A Bit Of Racquetball

Talent is not merely enough to put you on top of the game. You must first acquaint yourself with some of the basic stuffs about your chosen sport. In this case let’s take some time off to know a thing or two about racquetball.

The sport is presented in varying number of players which can reach up to four. A two-player game called singles is the usual format. It is also termed as one-up wherein two individuals go head to head for the entirety of the competition. The four player format is coined as doubles. This features two pairs going against each other.

There is another form of racquetball that is called cut-throat or ironman. This is a three-player game which means that two person compete with a single individual. Players take alternating turns at service chores. Service is then received by the other two individuals who will play as a unit.

California or in-and-out is also a three-player game. This involves two persons going head to head while the third competitor waits in the back court. A rally takes place with the winner coming out to serve the waiting player. The loser then serves as the player on stand-by.

Sevens is another variation of the three-player format. It showcases a single player going against a pair that will play as a team. If the pair reaches 7 points first the game reaches conclusion but if the single player makes it to 7 first the game continues up to 14. If again the individual playing solo moves up to 14 points first the game heads up to 21. The game ends regardless of who gets to 21 first.

Now that you have an idea of how game play goes on let’s have an understanding on how points are earned. Put in mind that points are only awarded to the serving player or serving team in doubles talk. They can be achieved by pulling away with a rally win after a successful serve.

A player loses a rally in certain instances during game play. This can happen if the ball bounces on the floor more than once before the player is able to strike it. A point is also lost if the ball does not come in contact with the front wall during the rally. Another scenario would be if the ball goes overboard into an out-of-bounds surface such as the spectator’s gallery, wall opening, or any area that deviates from normal playing field.

Furthermore, a slow ball can also cost a player a rally particularly if it hits another player due to the lack of velocity required to reach the front wall. A hit striking another player due to the actions of the other player or his partner is another no-no. Penalized hindrances can also be a cause of losing a rally. Other actions that may place the player on the losing end of a rally are carrying the ball using the racquet, not utilizing racquet cord for wrist safety, switching of racquet hands during the actual rally, and allowing the ball to hit the uniform or other body part.

According to USA Racquetball rules matches are slated as best of three games. The first two games entail competitors to reach 15 points in order to win while the third game demands 11 points. USA Racquetball standards do not include winning by a margin of at least two points in each game which make it different from its Canadian counterpart.