# Rule 2.1 Courts (USHA Four-Wall Rules, 26 January 2020, 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/ The specifications for the standard four-wall handball court are: ## A. Dimensions The court is 20 feet wide, 20 feet high and 40 feet long, with the back wall having a recommended minimum height of 14 feet. ## B. Lines and zones Handball courts shall be divided and marked on the floors with 2-inch wide lines. Recommended colors are white or red. The lines shall be marked as follows: 1) Short line. The short line is parallel to the front and back walls. Its outside edge is 20 feet from the front wall. 2) Service line. The service line is parallel to the short line and its outside edge is 5 feet in front of the outside edge of the short line. 3) Service zone. The service zone is the area between the outer edges of the short and service lines. 4) Service boxes. A service box is located at each end of the service zone by lines which have outside measurements of 18 inches from, and parallel to, each side wall. 5) Receiver’s restraining lines. Five feet back of the outside edge of the short line, lines should be marked on the floor extending at least 6 inches from the side wall. These lines, parallel to the short line, may also be marked as a broken line extending from side wall to side wall. (See Rule 4. 4.A). ## C. Towels In tournament play a towel should be made available for wiping moisture on the court surfaces. Reasonable time should be allowed by the referee for this purpose only. Players should obtain a towel and proceed directly to the surface to be wiped, then directly return the towel. Players are not to interrupt this procedure to wipe any part of their body or eye guards. The respective 10 seconds allowed per Rule 4.1.E.Time and regular time outs are for this purpose. In the event the referee determines reasonable time is being exceeded or abused he/she shall request the towel be returned, then declare “play ball” and proceed explicitly per Rule 4.1.E.Time; that is, the receiver shall be allowed a maximum of 10 seconds to assume a receiving position, after which the score shall be called and the server allowed a maximum of 10 seconds to put the ball in play. Any failure to adhere to or abuse of this procedure may be subject to Rule 4.9.A.9 Technical. At no time is a player allowed to leave the court except at the referee’s direction to directly obtain a towel and return directly to the court. A player otherwise leaving the court is subject to Rule 3.4.D.3) Forfeitures. ## Mentioned here - [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md) - [Receiver](https://handball.theperfectship.com/receiver.md) - [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md) - [Referee](https://handball.theperfectship.com/match-referee.md) - [Time-out](https://handball.theperfectship.com/time-out.md) - [Technical](https://handball.theperfectship.com/technical.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) - [Short line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-line.md) - [Service line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-line.md) - [Service zone](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-zone.md) - [Receiving line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/receiving-line.md) - [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md) - [Towel](https://handball.theperfectship.com/towel.md) - [Four-wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/four-wall.md) - [Service box](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-box.md) - [Receiver’s restraining line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/restraining-line.md) - [Clock](https://handball.theperfectship.com/clock.md) - [Wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/wall.md) - [Floor](https://handball.theperfectship.com/floor.md) How this rule changed: [wording in every rulebook](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/clause-history/code-fourwall-american/2-1.md) ## Relationships - Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 10 sub-rules. - Player relates to Referee: mentioned together in 30 sub-rules. - Player relates to Time-out: mentioned together in 8 sub-rules. - Player relates to Court: mentioned together in 16 sub-rules. - Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 25 sub-rules. - Player relates to Wall: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules. - Player relates to Floor: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules. - Referee relates to Time-out: mentioned together in 9 sub-rules. - Referee relates to Court: mentioned together in 8 sub-rules. - Referee relates to Ball: mentioned together in 16 sub-rules. - Court relates to Ball: mentioned together in 10 sub-rules. - Court relates to Wall: mentioned together in 7 sub-rules. - Side wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 8 sub-rules. - Ball relates to Wall: mentioned together in 9 sub-rules. - Ball relates to Floor: mentioned together in 9 sub-rules. - No link to the other terms shown: Receiver, Back wall, Front wall, Service zone, Short line. - 48 weaker links (terms mentioned together in few sub-rules) are not drawn. - 8 more terms are mentioned but not drawn (the best linked 14 are shown). Rulebook: [USHA Four-Wall Rules, 26 January 2020](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/usha-fourwall-2020-01-26.md) Source: Four-Wall Rulebook (Wayback capture 20200513210800 of ushandball.org). USHA rules text, used with the USHA's written permission (letter not yet filed).