RULES OF FOUR SQUARE

Play fair. Play fast. Play Four Square.

Welcome to the Official Rules

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this guide walks you through how to play, host, or judge Four Square at any level—from recess to the national championships all the way to the world championships.

Referee with Four Square World Championship ball

📘 Table of Contents

🔴 Equipment
🟦 Court Specifications
🚫 Out-of-Play Zone
🧍 Objective
👣 Player Positioning
🤲 Serving
✋ Ball Striking/Hitting
⚠️ Interference & Poaching
❌ Elimination
🏟️ Environment
⚔️ Showdown
⛔ Prohibited Moves
👥 Divisions
🏆 Tournament Structure
📌 Other Rules
⚡ Unique Special Gameplay Rules

FOUR SQUARE GAME BASICS

Players

Four players on the court

Court

Four equal squares

Ball

Rubber playground ball

Objective

Be the last player standing

Serving

Bounce, then hit with one or both hands

Elimination

Get out, enter the line, and rotate

New to Four Square?
If this is your first time learning the game, we recommend starting with our What Is Four Square? page — a simple, beginner-friendly overview designed for players who are brand new.

📜 Introduction

The rules below represent the official standards used at both the Four Square National Championships™ and the Four Square World Championships™, held annually.

For those interested in alternate styles or playground adaptations, we invite you to explore the "Other Rules" section at the bottom of this page.

🔴 Equipment

Ball: An 8.5-inch rubber playground ball inflated to 2 lbs.

Four Square requires minimal equipment, making it easy to play almost anywhere.
Games can take place on any flat surface—chalk-drawn courts, taped-off indoor/outdoor floors, or professionally painted courts.
Any ball that reliably bounces can be used, though a standard playground ball (8.5-inch rubber) is typically preferred for consistency and control.

🟦 Court Specifications

Dimensions: A 16 x 16-foot square divided into four equal 8 x 8-foot squares, numbered 1–4 with 4 and 1 diagonal from each other.

Lines:

All court lines are 1-2 inches wide.
Outside lines are in-bounds; a ball landing on these remains in play.
Inside lines (dividing squares) are out-of-bounds; a ball landing on these results in an "out."

🚫 Out-of-Play Zone

To ensure fairness and promote returnable gameplay—and since overhand and closed-fist strikes are allowed where some Four Square rules allow only underhand hits—an Out-of-Play Zone is used to discourage unreturnable shots and to ensure safety for all.

The Out-of-Play Zone extends 10 feet beyond each boundary line of the Four Square court.
If a ball is legally hit into another player’s square and then bounces and lands into the Out-of-Play Zone, the player who struck the ball is out.
The out-of-play zone line is in-play.
This rule is designed to encourage all hits to maintain a level of reasonable and possible returnability. This also encourages safety for competitors and spectators.

🧍 Objective

Be the last player standing! The goal is to be the last player remaining after all other players have been eliminated. When play begins, each square contains a player along with the players waiting in line. The player in square 4 serves the ball to square 1 who then hits the ball into a square other than their own. The hits go on until someone gets “out”.

👣 Player Positioning

Players may move freely but must not interfere with other players’ ability to play the ball.

🤲 Serving

The server (in Square 4) must be within the back-half or outside of Square 4.
The serve must be made underhand.
The server must bounce the ball once and then hit it with one or both hands into Square 1.
The serve must be non-aggressive at a reasonable speed, with standard rotation, and must not rise above head height at any point as serves are meant to place the ball fairly into play.
The receiving player (Square 1) is allowed one do-over by calling “one bad”
- The receiving player may announce “one bad” before hitting the ball or after hitting the ball if it resulted in an out.
If the serve is illegal/results in an out (e.g., lands outside Square 1, hits an interior line), the server is allowed one "one bad".

🖐️ Ball Striking/Hitting

Only hands and wrists may strike the ball. “Hands” are defined as the area from the wrist to the fingertips, including the backs of the hands.
The ball may be struck with one or both hands, using either open palms or closed fists, as long as it is one deliberate and clean hit.
No carrying, catching, holding, or double-hits are allowed at any time.
Other than the serve, spinning the ball is allowed as long as the hit that produces the spin is not a carry or other illegal hit.
Kids' divisions require a bounce before hitting (no air balls).
Any player who strikes the ball illegally is considered out.

⚠️ Interference & Poaching

Once the ball bounces in a square, only that player may hit it.
If the ball bounces in a square and another player makes contact with the ball (deliberately or not), and the player whose square the ball bounced in makes an attempt to play the ball and had a realistic chance of getting it, the player who made contact with the ball is out.
If the player whose square the ball bounced in does not make a legitimate attempt to play the ball and another player makes contact with the ball (deliberate or not), the player whose square the ball bounced in is “out”.
Boys + Girls/Children’s Divisions: The ball must bounce in a square for a player to hit the ball (no air balls).
Players are not able to physically impede another player from the ball. Impeding another player from getting the ball is another form of “interference” and results in an out.

