Racquetball

What is Racquetball?

Described as a ‘quirky’ cross between the games of tennis and squash, racquetball is easier to play and a lot more fun. This is an ideal indoor winter activity for those who can manage to pull themselves off the couch and into action.

This uncomplicated game can be mastered in the space of 60 seconds and all you need is a play-mate or three to get going.

The game is played on a standard squash court, but unlike squash, you play with a bigger and bouncier blue ball. As the racquet has a larger head and a shorter handle it is easy to manipulate. If you haven’t played any racquet sports before, racquetball is a great way to start.

Described as an excellent fat-burner, racquetball encourages longer rallying, giving you sustained aerobic activity. The game will also improve your hand-eye co-ordination skills as the ball bounces around the walls of the court.

You can play singles or doubles and mixed play is very popular. People of all ages can get onto a court and play ball. If you enjoy racquetball you can play socially or in a competition, which is organised through your local squash/racquetball centre.

Rules

Two players, each with a racquet, take turns to hit the ball onto the front wall within the large area defined by the red line at the top of the court (‘out of court line’) and the red line marking the top of the tin at the bottom of the front wall.

A rally begins when the server, standing forward of the short line, bounces the ball and strikes it with an under-arm action. For the service to be ‘good’, the ball must go directly to the front wall between the ‘out of court’ line and the tin, and rebound back to land on the floor behind the short line.

The receiver stands between the short line and the back wall. If the service is good, the receiver strikes the ball so that it returns to the front wall. On its way to the front wall, the ball may hit the back or side walls first, but must not go ‘out of court’, hit an opponent, hit the tin or touch the floor before reaching the front wall. The receiver may chose to strike the service ball ‘on the full’.

A match can either consist of three games with each game played to fifteen points, with the player scoring the highest number of points winning the match, or be played ‘best of 3’ games to 21 points, with the player first to win two games winning the match. If the score in any game in the second version reaches 20-all, the winner of that game is the player to first reach 22 points.

Click here for Singles Rules of the (Australian) game.

Click here for Doubles Rules of the (Australian) game.