Handball Australia Rules: A Guide to the Sport's Guidelines and Regulations.
Handball is a fast-paced and exciting sport that has been enjoyed by people all over the world for many years. In Australia, the sport is governed by the Handball Australia (HA) and has a set of rules that ensure fair play and a high level of competition. Handball Australia is committed to promoting and growing the sport of handball across the country, and works tirelessly to provide resources and support to players, coaches, referees and fans alike.
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6 Rules
- 1. Anyone can serve. no slack serves. Alt rule: King serves to anyone or Dunce
- 2. Full your out. Adv Alt: person plays on their out, play on 2nd time forgotten
- 3. Lines Play on, Replay or bounce replay
- 4. Rolls Your out
- 5. Headers allowed (full or 1 bounce)
- 6. 3 Square elimination. Only King goes to Dunce
Download NSW Handball Rules 2024 
Sportsmanship Steps
- 1. Player to Player healthy discussion
- 2. Replay point or group vote
- 3. Teacher or staff decision
- 4. Constant problems—modify rules
5 Rules
- 1. Ace serves to anyone. Nice serve
- 2. Full your out. Optional add on: person plays on their out
- 3. Lines - Replay, Lines by favour or bounce replay
- 4. Rolls Your out
- 5. 3 Square elimination. Only Ace goes to Dunce. Alt: 1 square Elimination only Dunce goes to Reserve
Sportsmanship Steps
- 1. Player to Player healthy discussion
- 2. Replay point, group vote or Scissors, paper, rock
- 3. Teacher or staff decision
- 4. Constant problems—modify rules
5 Rules
- 1. King serves to anyone. no slack serves
- 2. Full your out.
- 3. Lines (lineo) and rolls is replay
- 4. Body shots allowed. (1 bounce or on the full) No Headers
- 5. Instant elimination.
Sportsmanship Steps
- 1. Player to Player healthy discussion
- 2. Replay point or group vote
- 3. Teacher or staff decision
- 4. Constant problems—modify rules
7 Rules
- 1. Ace serves to anyone. Descent serve.
- 2. Full your out, Full plays and play on
- 3. Lines – Replay
- 4. Roles – replay or your out
- 5. Headers allowed (1 bounce or on the full)
- 6. 3 square elimination - Only ace goes to dunce. Others go to sub line
- 7. Treetops and footsies off
Sportsmanship Steps
- 1. Player to Player healthy discussion
- 2. Replay point
- 3. Teacher or staff decision
- 4. Constant problems—modify rules
| # | RULE NAME | ALTERNATIVE NAME | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | 1st serve, 2nd serve, 3rd serve. | Fault 1, Fault 2, Fault 3, Service 1, 2 or 3. 1, 2 or 3 lives, 1st dunce, 2nd dunce, 3rd dunce. | 1, 2 or 3 chances to serve the ball in or for the receiver of the serve to return the served ball (beginner rule) |
| 2 | 1 square elimination | 1 square down, Queen Goes, 1 Doom, AAAD (QLD) KKKD (NSW). Top 3 | When you get out in a point you move down one square or one position only. Example Queen gets out, Jack move to Queen, Queen moves to Jack, everyone else stays where they are |
| 3 | 2 square elimination | Queen to Dunce, Top 2 | King and Queen goes to Dunce, everyone else (bottom 2 squares goes to reserve line) |
| 4 | 3 square elimination | King to Dunce, Top 1. Golden | King goes to Dunce, everyone else (bottom 3 squares goes to reserve line) |
| 5 | 2 square battle | where one player would hit the ball into another players square and call '2-square battle'. The other player has the option of 'accepting' or 'regecting' this offer. Only the enforcer of the battle can 'end-battle' and if the lower ranked player beats the higher-ranked player, they swap positions. | |
| 6 | 4 square battles | 4-square battles were the same except they involved 4-squares, so if the king and queen were having a 4-square battle, the jack and dunce would vacate their squares to allow play. | |
| 7 | 6 square U format | Played in Northcross Christian School Ryde NSW. U format - King, Queen, Joker, Knight, Jack, Dunce or King, Queen, Ace, Joker, Jack, Dunce. Extra large squares | |
| 8 | 3 step | The 3 advanced steps of a full - Full your out, Full plays and play on | |
| 9 | AAAD (QLD) | KKKD (NSW) | 1 Square elimination. Only Dunce goes to reserve |
| 10 | AADD (QLD) | KKDD (NSW) | 2 Square elimination. Ace and King goes to Dunce |
| 11 | ADDD (QLD) | KDDD (NSW) | 3 Square elimination. Ace/King goes to Dunce. Everyone else goes to reserve line |
| 12 | Absence in Rolls | ball rolls from one court across another court to a third court. Can pickup ball and replay | |
| 13 | Ace | King | In Queensland Ace is the Top square not King (mainly NSW). They can set the rules for the game and can arbitrate in disputes or can be assigned as Captain of the court |
| 14 | Ace overrules | King overrules | The top square is the captain or umpire of the game. Ace/King decides who is out and what to do. |
| 15 | Aces Gift | Kings gift, kings breakfast | When the rule is Top square serves first. Yell 'Aces gift" Ace (QLD) /King (NSW) can give ball to anyone to serve to start of a new point. Alt option. Only Queen can give the king their breakfast |
| 16 | Any name | Strait of court or instant elimination | |
| 17 | Around the world | can be declared in some games in which the players must play the ball in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to the next player. The king could announce it. the ball could only be hit to next square in sequence depending on the direction of serve, causing the ball to move in a circular path around the court. | |
