# Rule 21 Rule 21: how the wording changed (American four-wall)

7 rulebooks state this rule, from 1873 to 1931. The wording was reworded or changed 4 times.

## How to read this

- Added words are marked [+ like this +]; removed words [- like this -].
- Each rulebook says what kind of change it is: unchanged, punctuation only, moved, reworded or changed.
- 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.

## Rulebook by rulebook

| Date | Rulebook | Clauses, by kind of change |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1873 | James's Four-Wall Rules, 1873 | 1 first recorded |
| 1886 | Spalding Four-Wall Rules, 1886 | 1 unchanged |
| 17 March 1889 | The Sun Four-Wall Rules, 1889 | 1 reworded |
| 1 January 1920 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1 January 1920 | 2 first recorded |
| 1923 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923 | 1 punctuation only, 1 changed |
| 1928 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1928 | 2 reworded |
| 1931 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1931 | 2 moved |

## The wording

### Rule 21, part 1 of 3

Begins: “In striking the ball the player shall not touch…”

- **1873, James's Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > In striking the ball the player shall not touch the ball with any part of his person other than the hand or foot, under a forfeit of an ace or hand out.

- 1886, Spalding Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

- **17 March 1889, The Sun Four-Wall Rules**: Reworded (machine-reviewed). Compared with Spalding Four-Wall Rules, 1886.

  > In striking the ball the player shall not touch the ball with any part of his person other than the hand or foot, under [- a -] forfeit of an ace or hand out.
  
  1 word removed.

### Rule 21, part 2 of 3

Begins: “In doubles, both players on a side are entitled…”

- **1 January 1920, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > In doubles, both players on a side are entitled to a fair and unobstructed chance at the ball and either one is entitled to a decision on a hinder or covered ball even though it naturally would be his partner's ball and notwithstanding the fact that his partner may be attempting to play the ball or that he may already have missed it.

- **1923, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: Changed (machine-reviewed). Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1 January 1920.

  > In doubles, both players on a side are entitled to a fair and unobstructed chance at the ball and either one is entitled to a decision on a [- hinder or covered ball -] [+ hinder, +] even though it naturally would be his partner's ball and notwithstanding the fact that his partner may be attempting to play the ball or that he may already have missed it.
  
  1 word added, 4 removed.

- **1928, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: Reworded (machine-reviewed). Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923.

  > In doubles, both players on a side are entitled to a fair and unobstructed chance at the ball and either one is entitled to a [- decision on a hinder, -] [+ hinder if interfered with by an opponent +] even though it naturally would be his partner's ball and notwithstanding the fact that his partner may be attempting to play the ball or that he may already have missed it.
  
  7 words added, 4 removed.

- **1931, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: Moved (automatic). Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1928.

  > In doubles, both players on a side are entitled to a fair and unobstructed chance at the ball and either one is entitled to a hinder if interfered with by an [- opponent -] [+ opponent, +] even though it naturally would be his partner's ball and notwithstanding the fact that his partner may be attempting to play the ball or that he may already have missed it.
  
  1 word added, 1 removed.

### Rule 21, part 3 of 3

Begins: “The referee should be liberal in rendering decisions under…”

- **1 January 1920, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > The referee should be liberal in rendering decisions under this rule so as to discourage any practice of playing the ball where an adversary cannot see it until too late to get into position and it is no excuse that the ball is "killed dead" or that the adversary "could not get it".
  > He is entitled to a chance to try and in the absence of this chance is entitled to the decision.

- **1923, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: Punctuation only (automatic). Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1 January 1920.

  > The referee should be liberal in rendering decisions under this rule so as to discourage any practice of playing the ball where an adversary cannot see it until too late to get into position and it is no excuse that the ball is "killed dead" or that the adversary "could not get [- it".
  >  -] [+ it." +] He is entitled to a chance to try and in the absence of this chance is entitled to the decision.
  
  1 word added, 1 removed.

- **1928, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: Reworded (machine-reviewed). Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923.

  > The referee should be liberal in rendering decisions under this rule [- so as -] [+ in order +] to discourage [- any -] [+ the +] practice of playing the ball where an adversary cannot see it until too late to get into position and it is no excuse that the ball is "killed dead" or that the adversary "could not get it." He is entitled to a chance to try and in the absence of this chance is entitled to the decision.
  
  3 words added, 3 removed.

- **1931, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: Moved (automatic). Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1928.

  > The referee should be liberal in rendering decisions under this rule in order to discourage the practice of playing the ball where an adversary cannot see it until too late to get into position and it is no excuse that the ball is "killed dead" or that the adversary "could not get it." He is entitled to a chance to [- try -] [+ try, +] and in the absence of this chance is entitled to the decision.
  
  1 word added, 1 removed.

All rules: [clause history](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/).