# Four-wall · Rule 2.1-one Courts · D. Out serves

3) Touched serve. Any served ball on the rebound from the wall that touches the server, or touches the server’s partner. This includes a serve that is intentionally caught. When the partner is hit by the serve, the “out serve” penalty supersedes the partner’s foot fault.

> Part 4, Rule 4.3 D (3): Interpretation No. 6
>
> Even though the foot fault occurs before the out serve, the out serve penalty takes precedence and shall be enforced. Another example: A server foot faults when contacting the ball and the ball does not hit the wall first. Again, the out serve penalty should be enforced. For this reason, a referee should wait until after the ball is served to call a foot fault.
>
> 4) Wall edge. The top edge of the wall, if any, is not part of the court. A ball striking the top edge is an out.
>
> 5) Outside serve. Any serve that, on the rebound from the wall, hits the floor outside of the side lines is an out against the serving side. During tournament play, receivers must not catch serves that they assume to be out. Referee will award point for failure to return.
>
> Under Rule 4.4 Return of Serve.
>
> A. Receiving position. The receiver or receivers must stand in back of the service line until the ball from the wall passes the short line. Any violation of this rule results in a point for the server (See Rule 2.1 B.4).
>
> B. Fly return. In making a fly return or any other legal return, the receiver may hit the ball anytime after it passes completely through the plane of the back edge of the short line and no part of his/her body may extend on or over the plane of the back edge of the short line until after contacting the ball. A violation results in a point for the server. After contacting the ball, the receiver and his/her partner may step on or over the short line without penalty.
>
> C. 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 a second time, to return the ball to the wall on or between the lines first and make it rebound into the playing zone.
>
> Under Rule 4.6 Rally.
>
> H. Out ball. Any ball in play, after the service, striking outside the side lines or past the long line, is an out or point. During tournament play, the players must not catch balls that they assume to be out. Referee will award an out or point.
>
> Under Rule 4.7 Dead-ball Hinders.
>
> A. Situations.
>
> 4) Moving on service. If the server or his/her partner moves out of the way of a legally served ball. (See Rule 4.3B1)
>
> Delete: 5) Straddle ball.
>
> 7) Safety holdup.
>
> Add: This does not affect the rules on legal hinders. (See Rule 4.7 B.1)
>
> B. Yielding fair access.
>
> 1) Standing still. If a player attempting to play a ball is interfered with by an opponent, who, after his side has played the ball, was perfectly still in front of or aside the player, it is NOT a hinder. This “legal” hinder is the essence of the one-wall game. However, if a player of the side that has just hit the ball stands perfectly still, but his opponent moves back into him in trying to play the ball, not necessarily making contact, and is thus kept from having a fair chance to play the ball, it is a hinder. It is the duty of the player farther from the wall to get out of the way. (See Interpretation No. 12)
>
> 2) Being moved into the ball. If a player on the side that has just hit the ball is moved or pushed unintentionally into the ball, or prevented from getting out of the way of a ball, by an opponent trying to play the ball, it is a dead ball hinder.
>
> Add: Rule 4.75 Hinder Fault. During a rally, if a player on the serving side creates a hinder called by the referee, the serving side starts the ensuing service with a fault, except as stated in Rule 4.3 B.
>
> Under Rule 4.8 Avoidable hinders.
>
> Replace: Avoidable hinders are called when:
>
> With: A player moving as late as possible to avoid being hit by the ball is not creating an avoidable hinder. (See Rule 4.7 B.1) Avoidable hinders, which should not be confused with “legal” hinders (See rule 4.7 B.1), are called when:
>
> A. Failure to move. A player does not move sufficiently to allow his/her opponent his/her shot.

## 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)
- [Opponent](https://handball.theperfectship.com/opponent.md)
- [Referee](https://handball.theperfectship.com/match-referee.md)
- [Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/serve.md)
- [Return of serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/return-of-serve.md)
- [Rally](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rally.md)
- [Hinder](https://handball.theperfectship.com/hinder.md)
- [Avoidable hinder](https://handball.theperfectship.com/avoidable-hinder.md)
- [Fault serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/fault-serve.md)
- [Out serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/out-serve.md)
- [Foot fault](https://handball.theperfectship.com/foot-fault.md)
- [Court](https://handball.theperfectship.com/court.md)
- [Short line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-line.md)
- [Long line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/long-line.md)
- [Service line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/service-line.md)
- [Receiving line](https://handball.theperfectship.com/receiving-line.md)
- [Playing zone](https://handball.theperfectship.com/playing-zone.md)
- [Side lines](https://handball.theperfectship.com/side-lines.md)
- [Ball](https://handball.theperfectship.com/ball.md)
- [Point](https://handball.theperfectship.com/point.md)
- [Game, match, tiebreaker](https://handball.theperfectship.com/game.md)
- [One-wall (GAA: Wallball)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/one-wall.md)
- [Wall](https://handball.theperfectship.com/wall.md)
- [Floor](https://handball.theperfectship.com/floor.md)

Source: USHA official rulebook, used with written permission — https://www.ushandball.org/