| 18 | Backup | Any person can take anyones shot (example random person walking through courts, a reserve or another player) | |
| 19 | Backages | Let a friend go in front of your position | |
| 20 | Bamboosils | Full plays | If someone fulls with their hand, and you try to catch it but it slips and goes out of you square, you are out(even if you say full) |
| 21 | Banjos | Old Banjos | Can use whole body to hit ball. Head, Feet and chest. Ball can go over of the full. |
| 22 | Basketball | Fruitsies | Players can decide on how many bounces allowed in your court. Example basketball 4, 4 bounces allowed. Alt basketball 4, can also mean 4 hits allowed (beginner rule) |
| 23 | Belly Shots | Daddy Shots | Can use your belly to hit ball (on full or one bounce) |
| 24 | Betie's | Stay in court without getting out. Can't die | |
| 25 | Black Knight | Cant pass to Queen square they are poison. Queen can move up after point of king is out | |
| 26 | Blackjack | When Ghosties is on (and you can't step into another persons court) blackjack is when you step into another persons court - you are out | |
| 27 | Blueberries | 2 handed Cherries (see Cherries rule) | |
| 28 | Board order | If your name lands first (or alphabetical order) you start in Kings and others stand in Queen, Jack, Dunce in order of arrival at the court. The rest line up as reserves around the court. Alt options order by last name, height, DOB, who gets to the court first | |
| 29 | Body Rally | Serve screams "Body rally" can't use hands only body or head | |
| 30 | Body Shots | Body parts, commander pandas, full bodies | Allowed to use all parts of your body above the knees (full or one bounce) |
| 31 | Bork | Ghosties | Pretend to hit the ball but dont. Ball flight travels across your court (but doesnt bounce) and then lands into another person square and they get out |
| 32 | Bounce replay | Ball hits the line, replay point by grabbing ball and bouncing ball on line and play on the point | |
| 33 | Bounce Hit | Combo, juggles | Can touch ball twice example can hit the ball with hands, then kick it. Can't hit the ball twice with your hands |
| 34 | Bubble Gum | Receiver must stand still (stuck in the mud) to receive servers ball | |
| 35 | Bus Stop | King or Ace calls before serving. Other players must run to centre of court. Last to get to the centre is out of the game | |
| 36 | Break | Break off | can be called by the declarer (or a deathmatch challange), after which the play continues like normal. |
| 37 | Buddy | become friends with another, don't get them out, collude to get out others out | |
| 38 | Call it | A modern version of service. Say Jumping Jacks and Jack must receive the served ball. Say goes for King serves, Queens Quills, Dunce Dungeon. | |
| 39 | Cactus | Rule TBC (to be confirmed) | |
| 40 | Chainsaw | slacks allowed | |
| 41 | Challenge | Death Rall, challenge swap squares, fight to exit, Doggie Death, Dungeons | If there was a dispute between two players on the outcome of a rally, they could enter a sudden-death rally called a "challenge". The higher-ranked player would serve. If the higher-ranked player lost, the players would swap positions. If the lower-ranked player lost, they were "straight out" and went to the back of the queue, bypassing dunce. All players below them would be promoted one square, and the first queue player would enter dunce. If the higher-ranked player calls a challenge, the lower ranked player has the option to forfeit and be demoted to dunce instead. |
| 42 | Chaos | If you cant resolve a point instead of replay - Rally to the death | |
| 43 | Cheaps | cheap shots' or ‘minis' | the ball can bounce more than once |
| 44 | Cherries | upsies, Cupcake or Watermelon, Carries | Use 1 hand or 2 hands to hit or pop the ball over on the full. Ball must first move up from your hand, cant push ball down. Beginner rule. The caveat is that the player attempting the move must yell "CHERRIES!" as they do the move, or else it is illegal |
| 45 | Chesties | Can you chest to hit ball | |
| 46 | Chinese Fireball | King was allowed to underarm throw the ball hard into another square | |
| 47 | Chinese Serve | Dragon rolls, Death roll | A trick serve that spins/rolls from the arm. Like a reverse dumbell curl. Alt option: If reciever catches it that are out. If they dont catch it server is out. Alt option: receiver must yell knight. Alt option: receiver must catch ball and do the same Chinese fireball back to original server |
| 48 | Chicken | Exact Rule TBC. Receiver must yell "roasted" Can't hit back to server | |
| 49 | Chicken nuggets | Trick serve. You serve under your legs and rebound of the wall serve into another persons square. | |
| 50 | Chuckies | Double bounce or bounce out and you play on your out | |
| 51 | Circle | Person yells this out. Ball must be hit in a circle. Ball cant be hit diagonal or backwards | |
| 52 | Combo | Teckers | Can hit the ball twice if you use different body parts example, You can hit, then header it or footsie then header it - It can bounce between those shots. Produces High level advanceded skills and creative rallies |
| 53 | Commander pandas | Can use body parts to hit the ball | |
| 54 | Commands | Yell commands (also known as rules) and players must do it. Can have commands on or off. Example yell "Header" receiver must head the ball. Or kings breakfast or death rally | |
| 55 | Cotters Rule | 3 square elimatnion. Only Top square down to bottom square. Everyone else gets out they go to reserve. | |
