4-square is a game with infinite possible options of rules and special modes. What were some you grew up with?

Usually the person in the king+queen spot were allied and would set each other up to continuously get the newest player out. Or sometimes the other 3 would team up together against the king. Cherry bombing was usually not allowed.

Overhand, underhand, backstops, and double hits were the standard where I grew up.

Whoever served chose the rules, but those got rattled off first.

I remember Around the World – Ball must go to each square in order.

And of course, no cherry bombs.

long game - for the first 3 hits, you weren't allowed to cherry bomb

long game forevermore - can't cherry bomb this round

no bobbling - bobbling is where you would repeatedly "juggle" the ball with one hand since holding the ball wasn't allowed

nice and easy - nothing resembling a hard hit allowed

I'm sure there was more that I'm not remembering. It was up to the king to declare which special rules they wanted to play with that round before they served. "Long game forevermore and all that crap" was used to declare a standard set of special rules most of us would use, but you had to pay attention since it wasn't always declared. Rule breaking was a regular thing, but would slide if it was done in a funny way or if the other 3 didn't like the person who got out.

Wow, I haven’t even thought about that game in 35 years

Uggghhh my cousins were always way more coordinated than me and would rush the square to impliment one where we have to juggle the ball around behind our back like Michael Jordan with every pass.

Fuckers. Only did it because I had long arms

I remember whoever was serving would always call out the rules before each serve. "No arch" was a popular one. I think another way to say it is "no cherrybombs." I vaguely remember "no easies" as well. I think it was meant to prevent a bunch of friends getting in and going easy on each other.

No curls.

Never heard of cherry bombing before this thread so looked it up. I can't recall what we referred to them as but the move was known.

What's a curl?

When you arc your throw such that it crosses back over your space.

I don't recall having any special rules. We'd just hit the ball to another square and that was it.

The again, my memory is shit with specifics.