Play Four Square

Four square can be a fun game for kids and adults, but many remember it from the school years. It is simply hitting a ball to someone else so they can hit it back to you. So it is like soccer with your hands.

Steps

1. Confirm the rules. Some people think something is fair but others might not. There has to be crystal ball where you can`t drop the ball if you do you`re out.
2. Have each player stand in one of the four squares.
3. Note that the highest-ranking square is square #4.
4. Serve the ball by bouncing it in your square once. Then hit it to the first square. Make sure that the ball stays within the other square and is not on or outside of any lines. You can`t get out on a "serve".
5. Hit the ball back. Receivers must hit the ball back to any other player.
6. Continue playing until a player hits the ball out of the square or it bounces twice in the player's own square. This makes the player out. All other players serve as line judges if the ball hits the line and there is a disagreement between the hitter and the receiver.
7. Shift the player who is out to the lowest level (joker) unless there is a line of people waiting to play, then the person who is out goes to the end of the line and the person next in line goes to the joker square. When a player is out everyone moves up one square.

Tips

• Some people make up different rules, such as Popcorn, where instead of hitting it directly at someone, you can toss it in your hands and then hit it or if you have a ball almost out of your square you can get it and bounce it in the air. There's also Cherry Bomb, where you throw the ball up in the air, jump up, and hit it to the ground. One variation is someone throws a ball out of a square and if the person given a cherry bomb doesn't get it back in ten seconds they're out. And Lobster, where you are only allowed to make lobs. A lob is when you hit the ball so that it lands on your opponent's side without bouncing the ball on your square first. Be sure that you're good at playing Lobster before playing the Lobster rule. Some people also make up rules to get people out such as if you hit a ball while it bounced on another persons square and they haven't hit it yet they consider it as a "steal" and that person goes to the back of the line.
• While there is no "winner" in four-square, the person who stays in the ace position the longest is usually considered the champion.
• There are different serves that people make up, such as Skyscraper, where you bounce the ball very hard on your square so that it will bounce up very high and your opponent can't receive it as easily.
• If some of the other players start forming a team, you have no chance if you're going against them. Start your own team with somebody else and work together if necessary. Cherry bombing is against the rule but you can play 2 ways against the rule or with rules. Cherry bombing is slang for spiking the ball or and overhead slam.
• Draw and number the squares with sidewalk chalk and/or masking tape to help everyone know where each position is located and to establish boundaries.
• The size of the squares does not matter too much, but the general size is about 5 feet x 5 feet (1.5 meters x 1.5 meters). Obviously a larger square makes it harder to hit balls back and forth in, but smaller squares offer little surface area to stand and receive the ball.
• Instead of fighting for the ace position, try playing Rock, Paper, Scissors|Rock, Paper, Scissors.
• Another variation is 'interference', where if somebody who is not playing is on the court or walks on it and interrupts the game. If this happens, the ball is served again.
• If they serve the ball wrongly, they only have three chances.
• Another variation is that you can hit the ball with the rest of the body. Or, it doesn't have to bounce in your square first.

Warnings

• Balls at high speeds can hurt you or other people, so be careful.
• Depending on where you live, the rules can vary dramatically. This is just one set of rules.

Things You'll Need

• At least 4 players
• One "kick ball" (medium sized bouncing ball).
• Chalk or masking tape

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Sources and Citations

• Games Kids Play: 4 Square
• Wikipedia: Four Square

See also

• Play Ga Ga
• Play Kickball
• Play Wall Ball
• Play Paddleball
• Play Pickle
• Teach a Child to Throw, Catch and Hit a Ball
• Play Kickball for Adults

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