# Rule 3 The ball: how the wording changed (American four-wall (DESHONG side line))

2 rulebooks state this rule, from 1893 to 1903. 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1893 | Deshong Four-Wall Rules, 1893 | 8 first recorded |
| 1903 | Deshong Four-Wall Rules, 1903 | 5 unchanged, 2 punctuation only, 1 reworded |

## The wording

### Rule 3, part 1 of 8

Begins: “The ball shall be 1⅞ inches in diameter and…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > The ball shall be 1⅞ inches in diameter and 1⅝ ounces in weight.

- **1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: Punctuation only (machine-reviewed). Compared with Deshong Four-Wall Rules, 1893.

  > The ball shall be [- 1⅞ -] [+ one and seven-eighth +] inches in diameter and [- 1⅝ -] [+ one and five-eighth +] ounces in weight.
  
  6 words added, 2 removed.

### Rule 3, part 2 of 8

Begins: “The Irish ball, as a general rule, differs considerably…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > The Irish ball, as a general rule, differs considerably from the one used in America.

- 1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

### Rule 3, part 3 of 8

Begins: “The harder the ball, the better an Irish expert…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > The harder the ball, the better an Irish expert likes it.

- **1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: Reworded (machine-reviewed). Compared with Deshong Four-Wall Rules, 1893.

  > [- The -] [+ They are smaller, and the +] harder the ball, the better an Irish expert likes it.
  
  5 words added, 1 removed.

### Rule 3, part 4 of 8

Begins: “As he depends chiefly upon service for his success,…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > As he depends chiefly upon service for his success, he wants a ball that will fairly batter down a front wall.

- 1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

### Rule 3, part 5 of 8

Begins: “That is the reason while seven-eighths of the players…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > That is the reason while seven-eighths of the players in Ireland at the present time object to the American style of playing the game and adopting their ball.

- **1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: Punctuation only (machine-reviewed). Compared with Deshong Four-Wall Rules, 1893.

  > That is the reason [- while -] [+ why +] seven-eighths of the players in Ireland at the present time object to the American style of playing the game and adopting their ball.
  
  1 word added, 1 removed.

### Rule 3, part 6 of 8

Begins: “Take the service away from them, and you destroy…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > Take the service away from them, and you destroy all the effects of their playing.

- 1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

### Rule 3, part 7 of 8

Begins: “The brilliancy of the game depends as much upon…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > The brilliancy of the game depends as much upon a good ball as a good pair of hands.

- 1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

### Rule 3, part 8 of 8

Begins: “An improperly made ball is discouraging to an expert;…”

- **1893, Deshong Four-Wall Rules**: First recorded (automatic).

  > An improperly made ball is discouraging to an expert; in fact, no one who has any regard for the safety of his hands, should indulge in the game without first testing the quality of the little sphere.

- 1903, Deshong Four-Wall Rules: Unchanged (automatic).

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