Reposted because so many people have been inquiring about them, and if are to gain new members, perhaps confusion could be avoided. Also, it's always nice to have a reference.
Official guide to playing Four Square, as defined by a certain organization in a certain school, enacted between 2007-2009. Rules and skills were formed between the those years.
General Game Play-
--Players stay in line, and when it is their turn, they move into square #1. If player successfully survives his or her encounter with square #1, player shall proceed to move into square #2. Player will repeat the process for square #3 and #4. Player will continue the process of advancing squares until 1). The player gets out, 2). The person has reached the fourth square and therefore cannot advance any more, or 3). The game ends for whatever reason.
--The player in square #4 is the one who serves the ball to signify the start of a round. See "Serving" for details.
--General Four Square game play involves passing a regular inflated kickball into a square besides your own. There are several rules associated with this form of game play, which will be explained in detail below.
--Players may use the following parts of their body to pass the ball into another square:
---Hands
---Feet
---Limbs
---Head
---Torso
---Face
---Abdomen
---Buttocks (Yes, it has been done before.)
--If a player hits the ball with their hands, the ball may only be hit once before it is to fly into another square.
--If a player hits the ball with a body part besides their hands, they may hit it as many times as they want before it flies into another square. Please note that hitting the ball with your hands after it touched another part of your body is an automatic out.
Serving-
--Serving is when the person in square #4 throws the ball into play. There are several rules that apply whilst serving: ---You must be standing outside of your square. If even your toe is in the fourth square (or on the line) while you serve, it will be counted as an out and you will proceed to be out.
---Everyone must be at their full attentive state while you are serving. This means that everyone is ready for the ball. If someone is, say, tying their shoe, or not even aware that it is their turn to go into play, the serve will not be counted and the round will be redone.
---You must throw the ball into another's square. If you throw the ball into your own square (even by accident), you will be out.
---If you throw the ball long (As in, completely out of the four square court), you will be out.
---If you serve the ball below the knees of the person you are serving to, you will be out.
---If you attempt to Snipe someone on the serve and they catch the ball, you will be out.
---Serving must be done underhand. If you serve overhand, as in, pelting the ball into another square, you will be out.
---Serving may be done with one or two hands.
---If you are playing with your feet, you may drop the ball onto your knees or feet and have it bounce off said body part into another square to serve, as long as it is above the knees.
Basic Skills-
---Spiking
This is one of the most useful ways of getting someone out. Spiking occurs when a player in possession of the ball brings his or hand up, and brings it down on the four square ball with as much force as him or her could muster. This generally sends the ball flying into the square in which the player aims at, and is usually extremely hard for the opposing player to knock the four square ball back into gameplay, thus saving him or herself.
Slice's signature move.
Difficulty Level= Low to Medium
Accuracy= High
Effectiveness Level= Very High
Difficulty to Defend Against= Very High
---Sniping
Sniping occurs when a player hits the four square ball, and the ball is hit by the other person before the ball bounces off the ground first. This results in an automatic out for the person who was "Sniped." However, the person who is being Sniped may dodge the ball, thus resulting in the sniper getting out, due to him of her hitting the ball long. effective this move is, it is very unaccurate for those who haven't had very much practice in the art of Sniping. Please note that if you Snipe someone in their face, or Snipe them extremely hard, you will be out.
Snipe's signature move.
Difficulty Level= Medium to Very High
Accuracy= Low to Medium
Effectiveness Level= Automatic Out
Difficulty to Defend Against= N/A (Unless dodged)
---Gentle Passing
This is just a basic pass of the four square ball into another person's square. Nothing more, nothing less. This is the easiest move to defend against and is the easiest to perform. Of course, there are always ways to add certain twists to it.
Difficulty Level= Low
Accuracy= High
Effectiveness Level= Low to Medium
Difficulty to Defend Against= Low
---Spin Serving
This is where a player in the fourth square (aka the serving square) takes the ball and serves it with an added spin to it. This is not a very easy thing to do. The player must put one hand on the top of the ball, one hand below it, and throw the ball to a square while moving his or her hands sideways and opposite of each other.
Rock's signature move.
Difficulty Level= Medium to Medium High
Accuracy= High
Effectiveness Level= Medium to High
Difficulty to Defend Against= Very High
---Snipe Serving
A Snipe Serve is when the player in the fourth square hurls the ball at another player. This is very similar to Sniping, but several more restrictions apply. See "Serving" and "Sniping" for more details. The only special rule in this case is that if the ball is caught by the person who is being Sniped, the person in the fourth square is out.
