Racquetball. Encyclopedia of World Sport

Once dubbed “high-speed tennis in a box,” with heated
rallies and diving retrievals, racquetball is one of the
world’s fastest racquet sports.
History
Racquetball was invented in 1949 in Connecticut by Joe
Sobek, who designed the first short strung paddle, devised rules combining the basics of handball and
squash, and named his modification “paddle rackets.”
The sport caught on quickly and by the early 1970s had
spread across the nation.
Racquetball proved perfect when the fitness craze
hit and Americans began searching for new and challenging athletic activities. The sport peaked in the mid-
1980s, ebbed, then after 1987 regained its steady
growth. Currently, some 9 million U.S. players enjoy the
sport each year.
The first racquetball world championship was held
in 1981 and one year later the United States Olympic
Committee officially recognized the American Amateur Racquetball Association (AARA) as the national
governing body for the sport. The International Amateur Racquetball Federation was founded in 1979; a
decade later, the federation dropped the word “amateur” from its title and is now as the International Racquetball Federation (IRF).
Rules and Play
Racquetball may be played by two or four players (doubles). The objective is to win each rally by serving or returning the ball so the opponent is unable to keep the
ball in play.A rally is over when a player is unable to hit
the ball before it touches the floor twice, return the ball
so that it touches the front wall before it touches the
floor, or when a hinder is called. Only the serving side
may score. Losing the serve is called a sideout in singles. 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.
Racquetball, a lifetime sport, is one of the best activities for aerobic development and used for conditioning in many Olympic sports. A tournament-level
player burns more than 800 calories per hour.
Racquetball is now a full medal sport in the Pan
American Games, the Central American Games, the Pacific Rim Championships, the South American Games,
and the Bolivian Games. With increasing exposure to a
previously untapped market of recreational players
combined with the sport’s track record of steady annual growth and the promise of becoming an Olympic
event, racquetball is well positioned for the future.
—LINDA L. MOJER
Bibliography: Adams, L., and E. Goldbloom. (1991) Racquetball Today. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing. Mojer,
Linda L., ed. (1990–). Racquetball Magazine. Colorado
Springs, CO: Luke St. Onge/American Amateur Racquetball Association.

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