❌ Elimination

Each time a player is out, that player leaves the court and enters the line and, if applicable, all players advance to the higher numbered square. Square 1 is then filled with a new player.

Ways to get out:

Ball bounces more than once in your square.
Hitting the ball out-of-bounds, the inside lines, your own square or the out-of-play zone.
Carrying, poaching, interfering.
Ball hits you not in hands.

🏟️ Environment

If the ball bounces in a square and an obstacle impedes the player from returning the ball (e.g., person, chair, object):
If the player made an attempt and had a realistic chance of legally returning the ball, the round is declared “dead” and will restart.
If the player did not attempt or had no realistic chance of returning the ball, that player is out.

⚔️ Showdown

Disputes? Lets have the Four Square Gods settle it with a 1-on-1 showdown using just 2 squares. Higher square serves.

⛔ Prohibited Moves

Blackjack: Catching the ball outside the squares.
Spinzies: Using two hands to spin.
Short-stopping: Hitting ball to self.
Body Parts/Language: Using body parts other than hands.

👥 Divisions

Boys 14 & under
Girls 14 & under
Men 15+ with Sub-division: Senior Men 45+
Women 15+ with Sub-division: Senior Women 45+

🏆 Tournament Structure

Round 1:

Kids Divisions (Boys + Girls) play together; Adults Divisions (Men + Women) play together.
45 minutes of play across multiple courts.
Each "out" is tallied.

Round 2 (Semifinals):

Players return to where they left off in Round 1 — 25 minutes of play.
Kids Divisions (Boys + Girls) play together; Adults Divisions (Men + Women) play together.
“Outs” continue/carry-over from Round 1.
Top 8 players/least amount of 'outs' per division advance. (if ties occur: all tied competitors advance)

Championship Round:

Finalists compete in a “10-out” untimed tournament.
Pick-from-hat method to determine where players begin in squares/lines.
Square 2 is vacated when 3 players left.
When two remaining players: 1v1 in adjacent squares.
Last player standing is crowned champion.

While the rules above reflect the standards used at the Four Square World Championships, we recognize that many versions of the game exist. These “Other Rules” are accounted for below.

These variations are popular in schools, local tournaments, and backyard play. While some of these are not used at the World Championships, they reflect the creativity and fun of the game!

7-Up – Each player must call out a number one higher than the previous hit, starting with one. The player striking the ball on “7” or any number ending in “7” must skip that number. Failure to skip correctly results in the player being out.

Around the World – Any player in possession of the ball may call “Around the World” at any time. Once called, play continues by hitting the ball to the next adjacent square in sequence until it returns to the caller. The game then resumes as normal. A “permanent” version may be declared, requiring the rotation to continue until a player is out, even after the ball reaches the caller.

Bottle Caps – The server may declare another player “bottle capped” at any time. The capped player must squat and remain frozen for the rest of the round (or until uncapped by the server). That player’s square becomes temporarily out-of-bounds.

Bomb – The server places the ball in the center of the court and calls “Bomb!” All players must touch the ball; the last one to do so is out.

Body Hits / Body Parts – Players may use specific body parts (e.g., head, foot) or their entire body to strike the ball if this variation is in effect.

Categories – The server names a category (e.g., “types of drinks” or “girls’ names”) before play starts. Each player must say a new, valid example within that category when hitting the ball. Failure to name a correct or unique item results in elimination.

Cherry Bomb – A player may grab the ball and throw it forcefully into any square, shouting “Cherry Bomb!” when doing so.

Corners – When declared by the server, all players must quickly move to the outer corner of their square. The last player to reach their corner is out.

Double Bounces – The ball must bounce exactly twice in a player’s square before being returned. If it bounces any other number of times, that player is out.

Dot to Dot – When called, all players must touch the center corner, then their back corner, then return to the center corner. The last to finish the sequence is out.

Holding / Carrying – Normally players must hit the ball cleanly, but in this variation, a player may briefly hold the ball (less than half a second) if using a special move.

Lumberjacks / Battle Royale – When many players are present, extra players circle the court as “lumberjacks.” If the ball is hit out, the lumberjacks hit it back in to keep play going. Eliminated players remain out until one of the original four is declared champion.

Off-Serve – The player receiving the serve must return the ball directly to the server.

Passback – When “Passback” is called, the next player to hit the ball must return it to the player who called it.

Popcorn (Baubling, Bubbles, Double Touches, Juggling) – A technique where a player lightly bounces the ball between their hands before hitting it to another square, allowing quick control without holding.

Rolling / Bowling – A player hits the ball so low that it rolls along the ground; this results in the roller being out.

Sentences – The server begins a sentence with one word. Each subsequent player adds one word to continue it logically, or may end it by saying “period.” A nonsensical continuation results in the player being out.

Tapping / Babies / Tiny Tims – The ball is hit gently so it barely bounces and travels only a short distance across the court.