A racquetball player with protective glasses and glove
The term racquetball , which can also be written as racquetbol (with an accent on the A ) as indicated by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary, comes from the English word racquetball . It is a sport played using a racket with a short handle.
Overview
With characteristics similar to those of squash , racquetball includes individual matches (one player faces another) and doubles (one couple plays against another). The objective is to ensure that the opponent fails to return the ball as required according to the regulations.
Each player, using their racket, must hit a rubber ball and make it reach the front wall (known as frontis ).
Once hit, the ball cannot touch the ground before hitting the front wall. Then, it can bounce only once on the floor before being propelled to the front by the opponent. It should be noted that both the side walls and the roof are part of the playing field.
The field
The matches of this sport are played on closed courts with a roof and four walls. Although these are the characteristics that most racquetball courts have, it is true that some do not have a roof, so they are considered outdoor. As with other sports, such as volleyball, their practice outdoors is less common than in completely covered spaces.
The surface on which racquetball is played is made of wood . Its color has to be light so that the ball can be easily detected by players. The ceiling and walls, meanwhile, are flat and, unlike many other sports, are part of the playing space, rather than being mere delimitations. The back wall is usually made of very resistant glass, since it must receive numerous hits from the ball in each match. In addition, there may also be an upper area to expand the seats for spectators.
Regarding the dimensions of the playing field, these must be 6,096 meters wide by 6,096 high by 12,192 long. This tells us that the back walls are perfectly square, while those on the sides are rectangular. On the floor there should be two red lines in the same orientation as the front of the wall, crossing the entire surface; Its usefulness is to designate the space in which it is served.
The team
Each racquetball player, on the other hand, uses a racket to hit the ball, which must measure 57 millimeters in diameter and be hollow. The rubber with which it is manufactured allows it to have a special ease of bouncing, since this aspect is essential in racquetball. Its low density also helps with this.
To protect eyesight, glasses are used, which must meet the official requirements established by the United States Racquetball Association (whose acronym, from its original name, is USRA ). On the other hand, many athletes also use gloves to reduce the impact of blows and prevent the appearance of blisters on the hand with which they hold the racket.
The material and density of the ball allow it to bounce easily.
The price of the equipment can be a determining factor in its quality , and this directly affects those who do not have enough money to get the best one. For example, lighter rackets are better but more expensive.
World Championship
In the World Racquetball Championship that was held in 2018 , Mexican Rodrigo Montoya became champion in men's singles, while Guatemalan Ana Gabriela Martínez won in the women's category. In doubles, the winners were the Mexicans Daniel de la Rosa and Álvaro Beltrán and the Bolivians Yasmine Sabja and Valeria Centellas . The accumulated score per team, finally, left Mexico as the winner.