| 56 | Conquer | If you leave your square to get the ball you must pause and reserve your square. Otherwise a reserve can conquer or take your square | |
| 57 | Confusion | Unsure what happened in the play then replay the point | |
| 58 | Consequences | If you are cheating or being a bad sport. Other players will deliberately target you/get you out to teach you a lesson | |
| 59 | Corkscrew | Twistiest, twist, apple turnovers | Trick shot involving grabbies circular stair motion with your arm |
| 60 | Corners | Hits a corner of a square, yell corners. Each player must stand in the corner of the court and a Bounce replay is done to start point again | |
| 61 | Cradles | Scoop, Grabsies, clinch | Can grab/hold the ball and craddle (liek motion) the ball with one arm then fling ball out like a catapult |
| 62 | Cracks | Funnies | If ball hits a crack or funny bounce on the court replay point |
| 63 | Cupsies | Cups | Ball stays on the palm of your hand to hit a trick/angled shot. This rull allows cuping the ball but not grab |
| 64 | DC | Death rally. You can exist the rally | |
| 65 | DC no nothings | Death rally. Can't exit rally | |
| 66 | DDDA | 3 Squre elimination. Only Ace goes to Dunce. All other squares goes to reserve line | |
| 67 | DDS | Give ball to any square or person to serve | |
| 68 | Death Rally | Death Match, Red Knight, rally to the death, rally, deathlock, apples, Graveyard, DC, Action, permanents, challenge swap squares, death challenge, Death Battle, Death Match, Chaos | 2 players rally it out and instant elimination or swap player positions. Can break it, if server or instigator of death rally calls it out - Can be declared in some variants by the King or sometimes any player, in which the declarer and the person who receives the ball must only return the ball to each other, and if returned to a different player's square, the person in the rally is out. Action no breaks - death rally cant be brocken. Sometimes this rule is only played in the diagonal squares or on entire court 2 squares V 2 squares. When an argument about a call comes up and there is no other way to deal with it. Challenge the person to a death match. Loser automatically out. |
| 69 | Death Roll | Roll the ball your out. If receiver of rolled ball yells 'death roll' reset the point and the person that rolled the ball is not out. | |
| 70 | Dead Square | Poison | if you left your square for some reason (to collect the ball or get a drink etc.) without saying 'dead-square' somebody, whether they be in the game or waiting could jump into your square and 'conquer' it |
| 71 | Deadlock | Thunder lock or permanent padlock, no commands | Cant change the rules or add rules once the game has started |
| 72 | Deadman's | Can serve on the full and indecent. Can also mean a spin serve is allowed. Use your wrist to flip the ball forward out of your hands | |
| 73 | Deny | Pick lock, decline, no rejects | Player can cancel or deny a Death rally or service call |
| 74 | Decent | Mercy, decent serve, scents | Mercy, decent serve, scents |
| 75 | Decent, pass back, no returns | decent, pass back or your out, decent no words, pass back to me or your out, pass back softly | Nice shot back to person who served the ball to you. Just a 'pass back' and it doesn't have to be decent. |
| 76 | Diamonds | Before ball is served the other three players must turn around so they don't face server. They will not know who gets the service ball. Alternatively create Diamond shape with your hands other player does that = swap sqaure | |
| 77 | Diamond Challenge | 3 way | three way challenge (saves you from getting involved in rally and hence getting out) |
| 78 | Dibs | Ball bounces on the Line. Replay point by starting of Bouncing ball middle of the court line | |
| 79 | Dirty Breakfast | King or Ace gives the ball to anyone to serve to them. Like KB's. King/Ace wants to receive the serve rather than serve the ball. | |
| 80 | Distraction | Banter | Calling out, teasing or talking in a manner to distract players. Advanced only |
| 81 | DK | Didn't know - replay point didn't know that rule existed or were playing that rule. Some one should have told me | |
| 82 | Doies | Team up and play Doubles. If 4 square, remove middle line and play rectangle V rectangle format | |
| 83 | Dog Shots | Powerful shot, low shot or slapball down or mean shot alt meaning - can knock other person ball in there square with your foot and they are out. Your other foot must stay in your square | |
| 84 | Doggie Death | A version of Challenge or death match. No diagonal challenge, whoever win's and you swap courts, instant elimination if you lose, can play across 2 courts and everyone else has to step out of the court, Can't yell "doggie death" on serve | |
| 85 | Dogs Breakfast | Tweener serve. Dog serve | Underlegs Serve |
| 86 | Dubs | Double bounce | Bounces twice in a persons square, that person is out. Usually known as 'double' or 'double bounce'. Alternative version. Younger/beginners groups can have 2 bounces allowed. Alt: If a person does a Double Bounce and you play it on your out |
| 87 | Double Touch | If the ball is touched twice in a row by the same person, they are out. Usually known as 'double touch'. This is allowed for beginners | |
| 88 | Double Dunce | DD | You get out in Dunce (and theres no reserve) you go to Double Dunce or Dungeon (lower level) but stay in the same square. Cant move up into a new square until 2 points have finished. Can have triple and quad tripple dunce. |
