Go Play Racquetball

Racquetball is a sport played with racquets and a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. It was invented by Joe Sobek in 1948 incorporating rules from squash and handball. Unlike most racket sports (such as Tennis or Badminton), usage of the walls, floor, and ceiling of the court is considered legal in the context of the sport, rather than out-of-bounds. The game is normally played by two opposing players, though variations involving three and four players are also commonly played. Games involving two players are called singles or '1-Ups', three player games are typically called 'Ironman' (2 on 1 during entire game) or 'Cutthroat' (each player take turns serving to the other 2). A variation of a 3 player game is 'California' where it is basically singles style play, however the player that lost the point stays in the back of the court while the other two play the next point. Four player games are called doubles.

A standard racquetball court is rectangular and is 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and 20 feet high. The court is marked by several red lines to define service and reception areas. The short line is a solid red line running the width of the court and is parallel to the front and back walls and is twenty feet from the back wall. The service line is parallel to the short line and is five feet closer to the front wall. Within the area created by these two lines (service zone), there are two sets of lines perpendicular to the short and service lines. The first set of lines are 18 inches from and parallel with the side walls. Along with the short line, service line and side wall these lines define the doubles box where the non-serving partner in doubles must stand during the serve. 36 inches from the side wall is another set of lines which, along with the short line and the service line, define an area that the server must not enter if he wishes to hit a drive serve between himself and the nearest side wall. The receiving line is a dashed line five feet parallel behind the short line.

To serve, the player must bounce the ball on the floor once and then hit it directly to the front wall—making the ball rebound beyond the short line and touch the floor either with or without touching one side wall; otherwise it is a fault. Once the ball bounces behind the short line, or passes the receiving line, the ball is considered 'in play' and can be returned by the opposing player(s). Also, according to USA Racquetball, the server must wait until the ball passes the short line before stepping out of the service zone, otherwise it is a fault serve. The server is allowed two attempts at serving if a fault serve is committed. There are also many different methods to determine who receives first serve. Some people decide by which player serves closest to back red line or closest to back wall.

Other fault serves include a three wall serve in which the ball touches both side walls before touching the floor, a ceiling serve in which the ball touches the ceiling on the serve, a long serve in which the ball hits the back wall before hitting the floor, and serving before the receiver is ready. There are also service violations that result in an out. These include two consecutive fault serves, a missed serve attempt or a fake serve attempt, a non front wall serve in which the ball does not strike the front wall before hitting any other part of the court, a crotch serve in which the ball hits the corner of the front wall and side wall or the corner of the front wall and floor, and an out of court serve in which the ball goes out of the court after hitting the front wall.

The server must stand within the service zone during the serve, and the service receiver must stand behind the receiving line when the serve is being made and until the ball bounces on the floor or crosses the receiving line. After the serve is hit by the service receiver, there are no restrictions on where players must stand. The player who won the last point or rally makes the next service.

After a successful serve players alternate hitting the ball against the front wall. The player returning the hit may allow the ball to bounce once on the floor or hit the ball on the fly. However, once the player returning the shot has hit the ball, either before bouncing on the floor or after one bounce, it must strike the front wall before it hits the floor. Unlike the serve, a ball in play may touch as many walls, including the ceiling, as necessary as long as it reaches the front wall without bouncing on the floor.

Points are scored only by the server, or in the case of a doubles match, the server's team, when the served ball is not returned by an opposing player, or for some of the following rules below. Professional players play best of 5 eleven-point games, requiring a two-point margin of victory. Amateur players play 2 fifteen-point games, with an eleven-point tiebreaker if necessary. It is not necessary to win by two points in amateur racquetball.

During play, the following result in the loss of rally by a player

1. The ball bounces on the floor more than once before being hit.

2. The ball does not reach the front wall on the fly.

3. The ball is hit such that it goes into the gallery or wall opening or else hits a surface above the normal playing area of the court that has been declared as out-of-play

4. A ball that obviously does not have the speed or direction to hit the front wall strikes another player.

5. A ball struck by a player hits that player or that player's partner.

6. Committing a penalty hinder. See Rule 3.15.

7. Switching hands during a rally.

8. Failure to use a racquet wrist safety cord.

9. Touching the ball with the body or uniform.

10. Carrying or slinging the ball with the racquet.