Safety is the responsibility of every player who enters the court. At no time should the physical safety of the participants be compromised. Players are entitled, and expected, to hold up on their swing, without penalty, anytime they believe there might be a risk of physical injury. Anytime a player says he held up to avoid injury, even if he was over cautious, he is entitled to a dead-ball hinder and the rally is replayed without penalty.

II. SCORE

Since there is no referee, or scorekeeper, it is important to announce both the server's and the receiver's score before every first serve.

III. MAKING CALLS

During rallies, it is the hitter's responsibility to make the call. If there is a possibility of a skip ball, double-bounce, or illegal hit, play should continue until the hitter makes the call against himself. If the hitter does not make the call against himself and goes on to win the rally, and the opponent thought that one of the hitter's shots was no good, he may appeal to the hitter by pointing out which shot he thought was bad and request the hitter to reconsider. If the hitter is sure of his call, and the opponent is still sure the hitter is wrong, the rally is replayed. As a matter of etiquette, players are expected to make calls against themselves any time they are not sure. Unless the hitter is certain the shot was good, he should call it a skip.

IV. SERVICE

(a) Fault Serves
The receiver has the primary responsibility to make these calls, though either player may make the call. The receiver must make the call immediately, and not wait until he hits the ball and has the benefit of seeing how good a shot he can hit. It is not an option play. The receiver does not have the right to play a short serve just because he thinks it's a set-up.

(b) Hinder Serves
When there is no referee, the hinder serve call is the sole responsibility of the receiver. If the receiver has taken the proper court position, near center court, and his return is interfered with due to movement by the serving side a hinder serve should be called immediately. The receiver may not call a hinder serve after attempting to hit the ball or after taking himself out of proper court position by starting the wrong way. The server may not call a hinder serve under any circumstance (except for a straddle ball) and must expect to play the rally unless he hears a call from the receiver. Two consecutive "hinder serves" results in a fault.

(c) Other Situations
Foot faults, 10 second violations, receiving line violations, service zone infringement, and such other calls usually require a referee. However, if either player believes his opponent is abusing any of the rules, be sure there is agreement on what the rule is, and put each other on notice that the rules should be followed.

V. DEAD-BALL HINDERS

Generally, the hinder should work like the hinder serve-as an option play for the hindered party. Only the person going for the shot can stop play by calling a hinder, and he must do so immediately-not wait until he sees how good a shot he can hit. If the hindered party believes he can make an effective return in spite of some hindrance that has occurred, he may continue to play.

VI. AVOIDABLE HINDERS

Since avoidable hinders are usually unintentional, they can occur even in the friendliest matches. A player who realizes that he caused such a hinder should simply declare his opponent to be the winner of the rally. If a player feels that his opponent causes such a hinder, but the opponent does not make the call on himself, the offended player should point out that he thought that an avoidable hinder occurred. However, unless the opponent agrees that an avoidable hinder occurred, none will be called. Often just pointing out what appears to be an avoidable hinder will prevent the opponent from such actions on future rallies. Except for the hinder serve, if a player on the serving side creates a hinder, the serving side starts the ensuing service with a fault.

VII. RESOLVING DISPUTES

If either player, for any reason, desires to have a referee, it is considered common courtesy for the other player to go along with the request, and a referee suitable to both sides should be found. If a question about a rule or interpretation comes up, seek out a more experienced player or the tournament director for help. Then, after the match, contact your handball association for the answer.