| 89 | Dunce | Duds | Last/Lowest square or 4th position in 4 square. Alt: double dunce or DD, triple dunce or DDD. Worse than Dunce square |
| 90 | Dunce in Dungeon | Dunce has the right to serve the ball to anyone | |
| 91 | Dungeons | Challenge between King and any other player. Like Death Match | |
| 92 | Edgies | boundaries, borders or outliners | Outside board line of court. If ball hits this line Usually a bounce reply is performed |
| 93 | Electric Line | Hits the line you are automatically out | |
| 94 | Elimination - slow, medium, fast | If you get out move down 1-3 square based on speed of the game. Slow (move down 1 square) medium (2 squares) or fast (3 squares) example. Slow game get out in queen move down to Jack. | |
| 95 | Elimination - instant | Golden Rule | Any square you get out on go instantly out to reserve line |
| 96 | Elimination - 1 square, 2 square, 3 square | 1 doom, 2 doom, 3 doom, quicksilver (2 square elimination) | Instant elimination based on square position ranking. Example 2 square elimination on dunce and Jack go to reserve. King and queen go to dunce |
| 97 | emails | punchies | to punch ball with a closed fist. I can go over on the full |
| 98 | Eveready | Rush,quick serve, ready or nots, Ace, Continuous, forever ready | Quick serve. If ball is served and your not ready and miss the ball, your out. Advanced Rule |
| 99 | Falsies | King allowed to serve on the full, served at shoulder height | |
| 100 | False Cherries | Cherry plays, Cherry play on | Doing an incorrect Cherries and the other person play's on, they are your out |
| 101 | Fault | When are serve made incorrect example - a full or bounces out or not served as a decent. Baby rules - 1,2 or 3 Faults are allowed | |
| 102 | Flap Jacks | Ghosties | Stepping into another persons court |
| 103 | Footsies | body fulls, tootsies or healed, kickies, kicksies, dead's | use feet. Ball must bounce normally as you play with your hands. Advanced Option - ball can roll. Alt option: Ball can go over on the full. Alt beginner rule: ball hits feet you are not out and Replay Point. |
| 104 | Foul | foul serve, 1st serve | on the first bounce it hits in another square. Alternative: 3rd Fouls or 3 faults you are out. |
| 105 | Freebies | King could give a life to a player. A player could be given a freebie if they were deemed to have lost a rally in controversial but clear circumstances (e.g. player thought ball hit line but all other players agree it didnt). Freebies were entirely at the discretion of the king. The player receiving the freebie would still be required to go to dunce but could use the freebie to save themselves if they lost when in dunce. However, if you were deemed "straight out" (lost a challenge or were "poisoned") then you lost all your freebies when joining the end of the queue. If agreed before the start of recess or lunch, the game could be deemed "no freebies" | |
| 106 | Front of line Ref | person waiting at the front of line is the ref for the game. Sometimes used in sportsmanship rule #2 | |
| 107 | Full | overs, fullsers | Hit ball into another persons court without it bouncing in your square first. If you do this your out. Alt you play on Full your out or called full plays. Play on twice forgotten. Alt: If a person does a Double Bounce and you play it on your out |
| 108 | Full bodies | Body shots | You can do a full with your body and use your all body parts. Can also bounce once. can't full with your hands |
| 109 | Full-forgotten | Forgotten | Additionally, if the player continues on after a "full-played", a "full forgotten" is declared, and no one is out. Advanced rule |
| 110 | Full-played | Played, Full Plays, last to play the full | if after a player hits a full, another player continues play and tries to hit the ball into another square, "full-played or Full plays" is declared, in this case the player who continued the game is declared out whilst the original full is not out. Optional alternative: last person to play the full is out. Example. Player A fulls, 3 players B, C and D play the full. Player E stops the point the D player is out. They were last to play the full |
| 111 | Fumbles | Do a mistake, grab ball and play on, your not out (beginner rule) | |
| 112 | Funnies | cracks | weird bounce, hits a crack in the cement or a stick is play on (if your advacned). Simple basic beginners rule - you can replay |
| 113 | Gamesmanship | Opposite to sportsmanship. On purpose trying to psychologically upset opponent to gain advantage | |
| 114 | Ghosties | 1/2 Ghost, Full Ghost, Boogies, Shadows, Flap Jacks 1 foot, 2 foot, 1 feet, 2 feet, Fakes, Psyke. fakies, Sharkies, scares | Allowed to bork, fake or pretend hit the ball to confuse other player. Can step in another players court is with 1 foot = 1/2 ghost. Full ghost = both feet. |
| 115 | Goalkeeper | Using two hands to hit the ball | |
| 116 | Golden square | Golden Rule | Instant elimination. Any person that gets out goes to reserve |
| 117 | Grabs | Grabsies, clinch, Cradles, scoop, picks, Dog Shots | Can grab/hold the ball with fingers or palm of hand for less then 1 second while hitting the ball |
| 118 | Grant | Service granted is another one, where the king could 'grant' a serve to another player. Often used in larger games where a player in alliance with the king is in a low position so they could work their way up. | |
| 119 | Guarding | Hitting or intercepting a ball that was going into another persons square | |
