4'' Squares

Four Square is a game usually played by children. It also is experiencing an adult revival in many places around the world. The game consists of four players and a ball on a square court. more...

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Other Names and Flavors

Depending on the geographic or demographic area, four square may be known by many other names. Some of the most common names include:

Australia: Hand Tennis, Handball, Downball, Tenison 8, Kingpin; New Zealand: Handball, 4 Square, 6 Square or 8 Square; USA: Boxball or Handball (FL, NY) Square Ball (MA), King Square or King's Court (WA); Canada: Champ, Smash (QC);

Basic Gameplay

Four Square only requires a ball and a court made of four squares. With such little required equipment, almost no setup, and short rounds of play that can be ended at any time, it is a popular playground game. Gameplay varies significantly from region to region; this section will make basic gameplay clear regardless of the regional flavor. Refer to sections below to learn about special, custom or regional rules and variants.

The Objective

The objective of the game is to work one's way from square one to square four by eliminating players in higher squares. The player in square four is regarded as the highest rank and has the privilege of both serving the ball and implementing any number of custom rules (see custom rules section). The longer a player remains in square four then the more points or street credit that player earns.

Each time a player is eliminated, all remaining players move to the next highest available square until square one is open. A new player, who has been waiting in a nearby line will then join in square one to start a new round. Any number of players may be waiting outside the court for their turn.

Balls and Boundaries

There are many varieties of balls with which this game is played, they range from 2 1/4 inch racquetball sizes up to 10 or 12-inch football/soccer sized balls, and are generally high in elasticity. Generally the size of the ball is taken into consideration for the age and skill range of the players.

Four square is played on a square court divided into four smaller squares of equal size. Different communities use different size courts, and often different rules. For example, the Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA uses a 14 foot court, the Boston based Squarefour court is 16 feet, while The International 4-Square League uses a 20 foot court.

Most commonly, the outside lines of the court are considered 'inbounds' meaning a ball may land on any portion of an outside line and still be in play. Often, the inside lines are considered 'out of bounds' and balls landing on any portion of an inside line are considered faults. A popular abbreviation of these rules is known as 'inside-out, outside-in'. Of course, balls landing outside the court are considered faults as well.

Read more at Wikipedia.org