Racquetball is an indoor sport, played with a short racket and soft rubber ball. Similar to squash, racquetball is more robust, with equipment that more resembles tennis gear. The sport is action-oriented with fast shots where the ball may ricochet off more than one wall within the court. A popular sport during the fitness craze of the 1980s, racquetball continues to be popular today.
History
Racquetball was the brainchild of Joe Sobek. During the Korean War, Sobek came up with the idea for a racket sport, similar to tennis, that could be played in a smaller area, such as a squash court. Sobek had 25 rackets and a special ball constructed and racquetball was born. Early rackets were made of wood, which was replaced by aluminum alloy and fiberglass during the 1970s. In the 1980s, racquetball reached the height of its popularity with courts opening up across the nation. The sport has waned some, but continues to be very popular, particularly in urban areas.
Object
The object of racquetball is to win play periods, called rallies to score points. Rallies are won by hitting the racquetball so that the opponent cannot return the ball to the front wall. Only the person serving can score during a rally. Each player takes turns serving until one player has achieved a score of either 15 or 21 points, depending upon the rules being followed.
Court
The racquetball court is a room 20 feet wide by 40 feet long by 20 feet high. The service line, from where the ball is served, is 18 feet from the front wall. Three feet behind that is the short line, which defines the service zone. Lines drawn to the outside of the service zone define areas for singles or doubles serving. Five feet behind a short line is the receiving line, where the receiving player will stand to return a serve.
Equipment
Now commonly made of composite materials such as fiberglass or carbon fiber, rackets have a shorter handle and squarer face than tennis rackets. The racquetball is smaller than a tennis ball and made of thin, pressurized rubber with a smooth surface. Because racquetballs move at tremendous speed, protective eye wear is required to reduce the risk of injury. A glove is often worn on the racket hand and indoor court or tennis shoes are usually required.
Play
The server will hit the ball against the front wall so that it rebounds behind the service line. The receiver will then return the serve. If the ball bounces more than once before being returned at any point in the rally, the rally is over. If the server fails to return the ball, service will change to the receiver, but no point will be scored. If the receiver fails to return the ball, a point will be scored and the server will retain service. If the ball hits an opponent or the view of the ball is blocked by the opponent, a "hinder" is called and the point is replayed. The ball may be returned against any number of walls, as long as it hits the front wall. Play continues until one player reaches the prescribed winning number of points.
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