Rules

Are these really the official rules?

Dear Sean,
Hi. I saw the rules on your site and I like them, but where can I find the OFFICIAL four square rules? I play...

Neutral Gender and Rollerskates

Dear Sean,

I was just wondering whether you could adjust the rules to remove references to gender. In...

Some more Aussie rules!

Here's a message from one of our friends down under about how they play fours square on the opposite end of the earth. Enjoy!

...

About a ball hitting a player before hitting the ground?

Dear Sean, I have looked and looked online to find somewhere where it clearly defines what the rules are about a ball hitting a...

What if the ball is unplayable?

Dear Sean,

My students are organizing a charity four squares tournament at our school for the local food...

Can I Hit the Ball in the Air?

Dear Sean,

If the ball enters a square on the fly, and the player hits the ball in their own square...

Does the ball have to bounce in your square before you hit it?

Dear Sean
I am sure you have heard this one before. I just started playing again recently with my...

Again with the spinning question...

Dear Sean, Hi my name is Jake, I am 10 years old and in 4th grade, my PE teachers would not allow me to spin the ball in a pass...

Someone is Making Crappy Rules

Dear Sean, My school is having some trouble with four square. (every one is making rules that dont make sense such as punch-u-...

Monstrous Collection of Cool Rules

A long time ago, we started the Wikipedia article on Four Square and since then...

But it was GOING out of bounds!

Dear Sean. In 4-Square, I hit the ball into another court, albeit too hard and so it would have gone out. However, the player...

The Cheating Cheaters who Cheat

Dear Sean,
Well this is more of like a help thing. When i play 4-square and i am at the diagonal square to the king square...

What if it bounces in my square then bounce in another, am I out?

Dear Sean,
so we've been rockin the 4 square every summer for some time now, but just got back into it this summer. There'...

How do I know if a person actually hit the ball?

Dear Sean,
i would like to know if a 'phantom' hit is allowed? here is an example of what i mean. a ball is returned from...

Can an American guy fit into this square at all?

Dear Sean,
You stated the court size is 16' square... Are you sure? I am not an American and use the International Metric...

Someone Else Hits it by Accident?

Dear Sean,
Can you hit the ball before it bounces? Also, if a ball bounces in someone's square, but someone else hits it...

Are leg shots legal?

Dear Sean,
If a server serves the ball correctly and it bounces into square 2, opposite from square 4, whereupon the...

Can a player carry the ball?

Dear Sean,
Can a player carry the ball? For example, can a player catch the ball underhand with his or her hands above...

How do you hit the ball during the game?

Dear Sean,
My 7 year old son is asking me how to play so I have read over your website (thank you for the information by...

Backboards, bus stops, and mailboxes, etc

Dear Sean,
I'm a big fan of Four-Square, and my friends and I play with the standard rules. However, I use a couple...

Do I need to stand in my square during a serve?

Dear Sean
Is there a rule about where you need to stand in your square during a serve? While you are in square 2 is it...

Must always stay within their square?

Dear Sean,
During play, can a player occupying a specific square leave the square for any reason? I am under the...

It can't be used as a strategy...

Dear Sean,
A shoeshine is when on the serve, the server hits the person in the shoe and they're automatically out. It can...

Lightning round...

I'm back from my holiday break which I spent chopping down trees with my knuckles and crushing four square balls with my wrists in...

You can't hit any overhand shots?

Dear Sean,
I just started a four square club at the University of Michigan. It's been a lot of fun and pretty successful...

How do you give out scores?

Dear Sean,
I am in sixth grade, and on our playground we play a little differently than the rules you have listed. The way...

Hit over your head...

Dear Sean,
If the ball is thrown so hard that it goes over a child's head is it "out"? -Brianne, 11/28/07 9:59 PM...

Can they move about?

Dear Sean,
So, are the players confined to staying in the outside lines during play? Or can they move about beyond their...

And do you have to serve to the lowest square?

Dear Sean,
In the rules I couldnt find out if the ball was served to you when you hit back to someone can you hold the...

When can I hit the ball?

Dear Sean,
Hello I am a manager for an after school program and last night we were playing 4 square when their was a...

I am ill nasty

Dear Sean,
I am (what i like to think of as) a good four-squrare-er... I have seen your movies and rule films, but i was...