handball

—handballer, n.

/hand"bawl'/, n.

1. a game, similar to squash, played by two or four persons who strike a small ball against a wall or walls with the hand.

2. the small, hard rubber ball used in this game.

[1400-50; late ME handballe. See HAND, BALL¹]

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any of a variety games in which a small rubber ball is struck against a wall with the hand or fist.

It can be played in a three-or four-walled court or against a single wall by two or four players (in singles or doubles games, respectively). The object is to make the ball rebound off the wall so that it cannot be returned by the opponent. The game runs to 21 points. Handball games were played in ancient Rome and later (as pelota) in Spain and France. Modern handball developed in Ireland, where it is still popular. It was played widely among late-19th-century Irish immigrants in New York City, whence it eventually spread around North America.

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▪ wall game

Introduction

      any of a family of games played in walled courts or against a single wall, with a small rubber ball that is struck with hand or fist against the wall. The object is to cause the ball to rebound with variations of power or speed and at such an angle that the opposition cannot return it. There are three versions of handball: four-wall, three-wall, and one-wall. Each may be played by two (singles) or four (doubles).

History.

      One of the oldest of ball games, handball has been traced back to the baths of Rome. Played later as a bare-handed game called pelota in Spain and France, it was the forerunner of modern jai alai. Handball was adapted in the British Isles during the 16th century and called fives (q.v.).

      The immediate forerunner of the modern game was developed in Ireland, where handball was played about 1,000 years ago. In the 1850s, Irish town and county championships were regularly played, using a hard leather-covered ball on courts that were about 80 feet (24 m) long and 40 feet wide. Irish emigrants took the game to the United States in the 1880s, and Phil Casey built the first American walled court in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1886. Kicking was permitted, and some players developed unusual skill in returning low balls with their feet.

      The first international match was played in 1887 between the Irish champion, John Lawlor, and the American champion, Casey. Begun in Ireland on August 4, the match ended on Casey's American court on November 29. Casey won, 11 games to 6, and then retained his title against all challengers until his retirement in 1900.

      During the 1890s in the United States, play began with a soft ball—usually a tennis ball with the outer covering removed. This ball was used in smaller four-wall courts in the New York City area. Then young players began using this larger ball outdoors against the solid wall of a building. The use of the soft ball spread to other cities, mostly for four-wall play. Dissatisfaction with the large, slow ball led to development of a smaller gas-filled ball that proved to be more acceptable to players and stimulated new interest in the game.

      The four-wall soft-ball game was taken up avidly in such midwestern American cities as Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Chicago. About the same time, the game underwent changes and courts were reduced in size. A one-wall game was developed in New York City about 1913, and within a few years it was played by both men and women throughout the eastern United States. It was taken indoors by the Young Men's Christian Association and clubs and, where space in large cities was at a premium, was even installed on roofs. As a forerunner of the three-wall game, some one-wall courts were equipped on each side of the front wall with a hinged triangular wing, which swung out and locked into position along the two sidelines, forming a partial three-wall court and making difficult shots into the front corner possible.

      The Irish game of handball was originally played on a hard clay floor, with one wall of stone at the front of the court, against which the ball was struck. The ball, the four-wall court, and the system of scoring were developed during the 18th century, when the game was a popular pastime in many parts of Ireland. The Irish ball has a cork or wood centre covered by woolen thread and thin pieces of cork or rubber. The outer cover is of thin sheepskin. This ball is called an alley cracker, or hard ball. Some tournaments or championships are played with a soft rubber ball, but the Irish ball is the recognized championship medium. The standard ball is 1 ⁷/₈ inch (4.7 cm) in diameter and weighs 1 ¹/₂–1 ³/₄ ounce (43–50 g).

      Rules have changed little since the 1880s, when the first Irish championships were played. For many years challenge and championship games for stakes as high as £1,000 were not uncommon. Then the Gaelic Athletic Association took over supervision of the game, betting was abolished in 1924, and Irish handball became an amateur game. Regular county, provincial, and all-Ireland championships were established. There are many courts throughout Ireland and at most schools and colleges, although a soft, rubber ball is now generally used in schools.

      Handball is played today mainly in the United States, Canada, and Ireland and to some extent in Mexico, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and France. International competition has been stimulated in recent years through invitational events conducted by Canada and the United States.

The court.

