# Rule 21 Server hitting himself or his partner (James's Four-Wall Rules, 1873, historical)

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

If the striker in serving the ball strikes himself or his partner with the ball and it goes over the ace line, it is at the option of the player whether he plays to it or not, as it can be called a hinder.

## Mentioned here

- [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md)
- [Partner](https://handball.theperfectship.com/partner.md)
- [Hinder](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hinder.md)
- [Short line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-line.md)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md)
- [Ace](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ace.md)

How this rule changed: [wording in every rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/code-fourwall-american/22.md)

## Relationships

- Player relates to Partner: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 12 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ace: mentioned together in 6 sub-rules.
- Partner relates to Ball: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- Short line relates to Ball: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Short line relates to Ace: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Ace: mentioned together in 9 sub-rules.
- No link to the other terms shown: Hinder.
- 6 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn.

Rulebook: [James's Four-Wall Rules, 1873](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/james-fourwall-1873.md)

Source: "Hand Ball Rules", in Ed. James, Manual of Sporting Rules (New York: Ed. James, 1873), pp. 76-77 (Library of Congress copy, Internet Archive manualofsporting00jame); reprinted with rewording in Henry Chadwick, The Sports and Pastimes of American Boys (New York: George Routledge and Sons, 1884), pp. 108-109 (Internet Archive sportsandpastim00chadgoog). Public domain.