# Rule 27 Rule 27: how the wording changed (American four-wall)

4 rulebooks state this rule, from 1 January 1920 to 1931. The wording was reworded or changed 1 time.

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 1 first recorded, 1 changed |
| 1931 | A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules, 1931 | 2 moved |

## The wording

### Rule 27, part 1 of 2

Begins: “In all match games there should be a referee…”

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

  > In all match games there should be a referee and score keeper who should sit next to the referee.

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

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

  > In all match games there [- should -] [+ shall +] be a referee and [+ a +] score keeper who [- should -] [+ shall +] sit next to the referee.
  
  3 words added, 2 removed.

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

  > In all match games there shall be a referee and a [- score keeper -] [+ scorekeeper, +] who shall sit next to the referee.
  
  1 word added, 2 removed.

### Rule 27, part 2 of 2

Begins: “The referee is to be provided with a whistle…”

- **1928, A.A.U. Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > The referee is to be provided with a whistle to be used to indicate when play is stopped.

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

  > The referee is to be provided with a [- whistle -] [+ whistle, +] to be used to indicate when play is stopped.
  
  1 word added, 1 removed.

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