TOURNAMENT
Slide on your sweatbands and grab some chalk because it's
time to challenge your classmates to a game of handball!
The Game
The Rules
Handball, also known as ‘Four Square’, is a game of skill, played
on a four-squared court, with a bouncy ball (often tennis or rubber)
and four players – King, Queen, Jack
and Dunce.
• Only one person per square! Additional players should make a
line beside the court and enter via the Dunce square.
• The King can serve to anyone, but only when all players are
ready and the serve must be fair.
• Only on first serve is the ball required to bounce (once) in the
King’s square and once in the receiving player’s square. After
this, balls can be hit on the full.
• If a ball lands in your square, you must play it to another square,
no exceptions!
• If a ball bounces twice in your square, you’re out!
• If you miss the ball, you’re out!
• When returning the ball, it must bounce once in your own square
before entering another player’s square.
• If the ball is played and it’s out of bounds on the full,
you’re out!
• You can only play the ball if it’s your square.
• You can’t enter anyone else’s square at any time during
the game.
• You can’t hold, catch, grab, roll, or carry the ball at
any stage.
• You can only hit the ball with your hands – if it hits your body,
you’re out!
• If a ball touches another object (not one of the players)
this is called interference and the ball is returned to the
server – “replay”.
• If there’s a dispute that can’t be settled – it’s showdown time!
The two players enter a ‘mini-game’ in two squares and the
loser is eliminated.
The aim of the game? To eliminate all enemy players in the higher
squares, so that you can advance to the highest square yourself
and be crowned the ‘Handball Hero’!
The Court
Find four squares of equal size or, using a piece of chalk, draw one
large square approximately 5m x 5m and divide it equally into four
squares.
Label the squares K, Q, J and D:
K
Q
D
J
Note: The outside
lines are in bounds!
In the inside lines are
out of bounds!
How to Play
The King serves the ball - by bouncing it from their square to
another player’s square. Once it’s landed, the owner of that square
is now responsible for continuing on with the game. This means
hitting the ball to bounce from their square into any other player’s
square, and then so on, and so on. Until…
If a square owner misses it, they’re out! If they break the rules,
they’re out! And if it bounces out of bounds… they’re out!
Each time a player is eliminated, the remaining players move up
the ranks to fill the empty squares. Have more than four players?
A new player joins in at the lowest ranking (Dunce) and the
eliminated player goes to the back of the line.
The ‘Handball Hero’ is the person who can stay in the top square
for the longest duration, or remains in the King square at the end
of the game.
ELIMINATION Tournament
Round 1 - Elimination
Divide the class into four groups and draw up four handball courts.
Using the chart provided, write the names of the players beside
their corresponding court. Set a time limit for the Round and start
the four games together. When “time” is called, write the names of
the two players, from each team, standing in the King and Queen
squares, on the chart.
Round 2 – Semi Final
Create two new groups from those players still remaining after
Round 1. Set a time limit and when “time” is called write the names
of the remaining Kings and Queens on the chart.
Round 3 – Final Playoff
Set a time for the final four players. When “time” is called, the
person standing in the King’s square will be crowned the ‘Handball
Hero’!
BONUS – The Handball Heroes ‘Signature Move’ Competition
Host a “Handball Heroes” competition where each student
demonstrates their own ‘signature move’. The move should be
a personal mix of skill, inspiration and imagination. The winning
move should be awarded by popular vote and the player awarded
with the “Best Signature Move”.
J
D
WINNER:
Q
K
GROUP C
J
D
GROUP A
Q
K
Q
K
Q
K
K
D
J
Q
Q
J
D
K
Q
Q
J
Q
K
K
D
K
Q
K
Q
K
D
K
D
K
GROUP D
GROUP B
J
Q
J
Q
ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT