How to Play Handstands

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Handstands is an active playground game for two to eight players that combines ball control with a physical challenge. Players must bounce a ball against a wall, kick up into a handstand, and return to their feet in time to catch the ball before it bounces twice. Miss the catch or fluff the handstand and you collect a letter or lose a life, depending on the version being played.

Its appeal is straightforward: it needs nothing more than a wall, a ball, and a patch of flat ground, which is why it has been a staple of school playgrounds and back gardens for generations. It rewards practice rather than size or strength, making it genuinely competitive across a wide age range.

A little history

The precise origins of Handstands are unclear. Games combining wall-ball challenges with gymnastic forfeits appear in British playground tradition at least as far back as the early twentieth century, and similar games are documented across Europe and North America under various local names. It belongs to the broad family of wall-ball games that includes variants of Sevens and Donkey, all of which share the same basic grammar of throw, act, and catch.

Setting up

1. Find a wall with at least two metres of clear, flat, hard ground in front of it and no overhead obstructions.
2. Mark or agree a throwing line roughly one to two metres from the wall. All throws must be made from behind this line.
3. Decide the order of play, typically by each player bouncing the ball once and catching it, with the smoothest catch going first.
4. Agree in advance which scoring system you are using: Lives (each player starts with three lives) or Letters (spelling H-A-N-D-S-T-A-N-D-S, ten letters).
5. Agree whether a two-bounce rule or a one-bounce rule is in play for the catch after the handstand.

How to play

1. The active player stands behind the throwing line facing the wall.
2. The player throws or bounces the ball firmly against the wall with enough force that it will rebound a sufficient distance to give time for the handstand.
3. Immediately after releasing the ball, the player kicks up into a handstand against or near the wall.
4. The player must hold the handstand position until the ball has clearly rebounded off the wall and is travelling back.
5. The player returns to their feet and catches the ball before it bounces a second time on the ground (under the standard one-bounce rule) or a third time (under the two-bounce rule, which is common for younger players).
6. A successful turn scores nothing against the player; they simply pass to the next player in rotation.
7. A failed turn is one where the player: drops the ball, fails to complete the handstand, or allows the ball to bounce too many times. The player receives one letter (or loses one life).
8. Play passes clockwise to the next player, who repeats the sequence.
9. Any player who completes the word H-A-N-D-S-T-A-N-D-S (ten letters) or loses all three lives is eliminated.
10. Eliminated players step out and the remaining players continue until only one player is left.

Winning and scoring

The last player remaining in the game is the winner. Under the Letters system, a player is eliminated the moment they receive their tenth letter, completing the word HANDSTANDS. Under the Lives system, elimination happens when a player drops to zero lives. There is no points tally across rounds; if the group wants to play a longer session they simply count individual round wins.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether the handstand was genuinely held or merely a momentary kick-up. The standard ruling, agreed before play begins, is that both feet must be clearly off the ground simultaneously and the player's weight must be on their hands for at least a count of one. A bunny-hop where only one foot leaves the ground does not qualify and is treated as a failed handstand. Players should call this before the catch, not after.

A second frequent dispute concerns the ball bouncing on the line rather than clearly before or after it. The ball is judged by where it first contacts the ground after the rebound; if that contact is on or beyond the throwing line, the catch is valid. If it lands short of the line before the player catches it, it is still valid provided the catch itself happens behind the line. What is not permitted is the player stepping over the throwing line to throw; the throw must originate from behind or on the line.

How to win more often

• Throw with enough force to give yourself time for the handstand, but not so hard that the ball rebounds past you. A firm, low throw aimed at the middle of the wall gives the most predictable rebound angle.
• Practice your handstand entry so it is quick and consistent. The throw and the kick-up should flow as one movement rather than two separate actions.
• Watch how the wall surface affects the rebound. Rough brickwork deadens the ball more than smooth render; adjust your throw weight accordingly.
• When playing against less experienced opponents, a controlled throw is better than a fast one. Speed only helps if your handstand is already reliable.
• In multi-player games, pay attention to which players are close to elimination. If you are safe, there is no benefit in rushing; a steady, controlled turn is always preferable to a flashy one that risks a mistake.

Variations

Donkey Handstands

Instead of a full handstand, players perform a donkey kick: both feet are kicked up but the player does not aim to hold a vertical position. This version is more accessible for younger children or beginners and can be played on surfaces where a full handstand is impractical. All other rules remain identical.

Two-Wall

Played in a corner where two walls meet at roughly ninety degrees. The player throws the ball so it strikes one wall and caroms onto the second before rebounding out. The handstand must be completed in the time between the first and final rebound. This version significantly increases the difficulty and is best reserved for experienced players.

Called Moves

Before throwing, the active player calls an additional challenge: for example, a clap, a full turn, or touching the ground before completing the handstand. If the player completes all called elements and catches the ball cleanly, the next player in rotation must match the same sequence or receive a letter. This variant escalates quickly and is popular in small groups of similarly skilled players.

Team Handstands

Players split into two equal teams. Each failed turn scores a letter against the whole team rather than the individual. The first team to complete HANDSTANDS loses. This format keeps eliminated individuals involved, since the team's total letters count rather than any single player's tally, and it encourages coaching between teammates.

Handstands: frequently asked questions