INTERNATIONALRACQUETBALLFEDERATION

INTERNATIONAL RACQUETBALL FEDERATION

Rule 3.16aere will be two timeouts allowed pergame (reduced from three in the first twogames and two in the tiebreaker).

Rule 3.16dere will be a two-minute rest periodbetween all games (reduced from fiveminutes between the second and thirdgames.

Rule 3.1e server has two opportunities to putthe ball into play in all divisions includingthe Open division (changed from oneserve only in the Open division.

Rule A.7Each player/team will be allowed to makea maximum of three "not accepted" appealsper game (changed from five "notaccepted" appeals per 15 -point game, andthree "not accepted" appeals the 11-pointtiebreaker.

OFFICIAL INTERNATIONALRACQUETBALL FEDERATIONRULES

1 — THE GAME1.1 Types of Games1.2 Description1.3 Objective1.4 Points and Outs1.5 Match, Game, Tiebreaker

2 — COURTS & EQUIPMENT2.1 Court Specifications2.2 Ball Specifications2.3 Ball Selection2.4 Racquet Specifications2.5 Eyeware Specifications

3 — PLAY REGULATIONS3.1 Serve3.2 Start3.3 Manner3.4 Readiness3.5 Delays3.6 Drive Service Zones3.7 Defective Serves3.8 Dead-Ball Serves3.9 Fault Serves3.10 Out Serves3.11 Return of Serve3.12 Changes of Serve3.13 Rallies3.14 Dead-Ball Hinders3.15 Avoidable Hinders3.16 Timeouts3.17 Technical Fouls and Warnings

RULE MODIFICATIONS4.0 Doubles5.0 Multi-bounce6.0 Wheelchair

OFFICIATINGAll Regulations such as: Uniform,Seeding, etc. are covered in the IRFCompetition Format as a separatedocument.

1 – THE GAMERule 1.1 Types Of Games

Racquetball is played by two or fourplayers. When played by two, it iscalled singles and when played by four,doubles. A non-tournament variationof the game that is played by threeplayers is called cutthroat.

Rule 1.2 DescriptionRacquetball is a competitive game inwhich a strung racquet is used to serveand return the ball.

Rule 1.3 Objectivee objective is to win each rally byserving or returning the ball so theopponent is unable to keep the ball inplay. A rally is over when a player (orteam in doubles) is unable to hit theball before it touches the floor twice, isunable to return the ball in such amanner that it touches the front wallbefore it touches the floor, or when ahinder is called.

Rule 1.4 Points And OutsPoints are scored only by the servingside when it either services anirretrievable service (an ace) or wins arally. Losing the service is called asideout in singles. In doubles, when thefirst server loses the service, it is called ahandout, and when the second serverloses the service, it is a sideout.

Rule 1.5 Match, Game, TiebreakerA match is won by the first sidewinning two games. e first twogames of a match are played to 15points. If each side wins one game, atiebreaker game is played to 11 points.

2 — COURTS & EQUIPMENTRule 2.1 Court Specifications (See page 23)

e specifications for the standardfour-wall racquetball court are:(a) Dimensions. e dimensions shallbe 20 feet wide, 40 feet long and 20 feethigh, with a ceiling and with a backwall at least 12 feet high. All surfacesshall be in play, with the exception ofany gallery opening, any back wallsurface above the 12-foot out-of-courtline, surfaces designated as out-of-playfor a valid reason (such as being of avery different material or not inalignment with the back wall), anddesignated court hinders.

(b) Markings. Racquetball courts shallbe marked with lines 1-1/2 inches wideas follows:

1. Short Line. e back edge of theshort line is midway between, and isparallel with, the front and backwalls.2. Service Line. e front edge ofthe service line is parallel with, andfive feet in front of, the back edge ofthe short line.3. Service Zone. e service zone isthe 5' x 20' area bounded by thebottom edges of the side walls and bythe outer edges of the short line andthe service line.4. Service Boxes. e service boxesare located at each end of the servicezone and are designated by linesparallel with the side walls. e edgeof the line nearest to the center of thecourt shall be 18 inches from thenearest side wall.5. Drive Serve Lines. e drive servelines, which form the drive servezone, are parallel with the side walland are within the service zone. eedge of the line nearest to the centerof the court shall be three feet fromthe nearest side wall.6. Receiving Line. e receiving lineis a broken line parallel to the shortline. e back edge of the receivingline is five feet from the back edge ofthe short line. e receiving linebegins with a line 21 inches long thatextends from each side wall. eselines are connected by an alternateseries of six-inch spaces and six-inchlines. is will result in a line

