# Return of serve (USHA Four-Wall Abridged Rules, May 2010, 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 receiver must stand at least 5 feet behind the short line when the ball is served, one of the players on the receiving side must strike the ball either fly or after the first bounce, and before the ball touches the floor a second time. The ball must return 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 (if playing on a three or four wall court). A returned ball may not strike the floor before hitting the front wall. Failure to make a legal return results in a point for the server.

## Mentioned here

- [Server](https://handball.theperfectship.com/server.md)
- [Receiver](https://handball.theperfectship.com/receiver.md)
- [Player](https://handball.theperfectship.com/player.md)
- [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.md)
- [Return of serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/return-of-serve.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)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md)
- [Point](https://handball.theperfectship.com/point.md)
- [Four-wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/four-wall.md)
- [Wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/wall.md)
- [Floor](https://handball.theperfectship.com/floor.md)

## Relationships

- Server relates to Player: mentioned together in 2 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Serve: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Ball: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Server relates to Floor: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Ball: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Player relates to Wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Front wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Ball: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Serve relates to Wall: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Ball: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Front wall relates to Wall: mentioned together in 4 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Wall: mentioned together in 5 sub-rules.
- Ball relates to Floor: mentioned together in 3 sub-rules.
- No link to the other terms shown: Receiver, Return of serve, Back wall, Court, Short line, Side wall, Four-wall.
- 10 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).

Rulebook: [USHA Four-Wall Abridged Rules, May 2010](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rulebooks/usha-fourwall-abridged-2010-05.md)

Source: Handball Rules (Abridged for Curriculum) (PDF, ushandball.org upload, captured 2026-10-30). USHA text, used with the USHA's written permission (letter not yet filed).