It might be tempting to assume that since you play racquetball with a racket and a single ball, it's a lot like tennis. There are, however, few similarities between the two sports. Racquetball is extremely fast-moving and, to a certain degree, dangerous: You are trapped in a small room with at least one other racket-swinging player and a fast-moving, hard rubber ball. You can play racquetball with two players competing individually, four players divided into teams of two, or one player against a team of two.
The Racquetball Court
You play racquetball in a room with 40-foot long side walls, a 20-foot high ceiling and 20-foot wide front and back walls. There are three lines on the floor, crossing straight from one side wall to the other. From front to back, these are the serve line, the mid-court line or short line, and a dashed line that marks the 5-foot safety zone. These lines are only relevant during a serve.
Game Play
Racquetball is played as a series of rallies, during which the two players, or two teams, take turns hitting the ball against the front wall. Players can hit the ball on the fly -- meaning it hasn't yet hit the floor -- or after one bounce on the floor. But if the ball bounces more than once on the floor before you get to it, it's considered "dead." The ball may bounce against the side walls or ceiling on the way to the front wall, but if it hits the floor before it makes it to the front wall, it's also considered "dead."
Serving
Each rally begins with a serve. The player stands between the serve and short lines, bounces the racquetball once on the floor, then hits it against the front wall. The serve can be returned on the fly, but if it's allowed to bounce it must hit the floor between the middle line and the back wall. When your opponent returns the serve, his racket must not break the imaginary barrier created by the dashed line, located behind the short line.
If your first try at a serve goes wrong, you usually get a second attempt. There are a few notable exceptions. If you miss the ball when you try to strike it after the initial bounce, or if you manage to hit the ball but it contacts the floor, ceiling or side wall before making it to the front wall, you lose your second chance and your opponent gets the serve immediately. You can also lose the serve without a second chance if the served ball hits you on its way back from the front wall.
Scoring
Only the player or team that starts each rally with a serve can score a point in that rally. If you started the rally, and your opponent at some point fails to properly return the ball during that rally, you score one point. If you fail to return the ball, your opponent doesn't get any points because you had the serve. But he gets to start the next rally with a serve, and thus has the next scoring opportunity. The first player or team to 15 points wins.
Considerations
If the ball hits somebody, that rally is played over again with no penalty. This sort of play stoppage is known as a "hinder." You can also call a hinder if continuing play would have caused you to hit the other player, or if the ball hit an obstacle -- say, a door handle -- that caused it to bounce erratically.
Equipment
Standard athletic wear is adequate for racquetball. Safety goggles are required in most racquetball courts, and you might also want to purchase a racquetball glove to help you keep a firm grip on your racket. Note that although racquetball rackets look a bit like tennis rackets, they are not the same. Tennis rackets are much longer and made for returning a different sort of ball. Playing racquetball with a tennis racket presents a serious safety hazard.
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