| 120 | Headers | in which a player may use their head to hit the ball. This can be done on the full into the other player's square, contradicting the necessity for the ball to bounce in a player's own square first as it would need to do if they had used their hand. | |
| 121 | Head High | Ball is serves of hit too high. The person who hit the ball is out. Baby rule | |
| 122 | Hipies | Bellies, Waffles, Belly Shots | use of hips to hit abll (on full or one bounce) |
| 123 | I call lines | Lines | Players can say, 'I call lines' (if the ball bounces on a line) |
| 124 | Indecent | Dog serve | is called on serve when it is a mean or nasty serve. Serve must be nice |
| 125 | In Toes | Inoes, Self Intoes | Interference from another player . Replay the point .Any interference in the game would result in a player calling "intoes" and the rally would be restarted by the king. |
| 126 | Instant Elimination | Free for all, sudden | anyone gets out they go to reserve. Alt option: no king, queen, jack or dunce courts are played. First reserve goes to wherever square that the person gets out. |
| 127 | Intercept | Can reach across another persons court and play ball. You can interfer with the person | |
| 128 | Interference | When the ball is touched by a player waiting in line, or any other unintended target, an "interference" is called and King re-serves or a "jumps" takes place | |
| 129 | Invasion | could be permitted on the liners bounce at the king's discretion. | |
| 130 | Jackpot | Rule TBC (to be confirmed) | |
| 131 | Jack Jelly | Jack cant stop moving (very funny) | |
| 132 | Jamaicans | Use of all body shots allowed | |
| 133 | Joker | Can be used as the name of a court example: King, Queen, Jack Dunce, Joker, Dungeon | |
| 134 | Just got in | Just get in can't die first point | |
| 135 | King pass to me or your out | Ace pass to me or your out, service, decent | Server must past to person who says this first. The 'King' or 'Ace' serves the ball, bouncing once within their square before entering an opponent's square. |
| 136 | King’s breakfast | KB's, Ace gift, King breakfast no deny's, pass back nicely no decents, kings decent, alpha, kings birthday, | Server gives the ball to anyone they must grab ball and serve the ball back to the original server. Alt option: before service is yelled King Yells "King breakfast" and only Queen Serves the ball to king. Alt add on: King breakfast no deny's - person cant deny serving the ball to the king. Alt add on: pass back nicely no decents - server serves receiver must hit a decent shot back to King. Can't grab and serve |
| 137 | Kings Choice | Kings Serve, Rejection, Aces Choice, block | King/Ace serves to anyone. Can reject a persons call/rule Example person yells service yell Kings choice and king does not have to serve to that person |
| 138 | Kings Fight | Challenge between King and any other player. Like Death Match | |
| 139 | Kings revenge | When king gets out The server of the next point needs to serve to the old King | |
| 140 | Kings waffles | Queens dessert | Have to serve to king or queen if they say this |
| 141 | Knight | Can be used as position name of a court example King, Queen, Knights, Jack, Dunce | |
| 142 | Lefties | Hit left handed (or weaker hand) if ball goes out your not out (baby rule) | |
| 143 | Lines | Lines replay, hits the line, Liners, Rumble, Lines replay continuous, Lines i Claim, I call lines, lines my call matrix | is play on, replay or bounce replay Examples - If the ball bounces on the line and is not a 'full' or a 'double' it’s known as 'lines'. When 'lines' is called the point is replayed. Alternative Rule: ‘Lines replay continuous’ Player who square it was on the line bounces the ball of the line and its play on. Another Lines example: replay and re-start point if it hits only the cross lines (in-between 2 squares) Bounce replay from the line where the ball landed or example #4 bounce replay from the centre of the court (the cross) and who ever square the ball goes to its play on with the rally #5 hits line touch line where it hit and bounce replay on that spot # Lines replay and Queen serves the ball instead of King/Ace |
| 144 | Lines by favour | Lines by favour golden key or Play on or King/Ace overrules lines by favour or Ace/King no rules, Lines i Claim | After the ball hits the line. Whoever yellow "lines by favour" grabs ball and serves to restart the point. Alt whoever gets the ball first they replay the point by bouncing ball on the line at then hitting the ball. The point resumes as normal #1 Alternative Yell "hundreds and thousands. Ball hits line. Bounce ball on line then Ball can bounce unlimited times before you hit it. 2# Alternative: Traffic lights - hits line, Bounce ball on line, ball can only bounce 3 times before you hit it. |
| 145 | Lobicles | where the king could call 'lobicles' when they served, which meant instead of bouncing it in your square first, everyone had to lob the ball. | |
| 146 | Lucky Spin | Unsure who yelled service first. King can do a lucky spin to see who receives the serve. ie King's decision | |
| 147 | Majority Rules | Vote | When there is a dispute, e.g. if someone is meant to go out and he disagrees, Ace/king or any person calls out, "Majority rules!", and the other players put up their hands to vote whether the player stays in or has to 'hack it' (go out of the game). |
