Official Racquetball Rules

In 1952, Joe Sobek, the inventor of racquetball, created the National Paddle Rackets Association to set rules for the game and maintain standards. Today, the sport is governed by USA Racquetball, although there also is a worldwide governing body, the International Racquetball Federation. Rules are uniform at all levels and locations.

  1. Players

    • Racquetball can be played by two, three or four people. Officially, only two-player and four-player games are recognized in tournament play. Three-player games are known as cutthroat, since the scenario is every man for himself.

    Serve

    • To serve the ball, a player must stand within the court's service box, bounce the ball once and strike it so that it hits the front wall before anywhere else. The ball must pass the back of the service box before bouncing to be legal.

      A serve may contact one side wall before bouncing, but it cannot hit the back wall, ceiling or second side wall until after it has bounced.

      The server gets two attempts to make a legal serve. If he fails, his opponent takes over serving.

    Play

    • After the serve, players rotate returning the ball until one fails to do so legally. They must hit the ball before it bounces more than once, though they do not have to wait for it to bounce. Their returns must strike the front wall before bouncing. The ball can hit the back wall, ceiling and the side walls as long as it hits the front wall before bouncing.

      For example, a player serves and his opponent hits the ball. The ball hits the ceiling and a side wall, then the front wall, then the floor. This is legal. However, if the ball were to hit the ceiling, side wall and floor before hitting the front wall, he loses the point.

    Scoring

    • Only the server can score a point. If he loses a rally, his opponent takes over serving but does not gain a point. Players continue to serve until they lose a rally.

      Games are played until one player scores 15 and is ahead by two points. If the score is 15-14, for example, play continues indefinitely until one player wins by two.

      Matches are usually best two out of three games.

    Doubles

    • For the most part, rules for doubles are the same as for singles. A serving player's partner must stand at the opposite side of the service box during the serve. Afterward, all players are free to move anywhere in the court.

      Either player on a team may hit the ball on that's team's turn. They do not have to alternate hits.