When

Thursday, September 14, 2023:

  • Singles at 10:00am
  • Doubles at 10:00am

Where

Audrey Moore RECenter
8100 Braddock Road
Annandale, VA 22003

Event Director

Sid Sachs
Contact Sid by email.

Volunteers

See our volunteers page for details.

Rules

General Rules
Please go here for rules covering all events.

Handball Rules

Men and Women compete separately in singles and doubles in5-year age groups (50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95+). Official Rules of the US Handball Association www.ushandball.org will be used. Competitors must provide their own gloves and must wear eye guards. NVSO will provide the balls.

  1. Format, age bracket distribution and schedules will be sent to participants byemail or by phoneposted 48 hours before the tournament.
  2. Type of game: This is four wall “singles” handball played by two players and four players for doubles.
  3. Description: This is a competitive game in which a properly gloved hand can be used by each player to hit the ball.
  4. Objective: The objective is to win each rally or period of play by serving or returning the ball until one player fails to make a legal return. A rally is over when one player makes an error or is unable to return the ball before it touches the floor twice, or if a “hinder” is called.
  5. Points and Outs: Points are scored only by the serving player when that player serves an ace or wins a rally. When the serving player loses a rally, that player loses the serve.
  6. Game: A game is won by the player who first scores 21 points.
  • a) The game begins with the server in the serving zone. The server bounces the ball, and then hits it. The server cannot step across the service line during the serve or a fault is committed. The served ball must strike the front wall first and then bounce back beyond the short line into the back court. If after hitting the front wall, the served ball strikes the ceiling, the rear wall, or two walls before it reaches the back court, a fault has been committed. Two faults while serving loses the serve.
  • b) The server’s opponent (the receiver) must return the serve to the front wall, either directly or indirectly. That is, a return can hit the side walls before it reaches the front wall, or it can hit the ceiling, or even the back wall, but it cannot touch the floor before reaching the front wall. Nor can the receiver cross the short line until the ball has crossed the short line after a serve.
  • Hinders: Regarding avoidable hinders which both the server and the receiver agree that the server committed, the server loses the serve.

a) Such avoidable hinders should be called when a player does not move sufficiently to allow (1) the opposing player a shot, (2) moves into a position that blocks the opponent’s view of the ball, or (3) moves into the path of his opponent’s return and is struck by the ball.

b) When serving, it is up to the receiver to decide whether the server’s body screened the serve from the receiver’s view. A screened serve is made over again.

c) Less controversial hinders are the ball accidently striking an opponent before reaching the floor or a player’s unintentional interference with an opponent. In each case, no point is lost on such a “dead-ball hinder” and the point is played over.

7) Match: A match is won by the player who first wins two games.

a) In the event each player wins one game, the match will be decided by an 11-point tie-breaker.

8) Officiating: The game is self-officiating and the officiating must be conducted at all times in a civil and courteous manner.

a) Before the start of the first game, each player will stroke the ball from the back court to the front court in an attempt to place the ball closest to the short line. The player whose ball lands closest to the short line serves first.

b) In the second game, the player who served second in the first game will serve first.

c) If a tiebreaker is necessary, the player with the most total points in the first two games will serve first.

d) If each player scored the same number of points, the server will be determined as in the first game.