It sounds like something l caught my son doing in his room last week.

Ugh. we played this in gym class. A handball is like a soccer ball, only a bit smaller. You r on a large field & there r two teams. When one team has the ball, they r allowed to take three steps, then must pass it off to another team mate. They must do the same thing. You cannot pass the ball to yourself. The people on the other team has to try & stop passes & play defence. If they intercept the ball, then they have to also pass the ball. To score, u have to make it all the way down the field into the ''end zone'' & score a ''tounchdown'' If during a pass, a member form the other team swats at a pass, & it hits the ground, they're team gets them ball. If there is an incomplete pass, then the other team gets the ball

it is an outdoor or court game
similar to tennins but with your hand you bounce a ball off and strike can be single, against an opponent and even dour players.
fun game.

American (or court) handball, usually referred to simply as handball, is an American form of fives played against one or more walls.

It is a common belief that American handball was brought to the United States in the 1880s by Irish immigrants. The Gaelic handball sport was played since the 15th century in Ireland & Scotland.

In the Basque Country, a very similar game is played, Basque pelota. The origins of both handball & Basque pelota -- as well as many European racket & handball sports -- can be traced to the French Jeu de paume.

There is also handball played by the Fijians & the Muslim people of Fiji island & is their traditional sport of Fiji besides soccer & basketball.

American handball is played on a court 12.2 meters long by 6.1 meters wide (40 feet long by 20 feet wide) with either a single (front) wall, three walls, or in a fully enclosed four-wall court (the most common). The four-wall court is a rectangular box. The front wall is 6.1 meters (20 feet) square, & the side walls r 12.2 meters (40 feet) long & 6.1 meters (20 feet) high. In the middle of the floor of the court lies the short line, dividing the floor into two 6.1 meter (20 feet) squares. Also along the floor is the service line, which is 1.5 meters (5 feet) in front of the short line. The service zone is the area between these two lines. The back wall of the court is usually 3.7 meters (12 feet) high, with an above gallery for the referee & scorer, & also spectators. A few courts have a glass back wall and/or glass side walls to allow for a better view of the match. (In three-wall court handball, the court often has a front wall & two full side walls, or the front wall is flanked by two triangular wings.)

Handball may be played as singles (two players against each other), doubles (two teams of two players), or ''cut-throat'' (three players rotating one-against-two). (In ''cut-throat'' handball, one server plays against two receivers, until he or she is put out. Then, the left-most receiver serves, & so serves rotate in this way until one player scores 21 points & wins.) The ''cut-throat'' mode of play is also known as ''triangles''.

The ball is ''served'' by one player/team standing in the service zone, by dropping the ball to the floor of the service zone & striking it on the bounce with the hand or fist so that it hits the front wall. The ball must hit the front wall first; it may then hit at most one side wall; the served ball must pass the short line before the first bounce, but must bounce before reaching the back wall. When the served ball lands in front of the short line, it is called a ''short,'' while a serve which reaches the back wall without bouncing is called ''long,'' & a serve which hits both side walls before bouncing is called a ''3-wall''. All these r service faults. If the server gets two faults in a row, he or she is out, & becomes the receiver. If a serve hits the ceiling, floor, or a side wall before hitting the front wall, the server is out (no second serve allowed). In doubles, the server is teammate has to stand in the service area with his/her back to a side wall in a service box, marked by a parallel line 45.7 centimeters (18 inches) from the side wall, until the ball passes the short line.

The receiver must stand at least 1.52 meters (5 feet) behind the short line, indicated by dashed lines extending 15.2 centimeters (6 inches) from each side wall, while the server has the ball. Once the ball is served, he or she must hit the ball either directly (''on the fly'') or after the first bounce so that it bounces off the front wall. However, if the receiver chooses to take the serve on the fly, he or she must first wait for the ball to cross the dashed line. The ball must not bounce off the floor twice. Nor can any player during a return hit the ball off the floor before it touches the front wall. The server then hits the ball on the rebound from the front wall, & play continues with the opponents alternatively hitting the ball until one of them fails to make a legal return. After the serve & return, the ball may be played from anywhere, & may hit any number of walls and/or the ceiling, so long as it hits the front wall before bouncing on the floor. Players cannot hinder (block) their opponents from hitting the ball. If the server fails to make a legal return, he or she is out, & becomes the receiver. If the receiver fails to make the return, a point goes to the server, who continues to serve until he or she is out. So, only the server/serving team can score points. The game goes to the player/team to score 21 points first, & a match goes to the player/team to win two out of three games; the third game goes to 11 points.

A three wall handball court is an outside court with a front, 2 sides, & no back wall. It is played very much like an indoor four-wall court, with the same rules, only with the challenge of returning the ball without any backwall rebound.

Toledo, Ohio is the home of the Annual U.S.H.A. National Three-Wall Championships.


