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Joe Sobek is credited with inventing the sport of racquetball, though not with naming it. A professional tennis player and handball player, Sobek sought a fast-paced sport that was easy to learn and play. He designed the first strung paddle, devised a set of rules, based on those of squash and handball, and named his game, paddle rackets.
In February of 1952, Sobek founded the International Paddler's Racquets Association (IPRA), codified the rules, and had them printed as a booklet. The new sport was rapidly adopted, and became popular through Sobek's continual promotion of it; he was aided by the existance of some 40,000 handball courts in the country's YMCAs and JCCs, wherein racquetball could be played.
In 1969, aided by Robert W. Kendler — the president-founder of the U.S. Handball Association (USHA) — the International Racquetball Association (IRA) was founded using the name coined by Bob McInerney, a professional tennis player. That same year, the IRA assumed the national championship from the National Paddle Rackets Association (NPRA). In 1973, after a dispute with the IRA board of directors, Kendler formed two, other racquetball organizations, yet the IRA remains the sport's dominant organization, recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the American national racquetball governing body.
In 1974, the IRA organized the first professional tournament, and is a founding member of the International Racquetball Federation (IRF). Eventually, the IRA became the American Amateur Racquetball Association (AARA); in the late 1990s, it renamed itself as the United States Racquetball Association (USRA). In 2003, the USRA again renamed itself to USA Racquetball (USAR), to mirror other Olympic sports associations.
Kendler used his publication ACE to promote both handball and racquetball. Starting in the 1970s, and aided by the fitness boom of that decade, the sport's popularity increased to an estimated 3.1 million players by 1974. Consequent to increased demand, racquetball clubs and courts were founded and built, and sporting goods manufacturers began producing racquetball-specific equipment. This growth continued until the early 1980s, and declining in the decade's latter part when racquet clubs converted to physical fitness clubs, in service to a wider clientele, adding aerobics exercise classes and physical fitness and body-building machines. Since then, the number of racquetball players has remained steady, an estimated 5.6 million players.
Currently, the International Racquetball Tournament (IRT), the Legends Tour, and the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) handle professional games. As a sport, racquetball is televised a few times yearly, with the greatest game being the U.S. Open championships, in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2005, the Pro Nationals racquetball tournament was added to the roster of professional games; held, to date, in Chicago, Illinois, and in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Equipment
This court and equipment are required for playing racquetball:
A racquetball court; fully enclosed indoor or outdoor with forward wall
A racquetball; a dynamic (bouncy) rubber ball of 2.25 in. (57 mm) diameter
Two racquetball racquets; no longer than 22 inches
Racquetball goggles
Other, useful, optional equipment, but not required: a racquetball glove for firmly gripping the sweat-slicked racquet handle and protecting the racquet-hand knuckles from the playing surfaces, (i.e. floor, wall, the other player[s]). Racquetball court shoes and sweatbands, snug-fitting, absorbent cotton shorts and shirt, to control and contain sweat from the court floor.
Rules
The Court DimensionsThe standard racquetball court is rectangular: 40 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 20 feet high. It is marked with red lines defining the ball service and reception areas. The short line is the solid red line running the court's width, and is parallel to the front and back walls, it is 20 feet from the back wall. The service line parallels the short line and is 15 feet from the front wall. Within the area created by these two lines is the ball service zone, there are two sets of lines perpendicular to the short and service lines. The first set of lines is 18 inches from, and parallel to, the side walls. Along with the short line, service line, and side wall these lines define the doubles box, where the non-serving doubles partner stands during the serve; 36 inches from the side wall is another set of lines which, along with the short line and the service line, define an area that the server must not enter if he wishes to hit a drive serve between himself and the nearest side wall. The receiving line is a parallel dashed line 5 feet behind the short line.
To serve, and start play of the game, the serving player must bounce the ball on the floor once and forcefully strike it against the front wall — making the ball rebound beyond the short line and strike the floor, either with or without touching a side wall, otherwise the serve counts as a fault [2]. After the ball bounces behind the short line, or passes the receiving line, the ball is in play and the opposing player(s) may strike it in turn.
Per USA Racquetball, the server must wait until the ball passes the short line before stepping out of the service zone, otherwise it is a fault serve. The server is allowed two service attempts if a fault serve is committed. There are many different methods of determining who receives first serve. One method determines that by each player striking the ball agains the front wall and seeing whose serve lands closest to either back red line or the back wall.
Other fault serves include a three wall serve in which the ball touches both side walls before touching the floor; a ceiling serve in which the ball touches the ceiling on the serve; a long serve in which the ball strikes the back wall before striking the floor; and serving before the receiving player is ready. There are service violations resulting in an out: two consecutive fault serves; a missed serve attempt; a fake serve attempt; a side wall serve wherein the ball does not strike the front wall before striking any other part of the court; a wall- or floor-crotch serve wherein the ball strikes the corner of the front wall and side wall; or the corner of the front wall and floor; and an out-of-court serve in which the ball goes out of the court after hitting the front wall.
The server must stand within the service zone when serving, and the service receiver must stand behind the receiving line when service is made, and until the ball bounces on the floor or crosses the receiving line. After the receiver player strikes the served ball, where a player stands for play is unrestricted. The player who won the last point or rally serves next.
After a successful serve, players alternate hitting the ball against the front wall. The player returning the hit may allow the ball to bounce once on the floor or hit the ball on the fly, however, once the player returning the shot has hit the ball, either before bouncing on the floor or after one bounce, it must strike the front wall before it hits the floor. Unlike during the serve, a ball in play may touch as many walls, including the ceiling, as necessary so long as it reaches the front wall without striking the floor.
Only the serving player scores points, like-wise, in a doubles game, only the serving team, when the opposing player does not return the served ball, or for some other reason as determined by the rules. Professional players play best-of-five 11-point games, requiring a two-point margin for victory. Amateur players play two 15-point games, with an 11-point tie-breaking game if needed. Amateur racquetball does not require 2 points to win.
During play, a player loses the rally if any of the following circumstances occur
The ball bounces on the floor more than once before being struck.
The ball does not reach the front wall on the fly.
The ball flies into the spectator's gallery or wall opening or strikes an out-of-bounds surface above the court's normal playing area [cf. Rule 2.1(a)]. [4]
A slow ball with neither the velocity nor direction needed to strike the front wall that strikes another player.
A ball struck by a player hits that player or that player's partner.
A penalised hindrance. [cf. Rule 3.15]. [5]
Switching racquet hands during a rally.
Not using a racquet wrist-safety cord.
Touching the ball with either the body or uniform.
Carrying or slinging the ball with the racquet.
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