# Rule 4.3 Defective serves (USHA Four-Wall Rules, 31 January 1999, historical) > **Historical rulebook: not the current rules.** The current rules are here: https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/ USHA rules text used with permission of the U.S. Handball Association (ushandball.org); credit: U.S. Handball Association. Source: https://www.ushandball.org/ Defective serves are of four types and result in the following: ## A. Dead-ball serves A dead-ball serve results in no penalty and the server is given another serve without canceling a prior illegal serve. This occurs in the following situations: 1.) Court hinders. If a served ball takes an erratic bounce due to a court obstruction or wetness (before the serve has become a legal serve) a court hinder is called and the serve is replayed. (See Rule 3.4.A.4 ) 2.) Broken ball. If the ball is determined to have broken on the serve, a new ball shall be substituted, and the serve shall be replayed. ## B. Screen serves A screen serve call stops play, and the server gets another serve. Two consecutive screen serves result in a “fault.” 1.) Screen balls. If, in the referee's judgment, the ball passes so close to the server or the server's partner that the receiver's view of the ball is obstructed, a screen should be called. (See Interpretation No. 5). Also, if the served ball hits the server’s partner on the fly rebounding from the front wall or from the front wall and a side wall while the server’s partner is in a legal position within the service box, it shall be treated as a screen serve. It is also a screen when any otherwise legally served ball passes behind the server's partner, between the partner and the nearer side wall. 2.) Straddle balls. A legally served ball that travels between the legs of the server is an automatic screen. ## C. Fault serves The following serves are fault serves, and any two that are hit before a legal serve is executed result in an out: 1.) Foot fault. a.) The server begins the service motion with one or both feet touching the floor outside the service zone (See Rule 4.1.C). b.) The server leaves the service zone before the served ball passes the short line. c.) In doubles, when the server's partner is not in the service box with both feet on the floor and his back to the nearer side wall from the time the serve is begun until the ball passes the short line. 2.) Short serve. Any serve that first hits the front wall and on the rebound hits the floor in front of, or on, the short line either with or without touching one side wall. 3.) Three-wall serve. Any serve that first hits the front wall and then hits any two other walls before hitting the floor. 4.) Ceiling serve. Any serve that hits the front wall first and then touches the ceiling. 5.) Long serve. Any serve that first hits the front wall and rebounds to the back wall before touching the floor. 6.) Out-of-court serve. Any serve that first strikes the front wall and then rebounds out of the court without touching the floor. 7.) Bouncing ball outside service zone. Any serve that is struck on a bounce that was made outside the service zone. (See Rule 4.1 D) 8.) Not hitting ball on first bounce from a single drop. (See Rule 4.1 D). 9.) Two consecutive screen serves. Two consecutive screen serves result in a fault. This is the only fault call that cannot be appealed. ## D. Out serves Any of the following results in an out: 1.) Missed serve. Any attempt to strike the ball on the first service bounce that results in a total miss, or in the ball touching any part of the server's body other than the striking hand. 2.) Non-front serve. Any served ball that does not strike the front wall first. 3.) Touched serve. Any served ball on the rebound from the front wall, before bouncing on the floor, that touches the server, or touches the server's partner when both of the partner’s feet are not touching the floor inside the service box or when the partner’s back is not to the nearer side wall. This includes a serve that is intentionally caught. When the partner is hit by the serve when he is not in his legal position, the out serve penalty supersedes the partner's foot fault (See Interpretation No. 6). 4.) Two consecutive fault serves. (See Rule 4.3 B). 5.) Crotch serve. Any serve that hits a crotch in the front wall is an out. All balls hitting the crotch of a wall and the floor shall be considered to have hit the floor first. A serve that rebounds on the fly from the front wall into the crotch of the back wall and the floor is a legal serve, as is a three-wall crotch serve. 6.) Out-of-order serve. In doubles, when either partner serves out of order, the points scored by that server will be subtracted and an out serve will be called. If the second server serves out of order, the out serve will apply to the first server and the second server will resume serving. If the player designated as the first server serves out of order, a sideout will be called (See Interpretation No. 7). 7.) Service delay. The server fails to serve the ball within 10 seconds after the referee has announced the score. ## Mentioned here - [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md) - [Receiver](https://handball.theperfectship.com/receiver.md) - [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md) - [Partner](https://handball.theperfectship.com/partner.md) - [Referee](https://handball.theperfectship.com/match-referee.md) - [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.md) - [Hinder](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hinder.md) - [Replay](https://handball.theperfectship.com/replay.md) - [Fault serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/fault-serve.md) - [Out serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/out-serve.md) - [Short serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-serve.md) - [Long serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/long-serve.md) - [Three-wall serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/three-wall-serve.md) - [Foot fault](https://handball.theperfectship.com/foot-fault.md) - [Delay of game](https://handball.theperfectship.com/delay.md) - [Appeal](https://handball.theperfectship.com/appeal.md) - [Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/court.md) - [Front wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/front-wall.md) - [Back wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/back-wall.md) - [Side wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/side-wall.md) - [Ceiling](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ceiling.md) - [Short line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-line.md) - [Service zone](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-zone.md) - [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md) - [Point](https://handball.theperfectship.com/point.md) - [Doubles](https://handball.theperfectship.com/doubles.md) - [Three-wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/three-wall.md) - [Service box](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-box.md) - [Clock](https://handball.theperfectship.com/clock.md) How this rule changed: [wording in every rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/code-fourwall-american/4-3.md) ## Relationships - Server relates to Serve: mentioned together in 15 sub-rules. - Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 13 sub-rules. - Player relates to Referee: mentioned together in 32 sub-rules. - Player relates to Serve: mentioned together in 12 sub-rules. - Player relates to Hinder: mentioned together in 18 sub-rules. - Player relates to Court: mentioned together in 17 sub-rules. - Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 30 sub-rules. - Player relates to Point: mentioned together in 13 sub-rules. - Referee relates to Serve: mentioned together in 13 sub-rules. - Referee relates to Hinder: mentioned together in 11 sub-rules. - Referee relates to Ball: mentioned together in 21 sub-rules. - Serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 16 sub-rules. - Hinder relates to Ball: mentioned together in 19 sub-rules. - Court relates to Ball: mentioned together in 11 sub-rules. - Ball relates to Point: mentioned together in 11 sub-rules. - No link to the other terms shown: Partner, Receiver, Fault serve, Front wall, Short line, Side wall. - 63 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn. - 15 more terms are mentioned but not drawn (the best linked 14 are shown). Rulebook: [USHA Four-Wall Rules, 31 January 1999](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/usha-fourwall-1999-01-31.md) Source: The Official USHA Handball Rules, 1999 (Wayback capture 20000914195049 of cohandball.com). USHA rules text, used with the USHA's written permission (letter not yet filed).