composed of 17 six-inch spaces, 16six-inch lines, and two 21-inch lines.7. Safety Zone. e safety zone is the5' x 20' area bounded by the bottomedges of the side walls and by theback edges of the short line and thereceiving line. e zone is observedonly during the serve. See Rules3.10(i) and 3.11(a).8. Out-of-court line (Not pictured).e upper edge of the out-of-courtline is on the back wall parallel withand located 12 feet (3.65m) abovethe floor.

Rule 2.2 Ball Specifications(a) e standard racquetball shall be2-1/4 inches in diameter; weighapproximately 1.4 ounces; have ahardness of 55-60 inches durometer;and bounce 68-72 inches from a 100-inch drop at a temperature of 70-74degrees Fahrenheit.

(b) Official ball. Any ball which carries the endorsement stamp of approvalfrom the IRF is an official ball.

Rule 2.3 Ball Selection(a) e ball shall be selected byagreement between the players and atleast two acceptable balls should beagreed upon before the matchcommences. If the players cannot agree,the referee shall make the selection andthis decision shall be binding on theparticipants.

(b) During the course of a match the referee at, his/her discretion or at the request of both players/teams, replace the ball. Only an IRF approved ball shall be used in all sanctioned tournaments.

Rule 2.4 Racquet Specifications(a) e racquet, including bumperguard and all solid parts of the handle,may not exceed 22 inches in length. Noadditional tolerance.

(b) e racquet frame may be anymaterial judged to be safe.

(c) e racquet frame must include acord that must be securely attached tothe player’s wrist. e cord must besecured around the wrist at all timesduring play as well as during warm-upperiods. e first offense is a refereetechnical. ereaer, players aredisqualified from the match.

(d) e string of the racquet must begut, monofilament, nylon, graphite,plastic, metal, or a combinationthereof, and must not mark or defacethe ball.

(e) e penalty for using an illegalracquet is a technical. e penalty forrequesting that an opponent’s racquetbe measured resulting in the racquetbeing declared legal will be a technicalon the requesting team/player for delay

of game.

Rule 2.5 Eyewear Specifications(a) All players competing in an IRFsanctioned event will be required towear lensed protective eyewearmanufactured for racquet sports, withthe exception of prescribed non-breakable protective lenses. eeyewear must be worn properly and notaltered in any way. Note: NationalFederations are empowered to applyand enforce the published nationalsafety standards of their country in thematter of protective eyewear for theirathletes.

(b) Players must wear acceptableeyewear during play as well as duringwarm up aer being summoned to theircourt. e first offense is a refereetechnical. ereaer, players aredisqualified from the match.

3 — PLAY REGULATIONSRule 3.1 Serve

e server has two opportunities to putthe ball into play in all divisions. eplayer or team winning the coin tosshas the option to either serve or receiveat the start of the first game. esecond game will begin in reverse orderof the first game. e player or teamscoring the highest total of points ingames 1 and 2 will have the option toserve or receive first at the start of thetiebreaker. In the event that both

players or teams score an equal numberof points in the first two games,another coin toss will take place andthe winner of the toss will have theoption to serve or receive.

Rule 3.2 StartGames are started with the refereecalling the score (“Zero serves zero.”).e server may not initiate the pre-service motion from outside of theservice zone. Stepping on the short line(back), but not over, is permitted. Aerstarting the service motion, the servermay step over the service (front) line.See Rule 3.9(a) and 3.10(i) forviolations.

Rule 3.3 MannerA serve is commenced as the ball leavesthe server's hand. e ball must bounceon the floor in the service zone and onthe first bounce be struck by the server'sracquet in an obvious attempt to servethe ball. e ball must strike the frontwall first and on the rebound hit thefloor back of the short line, either withor without touching one of the sidewalls.

Rule 3.4 DelaysOfficials are instructed to call the scoreaer a few seconds have elapsed inorder to eliminate undue delays.(a) e ten-second rule applies to theserver and receiver simultaneously.Collectively, they are allowed up to ten

seconds aer the score is called to serveor be ready to receive. It is the server'sresponsibility to look and be certainthe receiver is ready. If a receiver is notready, he/she must signal by raising theracquet above the head or completelyturning the back to the server. ese arethe only two acceptable signals. ereceiver cannot cause the server toviolate the ten-second rule. [See Rule5.3 for warnings].

