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Racquetball Rules

Intramural Sports General Information

The Intramural Sports Office is located in the atrium of the Student Recreation Center.
Office Hours:  Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Phone Numbers: 
205-348-8055
205-348-3906
Rain Hotline: 205-348-2708

Email address:imsports@bama.ua.edu


Rule 1: Eligibility

Article 1: Participation
Participation is limited to currently enrolled, fee-paying students, faculty, and full-time staff.

Article 2: Action Cards
Participants must have a valid Action Card in order to participate in Intramural events. The card must be presented to the Intramural staff member at the time of the event.

Rule 2: Scoring

Article 1: General Scoring
The player or team in service only scores points. Fifteen points constitutes a game.

Article 2: Matches
A match victory consists of a player winning 2 out of 3 games, winning by two.

Rule 3: Serving

Article 1: Singles Serve
The server can stand in any part of the service zone. He/she must bounce the ball on the floor and stroke it to the front wall first, and the ball must rebound over the service line without hitting the floor. The legal serve can be either a straight rebound from the front wall or a combination with one side wall, hitting the floor past the service line. Any other serve is illegal.

Article 2: Illegal Serves
There two types of illegal serves:
A. “short" or "long" which allows for a second serve.
B. serves that results in a side-out -- serve which hits the sidewall first and serve which hits the server on its backward flight.

Article 3: Doubles Serve
In doubles, the side starting each game is allowed only one handout (only one serve). Thereafter, in that game both players on each side are permitted to serve until a hand-out occurs. The service order established at the beginning of the game must be followed throughout the entire game. The server's partner must stand within the server's box with his back to the side wall, both feet on the ground or just outside the court by the service line, until the ball passes the short line on the serve.

Rule 4: Receiving

Article 1: General Rules
Receiving player or team must remain five feet behind the service line until the ball is served and he/she cannot return the ball legally until it lands on or passes over the service line. Players may hit the ball on either the volley (as long as he remains 5 feet behind the short line) or on one bounce, and can return it to the front wall with any combination of walls as long as the ball does not touch the floor before hitting the front wall.

Article 2: Long Serve
The receiver has the option of playing a long serve. If his partner calls the ball long, a second serve is allowed or hand-out.

Rule 5: Game Play

Article 1: Interference and Hindering
Once the ball is put into play, a rally continues until the player or side serving or receiving has returned the ball to the front wall and the opposition makes no return. Each team is allowed a clear view and room to execute a shot on the ball on a return during a volley. Interference is considered a hinder and the point is played over.

  1. Service hinder: "shadow" serves in which the served ball passes so close to the server's body that it impedes the view of the ball by the receiver.
  2. Returns: ball that strikes the opponent.
  3. Rally hinder: player not given a clear view or position for return shot. Physical contact which impedes effort of player to return ball.
  4. Safety hinder: if player avoids returning ball because of fear of hitting his opponents with the racquet, a hinder call should be made.

Article 2: Touching of the ball
If the ball is touched with a hand, arm, or any part of the body during the return, it is an out or a point, as the case may be.

Article 3: Doubles
In doubles, if one player swings and misses the ball, his partner may attempt to return the ball legally.

Rule 6: Equipment

Article 1: General Equipment
Participants must bring their own rackets and balls to their matches. Goggles are not required, but are strongly recommended for the safety of the participants.

 

Rule 7: Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an important part of intramural sports. Any player who uses foul language, violently protests a call, or curses an staff member, will be removed from the game and will automatically be suspended from his/her team's next game. In addition, he/she will have to meet with the Coordinator of Intramural Sports during office hours (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) before he/she is eligible to participate again. Any player who touches an staff member will be placed on suspension from all Intramural activities for a minimum period of one calendar year from the time of the incident.