Racquetball
Overview & Examples
Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court. Joe Sobek is credited with inventing racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to the game to increase velocity and control. Unlike most racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, there is no net to hit the ball over, and unlike squash no tin to hit the ball above. Also, the court’s walls, floor, and ceiling are legal playing surfaces, with only the upper part of the back wall (above 12 feet) being out-of-bounds. Matches are typically best of 3 game series, with the first 2 games to 15 and the 3rd game to 11.
Traditional Formats
Racquetball can be played in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles (co-rec) format. In addition team play is also used in some intramural programs.
Staffing
Racquetball is generally self-officiated by the participants. A court or game “monitor” is sometimes used to record game results, check in participants, handle any disputes among participants, and ensure matches finish on time.
Rules
Most intramural programs adopt their rules from the United States Racquetball Association (USRA). Programs can then modify any necessary rules to suit their needs.