American One-walled Handball
A one-wall handball court has a wall 6.1 meters (20 feet) wide & 4.9 meters (16 feet) high. The court floor is 6.1 meters (20 feet) wide & 10.4 meters (34 feet) long. The one-wall game uses the same ball & the same rules for scoring, but because the court contains no ceiling or side walls, the ball must always be played off the front wall. This requires great skill in order to keep the ball in play during a fast game, but one-wall handball can be watched by more people than the four-wall game, & the court is cheaper to build, making this version of handball popular at gymnasiums & playgrounds.


[edit] Equipment
A typical outfit worn during the game includes protective gloves, sneakers, athletic shorts, & goggles. Eye protection is very important in handball, as the ball moves at high speeds in close range.

The black or blue rubber ball, 65 grams (2.3 ounces) in mass/weight & 4.8 centimeters (1 7/8 inches) in diameter (smaller, heavier, & harder than a racquetball), is hit with the gloved palm (informal games often do not include gloves).


[edit] Small Ball vs. Big Ball
A ''true'' handball is referred to as a ''small ball or in earlier days, ''blackball''. A raquet ball used to play handball is called a ''big ball'' (or ''big blue''). A big ball bounces lower & slower than a small ball, & is much more hollow. A small ball is hard, bounces erratically, & is regarded as too painful by many street players. Some types of small balls r called the Red Ace (for men) & the White Ace (for women). Some brands of the big ball include Sky Bounce & Penn.

Formal games, such as tournaments & school competitions, involve the use of the small ball only. Informal games, commonly known as ''street handball,'' use the big ball most often. However, there have been tournaments that have used the big ball – NYC Big Blue, for example.


[edit] About the sport
Handball can be significantly more physically demanding than racquetball or other racquet sports. Of the various types of handball, the four-wall enclosed version (where play is allowed off all four walls & the ceiling) is perhaps the most challenging. However, handball offers excellent fitness rewards since it requires speed, agility, & stamina, & it utilizes many aerobic exercise disciplines that r balanced across ur entire body. While American handball has lost popularity due to both racquetball is rise (as players migrated) & fall (as clubs lost courts), it remains an excellent way to keep in shape when outdoor games cannot be easily played because of darkness or inclement weather.

In the 1990s & 2000s, one-walled handball has made a comeback in New York City, particularly amongst adolescents. Several NYC high schools offer handball as a PSAL sport, where teams can compete with other handball teams of neighboring high schools. Handball tournaments in NYC r very popular during the spring & summer seasons. Competitors r usually required to pay a fee to enter, & the top prize is usually a portion of the total entry fee. There is also a documentary by Justin Sullivan on NYC handball called ''Big Blue''.[1]


