Racquetball is a sport that is played on the court with a ball and racquet within the walls. The game’s object is to hit the ball against the wall before it takes the second bounce; otherwise, the opponent team will get the point. There can be two or four players. It is called singles when two players play it; however, when played by four players, it is called doubles.
The reason behind its global popularity is the fast-paced game and easy to learn and play simultaneously. Moreover, Racquetball is a physically demanding game that can improve fitness and cardiovascular conditioning.
RACQUETBALL BACKGROUND
Racquet sports are some of the oldest sports in the world. They have been around for centuries, and people worldwide enjoy playing them. These sports include tennis, squash, racquetball, and badminton. They are all different from one another, but one thing that is common among them is that everyone enjoys either watching or playing them.
Joseph G. Sobek introduces Racquetball in the 1940s. Sobek worked in a rubber factory in the US, where he manufactured a rubber ball. Subsequently, the idea of inventing a new fast game similar to tennis and squash came to his mind. Next, he made a racquet to use in Racquetball. Furthermore, this became an official sport in 1968; however, this time, the rules were devised by Robert Kindler, unlike before Sobek created them.
COURT OF THE SPORT
When you are not playing at a professional level, the rules might not be of great importance; however, at a professional level, there are specific standards under which the game is played. Firstly, the court should be closed in four walls where the outside is made of cement and the inside of hardwood.
Secondly, the court dimensions should be 40 ×40×20 feet. However, some variations in dimensions are allowed to players, such as 4.8 in length and 3 in for height and width. In official courts, you will notice markings that clearly show service boxes, back walls, and short lines.
MUST-HAVE EQUIPMENT
There are five pieces of equipment players should have when playing professional Racquetball. These are listed below.
- Racquet
- Rubber ball
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Shoes
The first two are mandatory when playing Racquetball, whereas the last three pieces of equipment are optional.
Racquets are relatively smaller in size compared to tennis racquets, and their strings are tighter with the triangular shape of the racquet. The rubber ball must be highly bouncy, with a diameter of 2.5 inches.
Furthermore, goggles, gloves, and shoes also play an essential role in the games as it adds the feature of comfort.
RACQUETBALL TYPES
When it comes to the types, there are three types called singles, doubles, and cutthroat. The first type has two players; in the second, there are four players, two in each team, whereas the third type has three players. The basic rules remain the same for all classes. The only difference is the number of players in each type.
In all types of games, when a player does not hit the ball before its second bounce, the opponents get the point, and the game goes to their hand, which ends with the same process, i.e., not hitting the ball before the second bounce.
It is interesting to note that you can only get the point when you are the server, which means that when the non-server wins the rally, he will get a service rather than getting the point, and when a server wins the rally, they get the point.
JARGONS
There are some jargons or terminologies that are specifically associated with the sport. These terms are listed below.
- ACE: No return of the serve
- HINDER: Another player comes in the way
- KILLSHOT: Loose shot to win the game
- SKIP BALL: Ball hitting the ground before the wall
- BOTTOM BOARD: hitting the wall’s bottom
- CEILING SHOT: hitting the ceiling first
- CUTTHROAT: 3 players’ game
- PLUM: perfect kill shot ball