Difficulty Level= Medium to High
Accuracy= Low
Effectiveness Level= Automatic Out
Difficulty to Defend Against= N/A (Unless dodged)
---Random Square
This involves serving the ball seemingly randomly into another square. You don't necessarily aim the ball, you more or less just toss it and see where it goes.
Comrade's signature move.
Difficulty Level= Low
Accuracy= Medium to High
Effectiveness Level= Extremely Low
Difficulty to Defend Against= Very Low
---Backhanding
This is the act of using the back of your hand to hit the ball as hard as you can at any given direction. You don't really aim the ball, you just whack it as hard as you can and hope that it Snipe's someone. This is perhaps the move with the lowest accuracy, and should really only be used if you want to get yourself out.
Moose's and Celery's signature move.
Difficulty Level= High
Accuracy= Extremely Low
Effectiveness Level= Automatic Out
Difficulty to Defend Against= N/A (Unless dodged, or the person hits it in a direction completely opposite of you, which is likely.)
---Cutting
Cutting is when the ball is right above one of the inside lines in a four square game. The player then proceeds to "chop" the side of the ball facing them, therefor putting a spin on the ball. If successful, the ball goes into another's square, then bounces back with the spin into your square, thereby making it nearly impossible for the other person to hit the ball. This has a high record of players Cutting the ball into their own square.
Difficulty Level= Medium High to High
Accuracy= Medium
Effectiveness= Extremely High
Difficulty to Defend Against= Very high
--SPAAAAAAAARTA Kicking
Simply Sparta kicking the ball in any given direction. And if it happens to Snipe someone, yes, it does count. But this move usually makes the ball go flying in any direction, similar to a backhand. It once, I believe, made the ball go on the roof of the school.
Snipe's other signature move.
Difficulty Level= Medium
Accuracy= Medium Low
Effectiveness= Medium
Difficulty to Defend Against= Low (If it lands in your square), or N/A (If it Snipes you).
---Rolling
This move involves use of the feet. While the ball is at a reasonable height in front of you, you hit the ball with your chest very slightly, causing the ball to drop down to your feet. You then put your foot under the ball's trajectory and have it roll off your foot into another one's square. This is usually impossible to defend against.
Duck's signature move.
Difficulty Level= Very high
Accuracy= Medium High
Effectiveness= Very High
Difficulty to Defend Against= Very High
Getting Out-
--When a player gets out, they are sent to the back of the line and are to wait patiently for their next turn. During which they are allowed to socialize with the other persons in the line. A player may get out for a long list of reasons, which shall be explained below. Note that when a player gets out, no matter how much arguing or complaining they do, they will not be granted a free pass and be allowed to stay in.
--Rules for getting out
---If a player hits the ball into their own square, they will be out.
---If a player hits the ball long (As in, hitting it out of the four square court completely), they will be out.
---If a player walks into another player's square, they will be out.
---If a player puts his or her hand into another's square to hit the ball, which is in the other's square, the offending player will be out.
---If a player hits the ball twice or more while using their hands one of those times, they will be out. (Remember, you may hit the ball as many times as you want with your feet, head, stomach, etc.)
---If the ball bounces into a player's square, and the player fails to hit it, and the ball bounces again, the player will be out.
---If a player Snipe's someone in the face, he or she will be out.
---See "Serving."
---If a player guides the ball down with force to another's square with their palm (aka palming), the player will be out.
---If a player guides the ball upward with their palm into another's square (aka carrying), the player will be out.
---If a player uses his or her fist to hit the ball into another's square (aka fisting), the offending player will be out.
---If a player is Sniped, he or she will be out.
---If a player hits the ball with two or more hands at the same time, he or she will be out.
Two Square-
--Two Square is an event in which the ball lands on the inside line separating two players, bounces, and no one hits it. The two players then proceed to play a mini four square game against each other. The one who gets out is then sent to the back of the line. A player may get out in Two Square by any of the means mentioned above. In Two Square, the server will be the player currently in the highest square. So, for example, if squares #1 and #2 are in a two square match, square #2 will therefore serve.
Copyright-
--Copyright © Celery Celeryburg, of the Camo Shoe Club.
---8/4/2011
--Do not reproduce, copy, rewrite, and/or edit any information without consent of Celery Celeryburg and/or Snipe Snipenmyer.
--Special Thanks to:
---Moose Moosington- Helped me out with some parts.
---Snipe Snipenmyer- Inspiring me to create this guide.
---Myself- For writing this.
---No one else, because they did not help. At all.