 Standard four-wall courts are 40 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 20 feet high, with a back wall 12 to 14 feet high. A short line, parallel to the front wall, divides the court in half; the service line is parallel to and 5 feet in front of the short line. Between these two lines on each side of the court is a service box, formed by a line parallel to and 18 inches from each sidewall. The serving zone is the space between the outer edges of the short and service lines. A vertical line marked on each sidewall, 5 feet behind the short line, indicates the front edge of the back court receiving zone.

      In one-wall handball the wall (front) is 20 feet wide and 16 feet high, with a playing zone 34 feet long (the back edge is the long line) by 20 feet wide. The sidelines extend 3 feet farther from the wall than the long line. The short line runs parallel to and 16 feet from the wall. Service markers (lines) 6 inches long, parallel to and midway between the long and short lines, extend inward from the sidelines. The imaginary joining of these markers forms the service line. The service area, 20 feet by 9 feet, includes the long and sidelines. One-wall courts are popular because they permit more spectators to watch games and are less expensive to build. Three-wall courts also permit more spectators to view matches but are less common and are not standardized. They may have a front and two sidewalls, the back being open, or a front wall, back wall, and one sidewall as in a jai alai court. Court dimensions and markings are similar to four-wall courts, with a back court (long) boundary line or a sideline added for the jai alai type court. Development of courts with one or more glass walls allowed more spectators to watch four-wall matches and enjoy skillful play off the back wall.

Principles of play.

      The ball is made of black rubber; it is 1 ⁷/₈ inches in diameter and 2.3 ounces in weight. Only one hand may be used in striking the ball; no other part of the body may be used. When attempting to return the ball, the player cannot strike it more than once. Gloves made of soft material or leather must be worn to prevent moisture from affecting the ball.

      To start the game a server stands anywhere within the serving zone, drops the ball to the floor, and strikes it on the first bounce with one hand, causing it to hit the front wall on the fly. In the four-wall game, the rebounding ball must land on the floor back of the short line, either before or after striking one of the sidewalls. If it does not cross this line, it is a short ball, which is a fault. Two successive faults retire the side. In the one-wall game, if the ball lands beyond the long line, it is a long ball, also a fault; if it goes outside the sidelines, it is a handout—that is, the side (hand) serving loses service but the score remains the same. A fault is called if, while serving, the server steps beyond the serving zone or leaves the zone before the rebound passes the short line. In four-wall doubles, the server's partner must remain within the service box until the rebound passes the short line; in one-wall doubles, he must be outside the sidelines straddling the service line. Breaches of these regulations are faults. If a server's partner enters the playing zone before the served ball passes him, it is a fault.

      The receiving side may return the serve (rebound) either on the volley (fly) or on the first bounce; the return may hit the sidewalls and must hit the front wall. In four-wall handball, the receiver or receivers must be at least 5 feet back of the short line until the server strikes the ball; in the one-wall game, the receiver must remain back of the service line until the rebound passes the short line. The rally continues, sides alternating in hitting the ball until one side misses. If a receiver misses, the server scores a point; if the serving side misses, the receiving side wins only the right to serve. The server continues to serve as long as he scores. Game is 21 points.

      In doubles, one player on the starting side serves. If he faults twice, service passes to the other team. Thereafter, both players on each team must serve before the serve goes to the opposition.

      Players cannot block each other from playing the ball. If they do, or if the ball hits an opponent before hitting the front wall, the ball is dead and must be served again.

      Three-wall regulations are the same as those for four-wall, except that a ball in play striking outside the long line (a long ball) is a point if struck last by the receiver or is a handout if struck last by the server.

      Any shot beyond an opponent's reach is called a placement. The most effective placement is a kill, in which the ball rebounds at a height so low that it is impossible to return it. An ace is a legal serve that eludes the receiver. The greater variety of angle shots—for example, sidewall to front wall, ceiling to front, side to back—makes the four-wall game the most demanding form of handball. All versions require good physical condition, speed, control, and stamina, and many athletes play handball in order to condition themselves for other sports.

      The three strokes used in handball are the underhand, the basic service stroke; the overhand, for high bounding balls or fly balls; and the sidearm, the best stroke for the kill shot. It is important to move into position in the court to be ready to make the return stroke. A player who can strike the ball with either hand can save energy and be a double threat to his opponent. See also team handball.

Harold T. Friermood

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