American handball

American (or court) handball is an American form of fives played against one or more walls. It has origins in Scotland/Ireland circa 1500 AD. For centuries, the game was limited primarily to Ireland as Gaelic handball. Irish immigrants brought it to the United States in the 1880s. It is similar to (and in fact preceded) racquetball and squash. Jai alai is also thought to have evolved from handball. In England, the game is called pacball and is often played by schoolchildren. It also has similarities to the Spanish game of Pelota, which is sometimes played with the hands.

Play

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, and the side walls are 12.2 meters (40 feet) long and 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 and scorer, and 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 and two full side walls, or the front wall is flanked by two triangular wings.)

File:Handballgame.jpg

Handball is a fast-paced and demanding game, as is shown in this singles match.

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, and so serves rotate in this way until one player scores 21 points and 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 and 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," and a serve which hits both side walls before bouncing is called a "3-wall". All these are service faults. If the server gets two faults in a row, he or she is out, and 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's 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, and play continues with the opponents alternatively hitting the ball until one of them fails to make a legal return. After the serve and return, the ball may be played from anywhere, and 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, and 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, and a match goes to the player/team to win two out of three games; the third game goes to 11 points.

Three-wall

A three wall handball court is an outside court with a front, 2 sides, and 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 U.S. Annual National Three-Wall Championships.

One-wall

A one-wall handball court has a wall 6.1 meters (20 feet) wide and 4.9 meters (16 feet) high. The court floor is 6.1 meters (20 feet) wide and 10.4 meters (34 feet) long. The one-wall game uses the same ball and 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, and the court is cheaper to build, making this version of handball popular at gymnasiums and playgrounds. Some well-known American one-wall handball players are Joe Durso, John "Rookie" Wright, Albert Apuzzi, Desmond Macdonald, Steve "Chickenman" Sharpe, Yuber Castro, Satish Jagnandan, Cesar Sala, and Robert Sostre. One well-known American handball player in the 1970s was "Sweaty Freddy."

Equipment

A typical outfit worn during the game includes protective gloves, sneakers (trainers), athletic shorts and 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 and 4.8 centimeters (1 7/8 inches) in diameter (smaller, heavier, and harder than a racquetball), is hit with the gloved palm (informal games often don't include gloves).

Small Ball vs. Big Ball

A "true" handball is referred to as a "small ball." A raquet ball used to play handball is called a "big ball" (or "big blue"). A big ball bounces lower and slower than a small ball, and is much more hollow. A small ball is hard, bounces erratically, and is regarded as too painful by many street players. Some types of small balls are called the Red Ace (for men) and the White Ace (for women). Some brands of the big ball include Sky Bounce and Penn.

Formal games, such as tournaments and 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.

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 and the ceiling) is perhaps the most challenging. However, handball offers excellent fitness rewards since it requires speed, agility, and stamina, and it utilizes many aerobic exercise disciplines that are balanced across your entire body. While American handball has lost popularity due to both racquetball's rise (as players migrated) and 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 and 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 are very popular during the spring and summer seasons. Competitors are usually required to pay a fee to enter, and 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".

Terms, Techniques and 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.

Ceiling Shot

A defensive play in a four-wall court in which a player hits the ball hard and upward, so that it first contacts the ceiling and 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 and bounces erratically. In serves, if the ball hits the short line, it is considered "short." If the ball hits the long line, it is considered "good." During regular play (after the serve), cracks are considered good. Some courts have cracks and some don't. Outdoor courts that have cement floors are more likely to have these "cracks" built in to indicate the short and 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's rhythm of hitting the ball.

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 don't mis-hit the ball.

Killer (Kill)

A spectacular shot 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 and 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 and 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, and does not go any higher, unlike the lob.

Pass Shot

A shot where the ball passes an opponent fairly low and fast near one of the side walls, out of the opponent's reach, thus winning the rally.

Pops (Choke)

A shot that touches both the floor and the wall simultaneously. The ball may either pop high up or bounce away from the wall momentarily and then come to an immediate halt. It is considered "out" and 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 and luck to pull off, and 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.

Tree-top

In one-wall handball, the handball might hit the very edge of the top of the wall and pop up higher than normal. Even if the ball lands within the parameters of the court, it's still considered an "out".

Under-leg

Only on a serve, if the ball passes under the server's legs, is it regarded as bad, and the server receives an automatic screen. Two consecutive screens make one full fault. Two faults and you're "down" and you 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.

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. New Yorkers don't ever say Wall Ball, people from the mid-west and west do.
• Prison Handball is a simplified version of American handball popular in North American prisons.

Leading players

Some of the great players in the history of handball are David Chapman, Joe Platak, Buddy Gantt, Naty “El Gato” Alvarado Sr., and Jim Jacobs (James Leslie Jacobs).

References

Big Blue: The NYC Handball Documentary. 2001.

• 2 Time magazine, May 11, 1942.
• 3 http://www.handballcity.com/Ervin%20Irizarry%20Interview.html
• 4 http://www.handball.ie/newsite/start.php?subaction=showfull&id=1161381646&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&
• 5 http://www.jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=boxing&ID=126

External links

• US Handball
• Offical rules of the USHA: [1]
• Southern California Handball Association
• Colorado Handball Association
• Toledo Handball Club
• Los Angeles Athletic Club - Handball