# Rule 24 Rule 24: how the wording changed (American four-wall)

7 rulebooks state this rule, from 1873 to 1931. No rewording or change was found.

## 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 moved |
| 1 January 1920 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1 January 1920 | 2 first recorded |
| 1923 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923 | 2 unchanged |
| 1928 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1928 | 1 moved |
| 1931 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1931 | 1 unchanged |

## The wording

### Rule 24, part 1 of 3

Begins: “All disputed balls shall be decided by a referee…”

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

  > All disputed balls shall be decided by a referee chosen by the players, whose decision in all cases shall be final.

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

- **17 March 1889, The Sun Four-Wall Rules**: Moved (automatic). Compared with Spalding Four-Wall Rules, 1886.

  Same words as the rulebook compared with.

### Rule 24, part 2 of 3

Begins: “It is the duty of the referee to decide…”

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

  > 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.

- 1923, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

### Rule 24, part 3 of 3

Begins: “Kicking the ball is not allowed.”

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

  > Kicking the ball is not allowed.

- 1923, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

- **1928, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: Moved (automatic). Compared with A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1923.

  Same words as the rulebook compared with.

- 1931, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

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