which rebounds from the front wall and touches two side walls before touching the floor is termed a "short" ball.
1931 A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules
Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1928.
A served ball which rebounds from the front wall and touches two side walls before touching the floor is termed a
"short"short ball.1 word added, 1 removed.
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