(b) Aer the score is called, if the serverlooks at the receiver and the receiver isnot signaling not ready, the server maythen serve. If the receiver attempts tosignal “not ready” aer that point, thesignal shall not be acknowledged andthe serve becomes legal.

Rule 3.5 Drive Service Zonese drive service lines will be 3 feetfrom each side wall in the service zone.Viewed one at a time, the drive serveline divides the service area into a3-foot and a 17-foot section that applyonly to drive serves. e player maydrive serve between the body and theside wall nearest to where the servicemotion began only if the player startsand remains outside of the 3-foot driveservice zone. In the event that theservice motion begins in one 3-footdrive service zone and continues intothe other 3-foot drive serve zone, theplayer may not hit a drive serve at all.(a) e drive service zones are not

observed for cross-court drive serves,the hard-Z, so-Z, lob or half-lobserves.

(b) e drive service line is not part ofthe 17-foot zone. Dropping the ball onthe line or standing on the line whileserving to the same side is an infraction.

Rule 3.6 Defective ServesDefective serves are of three types withthe following results a, b, c:(a) Dead-Ball Serve. A dead-ball serveresults in no penalty and the server isgiven another serve (without cancelinga prior fault serve).

(b) Out Serve. An out serve results inan out (either a sideout or a handout).

Rule 3.7 Dead-Ball ServesDead-ball serves do not cancel anyprevious fault serve. e following aredead-ball serves:(a) Court Hinders. A serve that takesan irregular bounce because it hit a wetspot or an irregular surface on the courtis a dead-ball serve. Also, any serve thathits any surface designated by localrules as an obstruction rather thanbeing out of play.

(b) Broken Ball. If the ball isdetermined to have broken on theserve, a new ball shall be substitutedand the serve shall be replayed (withoutcanceling any prior fault serve).

Rule 3.8 Fault Servese following serves are faults. Any twofault serves in succession result in anout:(a) Foot Faults. A foot fault resultswhen:

1. e server does not begin theservice motion with both feet in theservice zone.2. e server steps completely overthe service line (no part of the footon or inside the service zone) beforethe served ball crosses the short line.

(b) Short Service. A short serve is anyserved ball that first hits the front walland, on the rebound, hits the floor onor in front of the short line either withor without touching a side wall.

(c) ree-Wall Serve. A three-wall serveis any served ball that first hits the frontwall and, on the rebound, strikes bothside walls before touching the floor.

(d) Ceiling Serve. A ceiling serve is anyserved ball that first hits the front walland then touches the ceiling (with orwithout touching a side wall).

(e) Long Serve. A long serve is a servedball that first hits the front wall andrebounds to the back wall beforetouching the floor (with or withouttouching a side wall).

(f ) Bouncing Ball Outside Service

Zone. Bouncing the ball outside theservice zone as a part of the servicemotion is a fault serve.

(g) Illegal Drive Serve. A drive serve inwhich the player fails to observe the17-foot drive service zone outlined inRule 3.6.

(h) Screen Serve. A served ball that firsthits the front wall and on the reboundpasses so closely to the server, or server’spartner in doubles, that it prevents thereceiver from having a clear view of theball. (e receiver is obligated to takeup good court position, near centercourt, to obtain that view.)

(i) Serving Before the Receiver isReady. A serve is made while thereceiver is not ready as described inRule 3.5(b).

Rule 3.9 Out ServesAny of the following results in an out.Each player receives one warning permatch as server (effectively a faultserve.)(a) Failure to Serve. Failure of server toput the ball into play, according to 3.5.

(b) Missed Serve Attempt. Any attemptto strike the ball that results in a totalmiss or in the ball touching any part ofthe server’s body.

(c) Touched Serve. Any served ball that

on the rebound from the front walltouches the server or server’s racquetbefore touching the floor, or any ballintentionally stopped or caught by theserver or server’s partner.

(d) Fake or Balk Serve. Such a serve isdefined as a non-continuous movementof the racquet towards the ball as theserver drops the ball for the purpose ofdeceiving the receiver(s).

