The Crotch Shot

By Ray CornellThis article is about the “crotch shot,” which refers to hitting the ball into one of the many points on the court where two separate playing surfaces meet (aka “crotch”). My thanks to Mike Kennedy of Colorado Springs who prompted this discussion, after he had exchanged emails with…

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Rule Change Refresher

By Ray Cornell Not too long ago (okay, maybe it’s been a few years), there were some rule changes made that may still prompt questions before or during sanctioned match play. Although they’ve been in place a while, a refresher is good, especially for some who might have had trouble…

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Double the Fun

By Ray Cornell Most of us try doubles at some point, and that can make for interesting rally dynamics with twice as many players in the court! Since doubles is even played at National Singles, this article will cover some added considerations for doubles play. A previous article almost two…

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Self Refereeing

By Ray Cornell In general, playing racquetball without a referee occurs much more often than not. Virtually all recreational play is “self-reffed” and some tournament formats are designed to be self-officiated. In other cases, court design doesn’t allow the viewing access needed for a referee to call a match. So,…

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Myth or Fact?

By Ray Cornell Over the years, these articles have covered many aspects of the rules, from playing, refereeing and equipment, to court layout. So let’s test your recall. Can you separate fact from myth or local lore? See how well you can spot “fake rules … !” Following are 10…

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Court Markings

Have you thought about all of the court markings for racquetball – their appearance, locations, and purpose? Official court markings (lines) are required on every court, and we’ve touched on each of them in previous articles; but let’s address them all at once now for perspective. The diagram below is…

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Legal Equipment

We often focus on the rules of play, so let’s take a look at rules governing approved equipment. Heading into a new season is a great time to review what’s required or allowed, specifications, and how equipment is validated within the rules of play. Three items of personal equipment have…

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Hinder

Today we’ll review the types of hinders that can cause a rally to stop immediately: the replay hinder and the penalty hinder. In officiated match play, the referee determines which type is called. In self-officiated games, the players should agree on which call is appropriate. But making the determination is…

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