| 148 | Make Bottoms | Ace can also 'make bottoms'. This means that if he calls, say, "Bottom 3!" when he is setting the rules, if he misses a shot, he doesn't have to 'hack it' (go out of the game), but he moves down to Dunce. 'Bottoms' affects everyone - in 'bottom 3', if Kings went out he would move down to 'subs' and Dunce would move up to Queens and Queens would move up to Kings. If Queens went out he would go straight into 'subs' (substitutes - people waiting to get into the game). | |
| 149 | Mantis | ball bounces in square another person can grab ball and they are out. Must stay in your court | |
| 150 | Medicine | White Hole, de poison, heal | Return to normal play after poison square. |
| 151 | Milky | Someone has a poison square. Keep playing as normal (example 3 squares) can't hit to poison square | |
| 152 | Minis | Bends | You can sit down and play and the ball can bounce more than once in your square before you hit it. Beginner Rule. Alt option. Minis is when shots can only go below knee height |
| 153 | Mini man | Squat down play. Like a frog | |
| 154 | Mini bounce | ball can bounce twice if below the knees | |
| 155 | New game | Coach can call ‘new game’(if game is dragging on) Ace has to say, "Ace calls the rules!" and this means that he can choose 'Old School' or 'New School' rules. But if someone else beats him by saying, "Queens calls the rules!" (or Kings or Dunce), the person who said it first gets to choose, but people mainly let Ace do it. | |
| 156 | New school rules | A collection of Modern rules all allowed. Example: Cherries, dragon rolls and headers, twistiest | |
| 157 | No baby rules | A more competitive format. Rules like tipsies, minies or any other excuses are not allowed. | |
| 158 | No call outs | Cant change the rules mid game eg poison, healthy, treetops, rush, lines | |
| 159 | No nothings | Deny a persons calls. Example yellow "no nothings" before some yells "decent" you can give them a mean serve | |
| 160 | No saying | No service allowed | |
| 161 | Nutties | Under legs shot | |
| 162 | Obstacle | a variation of intoes. When something unexpected interrupted play, like someone running in or a foreign ball. We'd call pause, and whoever had the ball in their square was able to hold the ball and be the server for a new play. | |
| 163 | Obstruction | Ghosties | Players can have 1 foot or entire body in another persons square. Can touch ball or player |
| 164 | Off-hands | The king could announce "off hands" were permitted. "Off hands" meant you could catch the ball with two hands after it landed in your square, let it bounce and then play a legal shot into another square. "Off-hands" where particularly useful against skimmers/slogs | |
| 165 | Old King | Old Ace, Strait to Dunce, Aces, dead K | Must serve to the old King/Ace if they get out and are now in Dunce |
| 166 | Old King revenge | Old Ace revenge | Old King/Ace challanges new King/Ace to the death |
| 167 | Old school | Basic and simple rules of the traditional game. 'Old School' rules traditional rules, played straight, simple and hard without lots of rules. This means the ball must bounce in your own square when you hit it back, and if it lands on a line you play on. If the lines are cracks separating concrete paving squares and the ball lands on a line and bounces funny, and it's a really hard shot, you can redo it. No cherries, no chesties, no special moves or tricks. If the ball is held or scooped, the person who did it is out. | |
| 168 | Undeniable death | Rejection | Kings/Aces choice on service. You must hit the ball back to server |
| 169 | Out of square | may be called in which the server can serve from outside their square, but must still bounce the ball in their square before any others | |
| 170 | Out and In | Touch another person your automatically out and reserve goes in | |
| 171 | Overhead | is a call made when there are more than 4 players and the server wishes to serve to a square not adjacent to themselves, if the serve does not land in an overhead square, then the server is out, but if an adjacent square touches the ball, they are declared out. | |
| 172 | Pass back | must pass the ball back to that player or your out | |
| 173 | Peas in a pod | When Ace gets out, the next Ace can say, "Peas in a pod" and that allows him to 'break the lock' and change the rules from 'Old School' to 'New School' and vice versa. | |
| 174 | Pepsi | Exact Rule TBC. Receiver must yell "max" Can't hit back to server | |
| 175 | Permanents | Can decide/change rules of the day | |
| 176 | Peter Griffin | 2 shot serve. Drop ball into your court then hit the ball into oppeonets court on the full | |
| 177 | Picksies | Pickup ball and continue play (if it rolls or unsure if ball was in or out) | |
| 178 | Pinapples | Hit it out......TBC? | |
| 179 | Play Straight | PS for short. Can do fulls (the ball does not have to hit your own square before it went to another). Double bounces are not allowed | |
| 180 | Played last | played, play ons, last to play | if a player does a full the last person to play the ball is out. Example i do a full, 3 people play the ball on, the next person doesnt, its the 3rd person that is out |
| 181 | Play dubs | Play on double bounce = your out | |
| 182 | Picks | picksies, pixies, pickups | Can pickup or catch the ball instead of hitting. Is used for beginers to help rally. Baby rule |
| 183 | PO? or POD | Pick on someone | |
| 184 | Points | two regtangular courts with two teams. Who ever team gets out, the other team gets a point. First to reach 20 points wins. | |
