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A Four Square Court

The layout of a four square court.
Players	4 minimum
Setup time	< 5 minutes
Skills required	Manual dexterity Strategy Social skills

Four square is a ball game played among four individuals on a square court divided into quadrants. 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

Objective

'Four square' is played with a rubber ball on a court made of four adjacent squares. Each square contains a single player and has a number or rank. The objective is to eliminate other players of higher ranks and advance oneself to the highest ranking square and remain there for as long as possible.^[1]

Boundaries

Four square is played on any hard surfaced court, such as wood or asphalt. The court is divided into four smaller squares of equal size. Each of the four squares has a rank and is occupied by a single player. The ranks are arranged so that the highest ranking square is positioned diagonally across the court from the lowest ranking square.

The lines on the court are boundaries. The interior lines separating player squares are out of bounds. The ball may not touch any portion of an inside line or the player who hit the ball is in error. The lines marking the outermost edges of the court are considered in-bounds. If a ball lands on or touches the outside lines then game ends and last person is out.^[2]

Court Dimensions

There is no regulation court size, and the preferred size varies by age and skill level. A common dimension is 16' x 16' (8' squares), but children often find this to be too big.

Ball handling

Four square is played with a rubber playground ball. During regular play, the ball may be hit with any part of a player's hands from wrist to fingertip. The hit may be made with an open hand or closed fist, and may be forehand or backhand in motion. The ball may also be hit with one hand, or two hands at the same time, much like the rules of volleyball.

The ball must be struck once and for a single instant only. Carrying, catching, or holding the ball during play is not allowed. Prolonged contact with the ball can give players unfair control over the play. Hitting the ball must create a perceptible change in the ball's velocity (speed or direction) to be legal.^[3]

Regular gameplay

The player in the highest square begins the game by serving the ball. The server must serve the ball from the outside corner of his or her square. The ball is bounced in the server's own square and then hit into another player's square. Players let the ball bounce in their square once and the occupant of that square must then return the ball to any other player's square by hitting or striking the ball with the hands. Once the ball touches the court surface in a new player's square that player must hit it into any other square. Play continues this way until a player makes an error and is eliminated.

Errors and elimination

Players may be eliminated for the following errors:

• A player fails to hit the ball after it has bounced in that player's square.
• A player fails to strike the ball correctly, as if carrying or holding.
• A player hits the ball out of bounds.
• A player hits the ball more than once before returning it to another square.
• A player hits the ball into his/her own square

The eliminated player leaves the court, the remaining players move up to the next highest square, and a new player joins the court in the lowest square. Eliminated players wait in line for their next turn.

Game Scalability

Four Square for Children

Four square is a popular game for children and school playgrounds. It is important to scale the game's difficulty and supervision appropriately for different age groups and ability levels. Players can change the size of the court, the type of ball, or any aspect of the rules to suit the players best. Rules vary widely among groups of players.

Tournaments and competitions

As players rise in skill level or athletic ability it is important to appropriately raise the challenge of the game. Some communities or groups have developed rules for tournament-style play. Squarefour and The International 4-Square League both use systems of scoring that give numbers or averages to players over time, while other groups use an elimination or double elimination system.

World Championships

The Four Square World Championships, a competitive adult four square tournament, take place in Bridgton, Maine, USA, each winter season. Peter Lowell of the Lakes Environmental Association hosts this annual fundraiser each winter to support the environmental work done in the lakes region of Maine, USA. This competition draws athletes from the USA and Canada, and has registered competitors from Israel to Bermuda. Prior world championships have been held on Jan 29, 2005, Jan 28, 2006, Feb 3, 2007, Feb 16, 2008, and Feb 28, 2009.

Four Square World Championships February 27, 2010

• Men's World Champion, Chris Glasser, Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
• Women's World Champion, Justine Petrillo, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
• Senior Men's World Champion, Tom Stockwell, Bridgton, Maine, USA
• Senior Women's World Champion, Audrey Castro, Portland, Maine, USA
• Team Champions, The Mauve Avengers, Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA
• Audience Choice Award, Matthew Fishbein, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
• Player's Choice Award, Melissa Woodman, Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA

References

Games portal

External links

• Squarefour - League Play in Boston Metro Area, MA
• The International 4-Square League
• Illinois State Theatre Four-Square
• Four Square Club of Rutgers
• University of Pittsburgh 4-Square
• BigFatTigerHome FourSquare Rules
• Rhode Island League Play