How to Play Racquetball

Racquetball is a sport where two players take turns hitting a hard rubber ball against a wall. During play, they face the wall rather than each other. The first player to get 15 points wins a game. The best two out of three games wins the match.

Instructions

Serve

1. Serve inside the service zone, located toward the front of the racquetball court. Your foot can extend beyond the service zone, provided that some part of your foot stays on the line. If you cross the service zone, it's a fault.

2. Hit the ball so it strikes the wall and lands past the short line, marked on the court. Make sure you move out of the way to allow your opponent to return the ball.

3. Make sure the serve hits the floor before it hits the back wall. If it strikes the back wall without touching the floor, it's a fault and you lose the rally. Then it will be your opponent's turn to serve.

Receiving

1. Wait for the serve to break the plane of the short line before you make your return. This happens when the ball bounces on the floor past the short line, or if it crosses the line in the air.

2. Strike the ball so it hits the wall or the crotch, meaning where the wall and the floor meet.

3. Continue the rally until one player makes a fault. If the receiving player makes the fault, the player who served wins the point. If the server makes the fault, she loses the rally but the receiving player doesn't win a point.

Tips & Warnings

• In racquetball, you can only win points on your serve.

• In racquetball, you can play two walls, the front wall and the floor; four walls, including the front wall, the two side walls and the floor; or five walls, meaning the front wall, two side walls, the floor and the ceiling.

• Stay out of your opponent's way. If you prevent your opponent from getting to the ball, it's considered a fault and you lose the rally. At that point, your opponent gets to serve.