| 185 | Poison | time out, Black Hole, dead square, orphan | Save your square. Allowed once per player during the tournament for 2 mins. Other players can’t hit ball into your square until you are ready. Example tie your shoe lace, get a drink or first aid. Must be a legitimate reason. Other players can group vote to allow or disallow. Game continues without your square in play. When player move up they miss skip your square. Yell “unpoison” or “medicine” to come back into the game |
| 186 | Popcorn | Can bounce three times in your square | |
| 187 | Power shots | powerful low shot or alt description: grab the ball and slam it into the other person's square | |
| 188 | Power Cherries | Can hit on the full and down. Ball doesn't have to pop up first | |
| 189 | Psyke | psych's | Too purposefully distract or pretend to hit ball to confuse opponent |
| 190 | Queen Goes | Only King goes to Dunce everyone else goes to reserve line. Alt option Jack Goes (2 square elimnation), Dunce Goes (1 square elimination). | |
| 191 | Queens Rules | Get out from Queen and below go to reserve | |
| 192 | Queens Quarrel | Queen can serve to anyone | |
| 193 | Quicksies | A quick serve, a flicking spin serve rolling your wrist. Alt option: can be a full | |
| 194 | Quick gold | 1 square elimination. On Dunce goes to reserve line | |
| 195 | Quicksilver | 2 square elimination. Jack and Dunce go to reserve line | |
| 196 | Rebounds | Ball can rebound of the wall or pole. Advanced rule. Creates amazing rallies and creative play | |
| 197 | Replay | may be called if players are unsure who got out. Advanced rule - Only one replay is allowed per person per match (this is to avoid unsportsman like behaviour and constant replays) | |
| 198 | Resurrection | Can swap positions with another person in the reserve line | |
| 199 | Reserve | Res, Rez, sub, subs, 1st wait, 2nd wait, 3rd wait (3rd reserve) | Waiting in line outside of the handball court. example 1st res = 1st reserve , 2nd res = 2nd reserve |
| 200 | Rewind | Any player could announce "rewind" which would send the around the world back the other way Or anticlockwise (though this could not be done if the king had declared "no returns") | |
| 201 | Rolls | Rolls to the death, rollies | Simple: Your out. Alt: replay and serve again. Advanced Alt rolls or Rolls to the death - play on hitting or kicking ball thru players courts until someone misses it |
| 202 | Rolls by favour | Ball rolls then replay the point. Whoever yellow "rolls by favour" can grab ball and serve the ball to restart the point | |
| 203 | Round the world | Round the World (normal) Calling this means you are forced to hit the ball to the person to your left, if you don’t, you’re out. Can break and reverse it | |
| 204 | Rush | ever ready, continuous or quick serve, ready or nots, Quicksies, Quick Serve | Serve whenever you want. If Receiver is not ready, they are out. Alt: person receiving the serve must be in there square Alt: Server must Yell "Rush" or "quicksies". Alt option. Server doesnt have to grab ball (from person who retrieves ball) they can just hit ball to restart point. |
| 205 | Sacrifice | give up your square for a friend or get out to help a friend. Swap your postion for a friends position | |
| 206 | Savies | play on, light saver, life saver, saves, rebounds, plays, forgetten, helpsies | Yell “Savies” to save a person that was meant to be out and continue play. Player does a full, miss hits ball, hits ball out, then a friend on another court can hit the ball. Original Player doesn’t even have to hit the ball, you can hit the ball for them. You can hit the ball into their square or your square and its play on. Ball cant bounce twice. Alt: limit to 5 savies per session. Alt 2: you can't get out on a savies. |
| 207 | Scissors, paper, rock | Can be used as a challenge between two people when you are unsure who got out in the point and don't want to replay point. Can be used to start a game and decide which player starts in a particular court position | |
| 208 | Scoop | Scooping | Hold or control the ball on your palm for 1 second |
| 209 | Scrub | when a power hit is performed. | |
| 210 | Secret code | To break a death lock you must know the secret code of the person that called deathlock example number 10 or apples. | |
| 211 | Serve | To start a match or rally. Person serves. Throw ball, it must bounce in your square then over the line and into another persons square | |
| 212 | Serve to dunce | Must serve to ball to new player who just arrived into dunce | |
| 213 | Servies 1, 2 and 3 | Service faults, 1st serve, 2nd serve, 3rd serve | Service fault 1,2,& 3. 3 chances for the returner to hit the serve in. example 1st serve - if receiver hits the ball out they get another chance to receive the ball from the server |
| 214 | Service | Seven Eyes, Service or Die, serve and I. black tomus, SBS | First person to yell it out gets the serve - Player can make the call of "service" and the King/Ace must serve to them. If more than one person calls a "service", the King serves to the first one that called out. If Service is yelled at the same time, its Kings Choice. Optional: Yell Service and hand up. Alt: Server can "reject" a service. Alternative: Service receiver can also say where you want the decent serve to land. Point to waist, knees etc. The server must serve the ball to that specific area. Alt option. Person who yells service get the ball to serve first before each point |
