What Is Australian Handball, Anyway?
You have already noticed, Handball is everywhere in Australia. Before school, after school, during recess and lunch, the playgrounds are sure to be filled with kids playing this beloved pastime. Most schools have dedicated courts. It’s such a staple that everyone, regardless of age, has played this game at least once in their life. But to an outsider, this can be quite confusing as there are really no resources online. But you are in luck as this guide is here to help! Read on and get a deep dive into the world of Handball.
What exactly is Handball?
Australian Schoolyard Handball — or simply Handball, 4 square or downball-is a playground game that’s popular around the world particularly in Australia. This favourite pastime is known for its simple rules (well… sometimes) and easy setup. It is played using a small rubber ball and a court drawn on the ground. Players can be two or more though typically, it is played with four players.
Because of its versatility, rules may differ from age groups, school groups and regions. A lot of schools often have their own set of house rules that adds structure and laws to the game. This can include unique rules, banned moves, or ways to dispute faults.
Handball history
No one knows for sure when Handball started but there have been records of ball games since Ancient Egypt. These games were mostly played like hand tennis where players hit the ball towards the other player with their hands.
Gaelic Handball (striking ball against the wall) was first recognized in Scotland 1427 by King James (ordered a cellar window in his palace courtyard to be blocked up, as it was interfering with his game)
Ireland in 1527 (record of a similar ball game is contained in the town statutes of Galway was forbidden). Irish form of handball did not appear till 1785.
Spanish and French Basque pelota 13th century in the Basque region also played in Mexico, South America, Cuba, Italy is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one’s hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall
Both Scottish and Irish immigrants brought the game to many countries in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. It is still played in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Africa and England.
Chinese handball is a form of American handball popular on the streets of New York City, Philadelphia, and Bridgewater, New Jersey during the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. American Handball is played against a wall. Typical jail scenes
Handball against a wall began in Australia in 1923.
The game of Handball
Now that the history is out of the way, let’s deep dive as to how the game is played.
The Court
The modern Handball court is a flat surface. There are four box lines drawn side by side forming one bigger square. One square is about one and a half meters in length. Each box represents a position Known as the King, Queen, Jack and Dunce. Depending on your area, the boxes can either be labeled or not. A few different variations exist.
Ideally, the court is on a flat smooth surface without any obstructions nearby. But differences in situations may need adjustments. If the court is beside a wall, the wall is considered either in play or a fault depending on house rules. Ridges or cracks on the floor are generally avoided as they affect gameplay.
Some variations of the game also modify the court shape. Two Squares — played with two players only — use a smaller court with just two squares side by side. 6 and 8 Squares are played on a court with two rows of either 3 or 4 squares each.
The ball
These days the “official” ball are the high bounce balls from Spalding, Slazenger, Verao, rebel sport or your local $2 store. There are, however, three criteria that a ball must pass to be suitable for schoolyard handball:
- Size
- Bounce
- Material
The smaller the ball, the more unwieldy it gets which makes the game too challenging. Balls should also be highly bouncy. And finally, it should be made of soft materials like rubber to minimize injury.
How is it played?
Each round of play can be divided into 3 stages: Service, Rally, and End Phase. Each of which makes the game what it is.
Service Phase
At the beginning of each round, the game is started through a “serve”. This is when the person in the King position does a valid service against an opponent. The receiving player then attempts to hit the ball back or into other squares. If the receiver fails to make a valid receive, they get a fault.
Rally Phase
If both serve and receive are valid, the Service phase and the Rally Phase start. This is when each player tries to hit the ball into other people’s boxes without committing a fault. A valid hit is done by hitting the ball with your open hand in a way that it bounces once inside your box before bouncing again in another player’s box. The ball must not hit the line nor bounce twice inside your box. Players do this until a fault is made at which point the play enters the End Phase.
End Phase
After the fault is called, the player who committed the fault is immediately moved to the Reserve or Dunce position. Players then move one square up until all the positions are filled. The game then restarts.
Faults
Faults are any action that takes the ball out of play. This could be anything from illegal serves to failing to hit the ball before it bounces outside the line. Faults almost always result in the offending player moving to the Reserve or Dunce sqaure. But this isn’t always the case. For these cases, the round is just reset and the ball is served again.
Conclusion
Handball is a simple yet fun game that you can play with your friends. The rules are easy to pick up and setup is very easy. All you need is a bouncy ball, a flat surface, a way to mark lines on the ground, and friends. It is a great way to sweat it out on a sunny day having a blast with your friends.
