Equipment Specifications

USA Racquetball recently published an article entitled Why Rules Matter, which was emailed to all members and positioned on the home page of USARacquetball.com. It discusses the marketing of racquets that do not meet the specifications as detailed in the Official Rules and I encourage everyone to read it. Adding…

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Certification: Part II

If you’re up to the test … get certified! Highlands Ranch hosted the 2015 U.S. National Singles in May which turned out  to be a great event. This type of endeavor doesn’t happen without the concerted effort of many volunteers, and I hope you take a few minutes to salute all…

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FAQ – Rules of Racquetball

Frequently Asked Questions … Question: Can a player’s foot extend over the line when serving? Answer: Rule 3.2 states, “Neither the ball nor any part of either foot may extend beyond either line of the service zone when initiating the service motion. Stepping on, but not beyond, the line is…

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Penalty Hinders

Without exception, the penalty hinder is the most debated call in racquetball. Perhaps this is the reason why most players and officials avoid the call and simply choose to “do it over.” Players abide by other rules religiously, while dismissing the penalty hinder as a discretionary call that is only used…

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The Safety Zone

Today’s discussion will focus on the safety zone – the 5 foot area between the short line and the receiving line. There seems to be uncertainty by many players about the interpretation of rules as they apply to both the server and receiver. For example, during the 2014 U.S. Open…

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Being an Effective Referee

I have heard over the years from tournament directors that one of the most difficult challenges is coordinating the referees. Some of the frustration of tournament directors comes from players that avoid this duty. Racquetball is one of the few sports that requires its players to referee matches. Sadly, many…

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Doubles Details

The USAR National Doubles tournament is right around the corner. The Doubles in the Desert will be held again this year in Tempe, Arizona, at the Arizona State University Recreation Center. The tournament is routinely held over the week of Valentine’s Day allowing a reprieve from the colder weather. In…

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Amending the Rules

Many players over the past couple years have asked when USA Racquetball would reinstate the 2-serve rule to coincide with the IRT. Short answer – the rule was amended on September 1, 2013. This begs the question as to how USA Racquetball makes the decision to amend the rules. The…

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