| 215 | Service variations | Service decent - Serve must be chest height bounce. Service Header - serve must be high for a header to be done. Service Knee low - Serve is low Knee height for a sloag/low shot to be made | |
| 216 | Servo's | pass back | |
| 217 | Skimmers | shots that were hit flat and close to the ground with minimal bounce | |
| 218 | Slack | Slacks, dirty serve, dog serve , scum serve, slackers, Slack Ready | A mean serve or powerful low shot or not a decent serve. Slack 1, 2 3 receiver has 3 chances to get serve back. If they miss the shot its Slack 1 and they get another chance |
| 219 | Sloags | Slogs, slugs, snail, skimmers, underground's | One of the best shots in Handball. low shots along the ground that are fast and hard to hit. Advanced players are good at them. |
| 220 | Soft serve | Person get a nice serve how they want it | |
| 221 | S.O.S | Splash, telephone | Serve Out of your Square. Player serving can serve the ball when your out of your square or the court, it's your choice. Alternative option. A Player yells SOS, B player who is getting ball must serve from where they retrieve the ball (meters away from there court) a big disadvantage |
| 222 | Spells | A collection of lots of modern Rules example Fight to Exit (challenge) light saver (savies) | |
| 223 | Spin serves | Can spin the ball for a serve | |
| 224 | Squash | Deadball | Can step on ball and squash it |
| 225 | Stalking | Pass the same person. Not good gamesmanship | |
| 226 | Steals | Can have one foot in other person court and hit there ball or steal there shot. After you hit the ball it must land in your court first | |
| 227 | Swappies | Sacrifice, switches, diamonds | Can swap with a persons square or reserve line. Usually to help a friend or team mate. Higher court can deny |
| 228 | Tag | Switch positions if you tag someone from another square | |
| 229 | Targeting | Aiming, Farming | Purposely and constantly aim to get someone out. Bad sportsmanship targeting a certain player because they got you out a few rallies before and you can let it go |
| 230 | Teams | Friendship | Players can team up. Confirmed with a handshake and foot tap. Getting a team mate out does’nt count. If you get out your team mate can give you a chance/extra life |
| 231 | Teacups | Tea party, Frogs legs | can squat or sit down while playing |
| 232 | Time outs | poison, black hole | call when you want a rest or drink or injury, tie shoe lace or discuss strategy with team mates |
| 233 | Tipsies | Hits your finger tips - your not out. Is a baby rule | |
| 234 | Toasties | Small mini serve/Shot | |
| 235 | Travs | Windows or electric square, automatics speed bumps, cross court, untouch, triple bounce. Psych/Syke, Ace, corners, maker, plate sqaure | ball bounces in your court and travels across into another square play on. High level Advanced rule. 20% of schools do this rule automatically |
| 236 | Tree tops | Beanstalks, Mountains, High Mountains, High Jacks, skyscrapers, High Heels, High Skys, Milky way | Hitting the ball higher than head height or arms reach. If Tree Tops is off - you can hit as high as you want. 3 options: Can be on, optional or off. If on you must yell “tree tops” to hit it over head height. If optional you must yell “tree tops” to hit it over head height. If off, you can hit any shot over head height. Alt option: if you dont yell the word and person receiving the serve plays it on, they are out |
| 237 | Triple Dunce | DDD | You get out in Dunce (and theres no reserve) you go to Double Dunce or Dungeon (lower level) but stay in the same square. Cant move up into a new square until 2 points have finished. Can have triple and quad tripple dunce. |
| 238 | Tweener | Under legs | A trick shot that involves Hitting the ball under your legs |
| 239 | Twin/triplets | A second or third ball is introduced into play. Can be havoc and usually ended the round fairly quick. If someone gets out, a mid game move-up happens, the owner of the new square would have to be quick as the others balls are still in play. Unless move-up immunity was allowed. Especially fun watching a single person needing to somehow get one or both balls away while moving up squares. | |
| 240 | Two and up | this is where the ball bounces twice in your own square or out of court and you hit it upwards into an opponents square | |
| 241 | Two play on rule | A shorter word for the the full rule. Full your out, play on forgotten, 2nd play on forgotten | |
| 242 | Undergrounds | Serve can roll | |
| 243 | Underlegs | Tweener | A trick shot that involves Hitting the ball under your legs |
| 244 | Underdogs | Ball can bounce twice in your court only if you hit ball under your legs | |
| 245 | Upsies | Cherries | the ball doesn't have to bounce in your square after you hit it. |
| 246 | Unfair shots | No low or high unfair shots – replay (baby rules) | |
| 247 | Wall Bounce | you can bounce off the wall when lower than chest height (of the shortest player). Must be bounced in own square before and be a decent | |
| 248 | Walked | Walk Dibs, walkies, walked it | If a player walks out of their square, thinking they are out, they are deemed to have "walked" and are now out, despite the fact they had not violated any rules during the point. |
| 249 | White Knight | Cant pass to server. Play point with other 3 players only. Helps you not to get out | |
| 250 | Winoes | Wind Interference | |
| 251 | Yee nag | Can do a full | |
| 252 | Yo Yo | Pass back | Person in top court yells Yo Yo. Serves the ball receiver must hit ball back to server unless receiver says "cut the string " |