Four square

Four square dates to at least the 1950s. A game called four square is mentioned in newspapers in the northeastern United States at least as far back as the 1950s, but the rules are not explained.{{cite news |date=13 September 1958 |title=Junior Reporter Club |work=Uniontown Morning Herald |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/uniontown/uniontown-morning-herald/1958/09-13/page-17?tag=play+four+square&rtserp=tags/?pep=play-four-square&page=2&ndt=by&py=1950&pey=1959 |access-date=4 December 2016 |quote=At the playground they play four square, ride on the swings, see-saws, and sliding board, and play on the bars.}}{{cite news |date=18 July 1959 |title=Crowley Lists Play Schedule For Next Week |page=2 |work=Lewiston Daily Sun |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19590718&id=zcUgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S2oFAAAAIBAJ&pg=994,1542685 |access-date=4 December 2016}} A 1953 teacher's manual describes four square with the same rules used today.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZuBOAQAAMAAJ&q=%22marked+off+into+four+squares%22 |title=Primary Manual |date=1953 |publisher=Cincinnati Public Schools |page=343 |quote=Equipment: A large rubber ball, a court marked off into four squares labeled A, B, C, and D in sequence. Action: Four players are chosen to take up a position in each square of the court. The other players line up outside the square marked "A." The player in square "D" is the server. He begins the game by bouncing the ball in his own square and hitting it underhand, with both hands, into any other square. The receiver, in turn, attempts to hit the ball into one of the other three squares.}} However, it is possible this game could have evolved from "Jeu de paume", a game popular in France as early as the twelfth century. {{Cite web |date= |title=Jefferson City School District |url=https://www.jcschools.us/cms/lib/MO01909951/Centricity/Domain/3617/History_Rules%204%20Square.pdf |archive-date= |access-date=2024-03-29}}

One player occupies each of the 4 squares at a time; the other players wait in line. The player in square 4 serves the ball into another square. Once the ball bounces into a square, the player who occupies that square must hit the ball into another square with their hands, and so on, until someone gets out. Each time a player gets out, that player leaves the court and enters the back of the line and all remaining players advance to the higher numbered square (if applicable). Square 1 is then filled with a new player from the line of awaiting players.{{Cite web |date=December 2015 |title=PDF of Four Square Rules from Silver Falls School District in Oregon |url=https://robertfrost.silverfallsschools.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2015/12/FourSquareRules.pdf |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Silver Falls School District}}

A player may get out as follows:{{facts|date=January 2011}}

• Failing to hit the ball into another square
• Allowing the ball to bounce more than once in their own square
• Hitting the ball out of the squares or hitting a line
• Hitting the ball incorrectly such as by holding, catching, or carrying
• Hitting the ball out of turn or committing interference
• Hitting the ball one handed (in some versions of gameplay)

==Variations==

Four square has inspired other similar games. One example is nine square, which uses a 3-by-3 grid instead of a 2-by-2 grid.{{Cite web |title=Castle Squares |url=https://www.castlesquares.com/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=castlesquares.com}} The 9 square is the middle and the ball is served from this position. Another version is played similar to the original in that four players occupy their respective spots, but they must keep the ball off the ground like in volleyball.[https://castlesports.com/pages/learn-to-play Learn to Play]. Castle Sports. Retrieved on 2021-03-04.

The game is called King Out in Sweden. A similar schoolyard game is called handball.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmecPRaL2n0&t=4m52s Visiting my hometown by PewDiePie]. Retrieved on 2019-04-03.

Since 2005, Bridgton, ME, has hosted the annual World Four Square Championships where adults and children compete to determine the world's best four square players.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

On August 4–5, 2012, a group of 17 Needham High School students and alumni — assisted by 50 other Needham residents at various times — broke the previous world record by playing for 34 hours,[http://hometownweekly.net/four-square-club-raises-fund-for-charity-with-recordbreaking-game-p8051-146.htm Four Square Club raises fund for charity with record-breaking game - Hometown Weekly] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021100533/http://hometownweekly.net/four-square-club-raises-fund-for-charity-with-recordbreaking-game-p8051-146.htm |date=2013-10-21 }}. hometownweekly.net (2012-08-09). Retrieved on 2012-08-15. the previous record being held by 15 Manchester College students who played the game for 30 hours.[http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-562039 Manchester College students try to break a World Record to raise money for church camp – CNN iReport]. Ireport.cnn.com (2011-02-25). Retrieved on 2011-06-18. The world record was held by eight Argentinean players for 29 hours in 2008, as recognized by Guinness World Records. The Argentinean record was preceded by a group of teens from Youngstown, Ohio, who also played for 29 hours.{{Cite web |date=2014-01-24 |title=Huntington University |url=https://www.huntington.edu/news/baker-students-beat-world-record-for-longest-four-square-marathon#:~:text=The%20old%20record%20was%2029,Argentinian%20college%20students%20in%202009. |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=huntington.edu}}

Many terms are used for specific techniques that can be allowed or banned by the primary square:{{facts|date=January 2011}}

• A "sticky" refers to holding the ball. Specified time (in seconds) is decided by the primary square.
• "Popcorns" are taking the ball and throwing it in the air before hitting it. The amount of popcorns before returning the ball is also decided by the primary square.
• A "school bus" is when a player calls out said phrase. All player in the four squares must run to the center of the four squares and put their foot at the intersection. The last to do so has lost the round.

{{Portal|Games}}

• Russian four square
• Crossnet
• Wallball
• Roundnet
• Handball (schoolyard game)
• Downball

{{Reflist|2}}.

• [http://www.squarefour.org/rules Official rules]

{{Outdoor games}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Four Square}}

Category:Children's games

Category:Ball games