What Is Racquet Ball?

Racquetball is a fast-paced game similar to handball and squash. Players use racquets to hit a small, rubber ball around a court in an effort to score points. The game is primarily played recreationally, but there is a professional racquetball circuit, called the International Racquetball Tour.

  1. Court

    • The standard racquetball court is an enclosed room 20 feet wide, 40 feet long and 20 feet high. The players can play the ball off any surface, including the back wall, which must be at least 12 feet high. The floor of the court is painted with a series of lines that indicate where the players must stand during a serve and where the ball must land on a serve to be in play.

    Players

    • The game is generally played with two players playing against the other, or with four players, two on each team. When the game is played with two players, it is called singles, and when it is played by four players it is called doubles. Another version of the game is played with three players, each playing solo, called cutthroat.

    Object of the Game

    • One player, or team, serves the ball to the other. The object is to score points, called rallies, by hitting the ball so the opponent cannot keep it in play. The ball is kept in play if the returning player can bounce the ball off the front wall before it bounces on the floor twice. The rally is over when a player fails to do this.

    Scoring

    • Points can be earned only by the serving player, or team. If the server wins the rally, she earns a point. If the returning player, or team, wins the rally, he gets to serve. Fifteen points wins the match, and two matches wins the game. In the event that each player, or team, wins a match, a third match is played to 11 points, and the winner of this match wins the game.

    Equipment and Safety

    • Racquetballs are rubber balls 2 ¼ inches in diameter that weigh about 1.4 oz. A standard racquet has no approved weigh, but it should not be longer than 22 inches. Racquetball players should always wear approved eye wear; avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing, because it can be a distraction to the other players; and wear a wrist strap connected to the handle of their racquet so there is no chance of accidentally throwing the racquet.

    History

    • Racquetball was invented by Joe Sobek in 1949 in Connecticut. In an effort to create a game that was fast paced and easy to learn, Sobek combined the rules of handball and squash. He is considered the designer of the racquetball racquet, which he called a "paddle racket."

      The game was very popular until the 1980s, when clubs began to privatize, making it more difficult for the average person to gain access to a racquetball court. Since then, the sport has gained steady interest.