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Rules for Intramural Sports

Racquetball

Game Rules

Boundaries: After the serve, all floor lines and the service line are disregarded.

Game Score: A game is won by the person first scoring 15 points (except tie breakers). Points are scored only by the serving side when it serves an ace or wins a rally.

Match Score: A match consists of the best 2 out of 3 games. Tiebreaker game is 11 points. First few rounds of games maybe shortened to one game up to 15 depending on the number of participants.

Serve: The serve shall be determined by the toss of a coin. The server of the first game also serves first in the third game, if any. Prior to each serve, the server calls the score, giving the server’s score first.

Position of Server (four wall): The server may serve from anywhere in the service zone with no part of either foot extending beyond either line of the service zone. The server must start and remain in the service zone until the ball has passed the short line. Stepping on the line is allowed.

Violation: A violation of the serve is called a foot fault and is an illegal serve. Two illegal serves in succession results in a serve-out (loss of serve).

Method of Serving (four wall): The ball must be dropped to the floor within the service zone and struck with the racquet on the first bounce, hitting the front wall first and rebounding back of the short line, either with or without touching one side wall. The server shall not serve until his opponent is ready.

Illegal Serves: Any two illegal serves in succession puts the server “out”. An illegal serve cannot be played. The following are illegal serves:

  1. Short serve: a served ball which hits the floor before crossing the short line.
  2. Long serve: a served ball rebounding from the front wall to the back wall before hitting the floor.
  3. 3 Walls: any serve contacting 3 walls before contacting the floor.

Serve-Out Serves (The following results in a loss of serve):

  1. Bouncing the ball more than twice before striking it when in the act of serving.
  2. Dropping the ball and hitting it in the air before it touches the ground (accidentally dropping the ball does not put the server out).
  3. Striking at and missing the dropped serve.
  4. Touching the server’s body or clothing with the ball in the act of serving.
  5. Any serve which simultaneously strikes the front wall and the floor, ceiling, or side wall.
  6. Any serve contacting the side wall before contacting the front wall.
  7. Any serve that contacts the ceiling before contacting the floor.
  8. Any serve that hits another surface before it hits the front wall.

Return of Service

  1. The receiver must remain at least five feet in back of the short line until the ball is struck by the server.
  2. A legally served ball must be returned on the fly or after the first bounce to the front wall either directly or after touching the side wall(s) or back wall.
  3. In returning a service on the fly, no part of the receiver’s body may cross the receiving line before making the return.
  4. Failure to legally return the service results in a point for the server.

Unintentional Hinders (point replayed): It is a hinder if a player unintentionally interferes with an opponent preventing them from having a fair opportunity to hit the ball. Each player must get out of the opponent’s way immediately after striking the ball.

Unintentional Hinders

  1. Must give the opponent a fair opportunity to return the ball. If a player is attempting to get into position and goes in the wrong direction and the opponent stands still, this does not constitute a hinder.
  2. Must give opponent a fair view of the ball.
  3. Must allow opponent to play the ball to any part of the front wall and to either side wall or the back wall in three-and-four wall courts.
  4. Unnecessary interference with an opponent or unnecessary crowding, even though the opposing player is not actually prevented from reaching or striking the ball, is a hinder.

Other Unintentional Hinders

  1. A returned ball striking an opponent on the fly on its return to the front wall.
  2. Hitting any part of the court that is under local rules is a dead ball.
  3. A ball rebounding from the front wall on the serve so close to the body of the server that the opponent is interfered with or prevented from seeing the ball.
  4. A ball going between the legs of a player on the side which just returned the ball so that the opponent does not have a fair chance to see or return the ball.
  5. Body contact with an opponent which interferes with seeing or returning the ball.
  6. Any other unintentional interference that prevents an opponent from seeing or returning the ball.
  7. A player is not entitled to a hinder unless the interference occurred before or simultaneously with their racquet’s contact with the ball.

Playing the Ball

A legal return of service of an opponent’s shot is called a rally. The following rules must be observed. Failure to do so results in a serve-out or point.

  1. The ball must be hit with the racket. The safety strap must be always around the wrist.
  2. Hitting the ball with the arm, hand, or any part of the body is prohibited.
  3. In attempting a return, the ball may be touched only once. If a player swings at the ball but misses it, they may make a further attempt to return it until it touches the floor a second time.
  4. Any ball struck at in play which goes out of the court or which is returned to the front wall and then on the rebound or on the first bounce goes out of court, is a replay.