[edit] Terms, Techniques & Tactics
Ace
A serve in which the retriever is not only unable to return the ball, but is also unable to touch the ball. Same concept as in Tennis. In some games, any return from a serve which does not make it back to the wall is called an ace.
Backhand
A technique of hitting the ball with the palm of the strong hand so that the hand is turned inwards & across the body. The arm is swung away from the body. This technique is usually used by players who have a weak off-hand or when the ball comes towards the midline of the body & the person does not have time to get into position.
Ceiling Shot
A defensive play in a four-wall court in which a player hits the ball hard & upward, so that it first contacts the ceiling & then the front wall, usually forcing the opponent to go to the back of the court to make a return.
Cracks
A situation in which the ball hits the ''crack'' of either the short or the long line & bounces erratically. In serves, if the ball hits the crack of the short line, it is considered ''short.'' If the ball hits the crack of the long line, it is considered ''good.'' During regular play (after the serve), all cracks r considered good. Some courts have cracks & some don't. Outdoor courts that have cement floors r more likely to have these ''cracks'' built in to indicate the short & long lines. Cracks usually occur randomly. When they do occur, they can seriously disrupt the shot of the player who has to return the ''cracked'' shot.
Cut
A shot in which the player puts a heavy spin on the ball, causing the ball to bounce off the wall in an erratic motion. To perform a cut, the ball must be striked by a sudden twist in the hand and/or fingers. The main purpose of these shots is to throw off the opponent is rhythm of hitting the ball.
Double-Down
A term which means both players in a doubles game loses their serves. The cause of this term can be possibly mistaking it is ur serve when it is actually ur teamates serve which leads to a double-down.
Fist Shot
a way of hitting the ball so that the ball contacts off the knuckles. It is done by closing ur fingers to make a fist. The hard surface created by the fist gives the hitter a harder & faster hit.
Flags
A block that is right after a serve. The server or teamate waves his hand at the balls direction thus blocking the receiver thus leading to a down.
Fly Shot
An advanced shot where instead of letting the ball take a bounce, the ball is stroked while it is still in the air
Hook
A serve that is whipped so that after bouncing on the floor it does not continue in a straight path, but veres off to one side. Hooks can be done to either the left or right no matter which hand is used to serve. Often used in small ball as the ball can gain a greater momentum. A good hook will make the person who returns the ball have to make a quick change in their form so that they do not mis-hit the ball.
Killer (Kill)
A spectacular shot (usually side-arm or underhand) in which the player hits the ball so low that it just barely touches the wall first before hitting the ground. This shot usually ends the rally, although it is still quite possible to pick up a kill. Although it helps the player win the rally immediately, it is a very risky shot, since there is a high chance of missing & hitting the floor. A variation of the killer is the corner-kill. A corner-kill is a killer that is aimed at the extreme left or right of the wall (without being ''out'' in one-wall). In one-wall, this shot requires even more skill & is even riskier than a normal killer because the player runs the risk of hitting the ball out in addition to the risk of having the ball hit the floor first. A corner-kill is often more difficult to pick up because players tend to hover around the center of the court, make a corner kill even harder to reach.
Lob (Overhead Shot)
In one-wall handball, an under-hand shot in which the player hits the ball to the wall in a high arc such that the ball is launched back high above the top of the wall through a parabolic path that results in the ball landing near the long line. This tactic is mainly used against short players or players who hover near the front of the court. An overhead shot is similar, but can be used with an over-hand shot, must be hit near the top of the wall, & does not go any higher, unlike the lob.
''Out-on-wall''
In one-wall handball, any shot that hits over the outline on the wall & lands anywhere on court. Even though it hits inside the outline on the ground it is still considered an out.
Pass Shot(corner shot)
A shot where the ball passes an opponent fairly low & fast near one of the side walls, out of the opponent is reach, thus winning the rally.
Pick-Up
A ''pick-up'' is when u hit the ball before it bounces. Another example of a pick-up would be when a ball comes very close to ur sides but u tuck ur arm in & u hit the ball.
Pops (Choke)
A shot that touches both the floor & the wall simultaneously. The ball may either pop high up or bounce away from the wall momentarily & then come to an immediate halt. It is considered ''out'' & usually occurs when a player is attempting a kill. This shot is considered good, however, in Chinese handball.
Power Side
The side that the player is most comfortable with. This term mainly applies in ''doubles,'' in which each player guards his or her own side. The power side for right-handed players is the left side, with respect to facing the wall. The power side for left-handed players is the right side. The reason for this is that a player who stands on his ''power side'' will be able to take most of the shots that occur in the center with ease.
Roller
Similar to a kill but instead of having any bounce, the ball rolls off the floor right after touching the very base of the wall. This shot takes tremendous skill & luck to pull off, & is impossible to pick up, since the rally is already over once the ball touches the ground. A Roller is the best shot in the game because it is unreturnable. However, many professionally play game consider a roller a bad shot because upon closer studies, in order to effective create a roller the ball must hit the ground & the wall at the same time.
Spike
Similar to that in volleyball, the spike is a shot in which the player slams the ball down from a high altitude to hit the base of the wall. The player is basically trying to ''kill'' the ball when it is very high, but the ball does not acutally kill. Rather, it bounces back high up. These shots r most effective when aimed at the corners.
Tree-top
In one-wall handball, the handball might hit the very edge of the top of the wall & pop up higher than normal. Even if the ball lands within the parameters of the court, it is still considered an ''out.''
Under-leg
Only on a serve, if the ball passes under the server is legs, is it regarded as bad, & the server receives an automatic screen. Two consecutive screens make one full fault. Two faults & you're ''down'' & u become the receiver.
Whip
A way of hitting the ball so that it is not simply slapped back to the wall. Instead, the player will put his hand in a cup shape so that the ball just glides off of his hand. An integral part of the hook serve. It can also relieve some of the pain that one would feel if simply slapping the ball. It is suggested u whip the ace ball in order for it to hurt less when u hit the ace ball.
Block
A term used when the ball which is hit by the receiver does not reach the wall but instead hits another player.

[edit] Leading players
Some of the great players in the history of handball r David Chapman, Joe Platak, Paul Haber, Sam Haber, Johnny Sloan, Jack Hulik, Oscar Obert, Rosemary Bellini, Frank (''Lefty'') Coyle, Vic Hershkowitz, Al Banuet, Phil Collins, Fred Lewis, Fred Russo, Al Torres, Buddy Gantt,Naty “El Gato” Alvarado Sr., & Jim Jacobs (James Leslie Jacobs).


[edit] Variations
Chinese handball is a street game form of American handball played against one wall, except the ball must hit the floor before hitting the wall. It is like a mirrored version of American Handball.
Wall ball is a generic name for a variety of similar street games played by adolescents, often with tennis balls.
Prison Handball is a simplified version of American handball popular in North American prisons.

Big Blue: The NYC Handball Documentary. 2001.
US Handball
Retrieved from ''http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_handball