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BASIC RULES
Racquetball can be played by two, three,
or four players. In Singles, two players oppose each other. In Cutthroat,
two players play as a team against the serve. Doubles competition involves a
team of two players against another team of two. Racquetball can be played
on a one, two, three, or four wall court. In general, racquetball is played
on a four walls court. The basic rules of racquetball follows Singles
competition.
Court Diagram4
The Server must bounce the ball on
the floor in the service zone. The serve must strike the front wall
first and rebounds to the floor behind the short line before touching
the back wall. The rebound may hit one side wall after hitting the front
wall, as long as it lands in the back court before touching any other
surface (ceiling, other sidewall, backwall). If the ball strikes two
sidewalls, the ceiling, backwall, hits the server, is within 18 inches
of the server, or lands on the short line, it is called a fault serve
and the ball is not in play.
The server then receives a second
service attempt. Two consecutive service faults result in a sideout and the
server becomes the receiver. Service faults do not accumulate. Once the ball
is put in play, the fault no longer exist. The server continues to serve as
long as he or she scores a point.
A service attempt that strikes a surface
other than the front wall is not a fault serve but an automatic sideout. The
receiver may not strike the ball until after it has passed the short serve
line, and may not move in front of the receiving line until the ball crossed
the short serve line.
The receiving line is marked by a broken
line five feet behind the short line. The rules required that a six inch
line marked on the sidewall where the imaginary receiving line would end.
The receiver may volley or after it bounced once. If the serve touches the
floor twice before the receiver can return it, it becomes a dead ball, and
the server wins a point (ace).
The receiver returns the ball to the
front wall, but unlike in the serve, the ball may strike any other wall (but
not the floor) before striking the front wall. But the ball must always hit
the front wall in the end. Play continues (rally) until one of the players
fails to return the ball to the front wall before the second bounce. A point
is scored if the receiver fails to return the ball. An exchange between
server and receiver occurs if the server fails to return the ball.
Sources: (1) Racquetball: Steps to Success. Stan Kittleson. 1992
(2)Sports Illustrated Racquetball. Victor I. Spear. M.D. 1979 (3) Skills and Strategies for Winning Racquetball. Turner and Hogan. 1988
Also see:
•
USRA Official Rules4
•
RB Time-Line4
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