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| THE GAME |
 | TYPES OF GAMES
When two play, it's called singles and when four play, it's doubles. A
non-tournament game played by three players is called cut-throat.
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| POINTS AND OUTS
Points are scored only by the serving side. Losing the serve is called a
sideout in singles. In doubles, when the first server loses the serve it is
called a "hand-out" or "half-out" and when the second server loses the serve
it is then a sideout. |
| MATCH, GAME & TIEBREAKER
A match is won by the first side winning two games. The first two games of a
match are played to 15 points. If each side wins one game, a tiebreaker game
is played to 11 points. It is NOT required that a player "win by
two" points. |
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| COURTS &
EQUIPMENT |
| COURT SPECIFICATIONS
The four-wall racquetball court is 20 feet wide, 40 feet long and 20 feet
high, with a back wall at least 12 feet high. Courts are marked with 1 1/2
inch wide lines (short line, service line, drive serve lines, and receiving
line) that indicate the service zone, service boxes, and receiving zone.
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| RACQUET SPECIFICATIONS
The racquet, including bumper guard and handle, may not exceed 22 inches in
length. The frame may be any material judged to be safe, with a thong that
securely attaches it to the player's wrist, and string that does not mark
the ball. |
| APPAREL
In sanctioned tournament play,
lensed eyewear
designed for racquetball (which meets or exceeds ASTM F803 or Canadian [CSA]
impact standards) is REQUIRED. Players who require corrective eyewear also
must also adhere to this rule. Protective eyewear must be worn as designed
and may not be altered. Shoes must not mark or damage the floor. Approved
eyewear must be worn and wrist thongs must be used during warm-up.
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| PLAY REGULATIONS |
| SERVE
In tournament play, the player or team winning the coin toss has the option
to either serve or receive at the start of the first game. The second game
will begin in reverse order of the first game. The player or team scoring
the highest total of points in games one and two will have the option to
serve or receive first at the start of the tiebreaker. In the event that
both players or teams score an equal number of points in the first two
games, another coin toss will take place and the winner of the toss will
have the option to serve or receive. In everyday play, the "lag" or courtesy
"you serve" will determine the first server.
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| START
The serve is started from any place within the service zone, with the
exception of certain drive serves (see "Drive Service Zones" below).
Stepping on, but not over, the lines is permitted. The server may not step
over the short line until the ball passes the short line. |
| MANNER
The player begins the service motion with any continuous movement which
results in the ball being served. The ball must be bounced and hit before it
bounces a second time. |
| DRIVE SERVICE ZONES
The drive serve lines are three feet from each side wall in the service box.
The player may drive serve between the body and the nearest side wall only
if the player starts and remains outside of the 3-foot drive service zone,
and the racquet does not break the plane of the zone while making contact
with the ball. The drive serve zones aren't observed for crosscourt drive
serves, the hard-Z, soft-Z, lob or half-lob serves. |
| SERVE IN DOUBLES
At the beginning of each doubles game, when the first server is out, the
team is out. Thereafter, both players on each team serve until the team
receives a handout and a sideout. On each serve, the server's partner must
stand erect with their back to the side wall and both feet on the floor
within the service box until the served ball passes the short line.
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| DEFECTIVE SERVES
There are three types of defective serves: 1) a dead-ball serve which
results in no penalty and the server is given another serve (like a wet spot
or broken ball), 2) any fault serve (foot fault, short, long, screen,
three-wall, etc.), and 3) an out serve which results in an out (double
fault, server hits self with serve, etc.) |
| RETURNS
Once a "good serve" puts the ball into play, the receiver may not enter the
marked safety zone until the ball bounces or crosses the plane of the dashed
receiving line – particularly in making an on-the-fly return attempt. After
"legal" contact with the ball (after the bounce, or behind the line), the
receiver's follow-through may carry the racquet or the body past the
receiving line. Failure to return a serve results in a point for the server.
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| SIDEOUT
A server continues to serve until an out serve, OR two consecutive fault
serves, OR one player hits partner with an attempted return (in doubles), OR
a player or team loses a rally, OR a player or team commits an avoidable
hinder. In singles, retiring the server is a sideout. In doubles, the side
is retired when both partners have lost service. |
| RALLIES
Play initiated after the successful return of serve is called the rally.
Play stops when: the ball is carried (resting on the racquet long enough
that the effect is more of a sling or throw than a hit); the ball caroms off
a player's racquet (or rebounds from any court surface) into a gallery or
wall opening; a ball obviously doesn't have the velocity or direction to hit
the front wall and strikes another player; an avoidable hinder occurs. The
ball remains in play until it touches the floor a second time regardless of
how many walls it makes contact with—including the front wall. In singles,
if a player swings at the ball and misses it, the player may continue to
attempt to return the ball until it touches the floor for the second time.
In doubles, if one player swings at the ball and misses it, both partners
may make further attempts to return the ball until it touches the floor the
second time. Both partners on a side are entitled to return the ball.
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| HINDERS
There are two types of hinders, 1) a dead-ball hinder which is replayed
without penalty (court hinders, body contact, safety holdup, screens, etc.)
and 2) avoidable which result in the loss of rally by the offender (these
are not necessarily intentional, but clearly take away an offensive shot
from your opponent, like blocking, making distracting noise, or playing so
close as to be hit by the backswing, etc.). If your court position or manner
takes away an offensive shot from your opponent, the right thing to do is
call an avoidable hinder on yourself. |
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