# Rule 3 The ball (Deshong Four-Wall Rules, 1893, historical)

> **Historical rulebook: not the current rules.** The current rules are here: https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/

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

The brilliancy of the game depends as much upon a good ball as a good pair of hands. 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. While no general regulations have ever existed in regard to this matter, the Brooklyn Handball Club, the leading organization of the kind in the world, has adopted a standard ball which is recognized at all the prominent courts in America as the best for all purposes. It is constructed with as much care as the Spalding regulation baseball, or the standard cricket ball of England. The foundation is laid with a round bit of cork or solid rubber. That is wrapped with a thin strip of rubber, upon the top of which is rolled yarn of the finest character. The covering is of horsehide, neatly stitched. A great deal depends on the strength of the wrapping whether the ball will be lively, or just moderately so. Some players like plenty of life in the ball, some admire a hard dead ball, while men like Casey, Dunne, Courtney and other leading experts prefer a well made ball above anything else, one neither too hard nor too soft, but with a true and fairly lively bound. There is a great deal of time and labor expended in perfecting these little globes, and those of the best make are sold for $1 a piece.

The Irish ball, as a general rule, differs considerably from the one used in America. They are smaller. and not near as much attention paid to the composition or finish. The harder the ball, the better an Irish expert likes it. As he depends chiefly upon service for his success, he wants a ball that will fairly batter down a front wall. 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. Take the service away from them, and you destroy all the effects of their playing.

## Mentioned here

- [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md)
- [Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/court.md)
- [Front wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/front-wall.md)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md)
- [Game, match, tiebreaker](https://handball.theperfectship.com/game.md)
- [Wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/wall.md)

How this rule changed: [wording in every rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/side-fourwall-american-deshong/3.md)

## Relationships

- Player relates to Court: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Game, match, tiebreaker: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ball: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- 2 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn.

Rulebook: [Deshong Four-Wall Rules, 1893](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/deshong-fourwall-1893.md)

Source: M. W. Deshong, The Game of Hand Ball and How to Play It (American Sports Publishing Co., 1893), pp. 12-18 (Library of Congress, LCCN ca05001384); reprinted from the same type as 'Handball Rules and Explanations' in Spalding's Official Sporting Rules (1894), pp. 134-137 (LCCN 05025091). Public domain.