In the past few years there have been numerous requests from individuals and schools in the State of Florida to have published an established set of rules for handball played on three wall courts. For many years the rules for four wall handball have been applied to the three wall game in a variety of ways, and according to varying interpretations.

At the University of Florida, three wall handball courts have been used in both instructional and recreational situations for over 25 years, thus providing an excellent source for deriving a set of rules which should be acceptable for all three wall court play.

For the most part, the rules for four wall court play cover the situations which occur on a three wall court. There are only certain areas in which separate and distinct rules should be established. There follows a set of rules for handball played on three wall courts which differ from those for the four wall game.
 

PART II
 

1. Court and equipment

(a) Dimensions. The dimensions shall be 23 feet wide and 40 feet long, divided into front and back courts, each of which shall be 20 feet by 20 feet. The front wall shall be 16 feet high. It is recommended that a concrete apron be constructed around the back court as follows: A minimum of 10 feet on either side of the left and right side lines, and 20 feet behind the base line. (See diagram). Side walls shall slope from 16 feet high at the front wall to 12 feet high at the short line.

 

PART IV Play Regulations
 

Rule 4.2 (b) Partner's position. On each serve, the server's partner shall stand within the service box with his back to the side wall and both feet on the floor until the ball passes the short line, or he may stand outside the side line until the ball passes the short line.
 

Rule 4.5 Illegal Serves

(a) Footfaults

(2) The server's partner does not stay in the service box or outside the side line as required by Rule 4.2 (b) .
 

Rule 4.5 e. Long Serve. A long serve is any served ball that first hits the front wall and rebounds completely past the base line before touch ing the floor, but hits the floor on or inside either side line extended. If one player on the receiving team calls a served ball "LONG" before or as his partner hits the ball in the air, it is considered to be a Long Serve.
 

Rule 4.6 Out Serves. Any served ball that first hits the front wall and rebounds completely outside either side line before touching the floor.

(c) Non-front Serve. Any served ball that completely misses the front wall by going over it.

(e) Touched Serve. Any served ball that on the rebound from the front wall touches the server or the server's partner, while any part of his body is out of the service box. This applies to the server's partner who chooses to stand outside the side line during the serve.

Rule 4.9 (h) Play Stoppage. Close observance of this rule should be practiced on a three wall handball court because of the greater chance and incidence of "foreign objects entering the court, or any other outside interference occuring". Play should stop immediately and the point should be replayed.

Rule 4.10 Dead Ball Hinders

Rule 4.11 Avoidable Hinders

The rules governing four wall handball state that no player can call a hinder. For recreational play, the only way to make the game enjoyable and assure consistent competition is to agree before the game to honor all hinder calls without question.

When unofficiated games are played, it is recommended that all hinders be played as Dead Ball Hinders, with the point in question being replayed. If an attempt were made to differentiate between Dead Ball Hinders and Avoidable Hinders in unofficiated games, much of the inherent value of recreational three wall handball would be lost.
 

GENERAL. A ball hitting the top of the front wall or either side wall more than once is a No Return ball and shall be an out or a point against the player failing to make the return

Regarding construction of the three wall court, as indicated in the diagram, it is advisable to build two courts with the front wall as the common wall. If side walls are common, there is a great risk of players running on to an adjacent court to play a ball, and thus increasing the risk of injury.