(e) Illegal Hit. An illegal hit includescontacting the ball twice, carrying theball, or hitting the ball with the handleof the racquet or part of the body oruniform.

(f ) Non-Front Wall Serve. Any servedball that does not strike the front wallfirst.

(g) Crotch Serve. Any served ball thathits the crotch of the front wall andfloor, front wall and side wall, or frontwall and ceiling is an out serve (becauseit did not hit the front wall first). Aserved ball into the crotch of the backwall and floor is a good serve and inplay. A served ball that hits the crotchof the side wall and floor beyond theshort line is in play.

(h) Out-of-Court Serve. An out-of-court serve is any served ball that firsthits the front wall and, before strikingthe floor, either goes out of the court,

hits the back wall above the out-of-court line, or hits a surface above thenormal playing area of the court thathas been declared as out-of-play for avalid reason [See Rule 2.1(a)].

Rule 3.10 Return Of Serve(a) Receiving Position

1. e receiver may not enter thesafety zone until the ball bounces orcrosses the receiving line.

2. On-the-fly return attempt: thereceiver may not strike the ball untilthe ball breaks the plane of thereceiving line. However, the receiver’sfollow-through may carry thereceiver or the racquet past thereceiving line.

3. Neither the receiver nor theracquet may break the plane of theshort line, except if the ball is struckaer rebounding off the back wall.

4. Any violation by the receiverresults in a point for the server.

(b) Legal Return. Aer a legal serve, aplayer receiving the serve must strikethe ball on the fly or aer the firstbounce and before the ball touches thefloor the second time; and return theball to the front wall, either directly oraer touching one or both side walls,the back wall below the out of-courtline, the ceiling, or any combination of

those surfaces. A returned ball musttouch the front wall before touchingthe floor.

(c) Failure to Return. Failure to return aserve results in a point for the server.

(d) Other Provisions. Except as notedin this rule (3.10), the return of serve issubject to all provisions of Rules 3.12through 3.15.

Rule 3.11 Changes Of Serve(a) Outs. A server is entitled tocontinue serving until one of thefollowing occurs:

1. Out Serve. See Rule 3.9.

2. Two Consecutive Fault Serves.

3. Failure to Return Ball. Player orteam fails to keep the ball in play asrequired by Rule 3.11(b).

4. Avoidable Hinder. Player or teamcommits an avoidable hinder whichresults in an out. See Rule 3.15.

(b) Sideout. Retiring the server insingles is called a sideout.

(c) Effect of Sideout. When the server(or serving team) receives a sideout, theserver becomes the receiver and thereceiver becomes the server.

Rule 3.12 RalliesAll of the play that occurs aer thesuccessful return of serve is called therally. Play shall be conducted accordingto the following rules:(a) Legal Hits. Only the head of theracquet may be used at any time toreturn the ball. e racquet may beheld in one or both hands. Switchinghands to hit a ball, touching the ballwith any part of the body or uniform,or removing the wrist safety cordduring a rally results in a loss of therally.

(b) One Touch. e player or teamattempting to return the ball may touchor strike the ball only once or else therally is lost. e ball may not be carried.(A carried ball is one that rests on theracquet long enough that the effect ismore of a sling or throw than a hit.)

(c) Failure to Return. Any of thefollowing constitutes a failure to make alegal return during a rally:

1. e ball bounces on the floor morethan once before being hit.

2. e ball does not reach the frontwall on the fly.

3. e ball is hit such that it goes intothe gallery or wall opening or elsehits a surface above the normalplaying area of the court that hasbeen declared as out-of-play [See

Rule 2.1(b)8].

4. A ball that obviously does not havethe velocity or direction to hit thefront wall strikes another player.

5. A ball struck by one player on ateam hits that player or that player’spartner.

6. Committing an avoidable hinder[See Rule 3.15].

7. Switching hands during a rally.

8. Failure to use a racquet wrist safetycord.

9. Touching the ball with the body oruniform.

10. Carrying or slinging the ball withthe racquet.

(d) Effect of Failure to Return.Violations of Rules 3.13

(a) through (c) result in a loss of rally.If the serving player or team loses therally, it is an out. If the receiver losesthe rally, it results in a point for theserver.

(e) Return Attempts. e ball remainsin play until it touches the floor asecond time, regardless of how manywalls it makes contact with, includingthe front wall. If a player swings at theball and misses it, the player may

continue to attempt to return the balluntil it touches the floor for the secondtime.

