USHA Four-Wall Rules · American four-wall
Rule 4.4 Return of serve
HistoricalUSHA Four-Wall Rules, 20 June 1990 (historical)
USHA rules text used with permission of the U.S. Handball Association (ushandball.org); credit: U.S. Handball Association. Source: ushandball.org
Receiving position
The receiver or receivers must stand at least five feet behind the short line, as indicated by the six-inch restraining line, until the ball is struck by the server. Any violation of this rule results in a point for the server. (See Rule 2.1.B.5)
Fly return
In making a fly return, the receiver must play the ball after it passes over the short line and no part of his body may extend on or over the plane of the short line when contacting the ball. A violation results in a point for the server. After contacting the ball, the receiver may step on or over the short line without penalty.
Legal return
After the ball is legally served, one of the players on the receiving side must strike the ball either on the fly or after the first bounce, and before the ball touches the floor the second time, to return the ball to the front wall either directly or after it has touched one or both side walls,the back wall, the ceiling, or any combination of those surfaces. A returned ball may not touch the floor before touching the front wall. A ball may be played off the back wall as well as the front wall, provided the ball does not touch the floor a second time. Failure to make a legal return results in a point for the server.
Mentioned here
How this rule changed
See the wording of this rule in every rulebook, with the changes marked.
How these ideas connect in this rule
- Actor
- Action
- Place
- Thing
- Concept
- related term
- mentioned together in sub-rules (×number)
- Server relates to Serve: mentioned together in 12 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 10 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Serve: mentioned together in 11 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 30 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Point: mentioned together in 12 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Wall: mentioned together in 9 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Floor: mentioned together in 9 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 12 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Point: mentioned together in 8 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ball: mentioned together in 8 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 8 sub-rules.
- Side wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Point: mentioned together in 11 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Wall: mentioned together in 12 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Floor: mentioned together in 9 sub-rules.
No link to the other terms shown: Receiver, Back wall, Ceiling, Receiving line, Short line. 49 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn. 2 more terms are mentioned but not drawn (the best linked 14 are shown). Open the full graph.