(f ) Broken Ball. If there is any suspicionthat a ball has broken during a rally, playshall continue until the end of the rally.e referee or any player may requestthe ball be examined. If the refereedecides the ball is broken, the ball willbe replaced and the rally replayed. eserver resumes play at first serve. eonly proper way to check for a brokenball is to squeeze it by hand.(Checking the ball by striking it with aracquet will not be considered a validcheck and shall work to thedisadvantage of the player or team thatstruck the ball aer the rally.)

(g) Play Stoppage. If foreign objectsenter the court, or any outsideinterference occurs, the referee shallstop play if such occurrences interferewith ensuing play or players’ safety [SeeRule 3.14(a)7].

(h) Replays. Whenever a rally isreplayed for any reason, the serverresumes play at firs t s erve. A p reviousfault s erve is n ot considered.

( i) Out of Court Ball1. Aer return (with a bounce). Anyball returned to the front wall which,aer its first bounce on the floor, goesabove the out-of-court line or

through any opening in a side wallshall be declared dead and the rallyreplayed.

2. Aer return (without a bounce).Any ball which, on the rebound,does not bounce on the floor andgoes above the out-of-court line shallbe an out or point against theoffending player. If the ball goesthrough any opening in a side wall, i tshall be declared dead and the rallyreplayed.

3. No return. Any ball not returnedto the front wall, but which caromsoff a player's racquet above the out-of-court line or into any opening in aside wall, either with or withouttouching the ceiling, side or backwall shall result in loss of the rally bythe offending player.

Rule 3.13 Dead-Ball HindersA rally is replayed without penalty andthe server resumes play at first servewhenever a dead-ball hinder occurs.Also, see Rule 3.14 which describesconditions under which a hinder mightbe declared avoidable and result in lossof the rally.(a) Situations

1. Court Hinders. e referee shouldstop play immediately whenever theball hits any part of the court thatwas designated in advance as a courthinder (such as a vent grate). e

referee should also stop play (i) whenthe ball takes an irregular bounce as aresult of contacting a rough surface(such as court light or vent) or aerstriking a wet spot on the floor orwall and (ii) when, in the referee’sopinion, the irregular bounceaffected the rally.

2. Ball Hits Opponent. When anopponent is hit by a return shot inflight, it is a dead-ball hinder. If theopponent is struck by a ball thatobviously did not have the velocitynor the direction to reach the frontwall, it is not a hinder, and the playerwho hit the ball will lose the rally. Aplayer who has been hit by the ballcan stop play and make the call,though the call must be madeimmediately and acknowledged bythe referee. Note this interferencemay, under certain conditions, bedeclared an avoidable hinder. SeeRule 3.14

.3. Body Contact. If body contactoccurs that the referee believes wassufficient to stop the rally, either forthe purpose of preventing injury byfurther contact or because thecontact prevented a player frombeing able to make a reasonablereturn, the referee shall call a hinder.Incidental body contact in which theoffensive player clearly will have theadvantage should not be called a

hinder, unless the offensive playerobviously stops play. Contact withthe racquet on the follow-throughnormally is not considered a hinder.

4. Backswing Hinder. Any body orracquet contact, on the backswing oron the way to or just prior toreturning the ball, which impairs thehitter’s ability to take a reasonableswing. is call can be made by theplayer attempting the return, thoughthe call must be made immediatelyand is subject to the referee’sapproval. Note the interference maybe considered an avoidable hinder.See Rule 3.15 (b)

5. Safety Holdup. Any player aboutto execute a return who believes thatstriking the opponent with the ballor racquet is likely may immediatelystop play and request a dead-ballhinder. is call must be madeimmediately and is subject toacceptance and approval of thereferee. (e referee will grant adead-ball hinder if it is believed theholdup was reasonable and the playerwould have been able to return theshot. e referee may also call anavoidable hinder if warranted.)

6. Other Interference. Any otherunintentional interference thatprevents an opponent from having afair chance to see or return the ball.

Examples: When a ball from anothercourt enters the court during a rally,or when a referee’s call on an adjacentcourt obviously distracts a player.

(b) Effect of Hinders. e referee’s callof hinder stops play and voids anysituation that follows, such as the ballhitting the player. e only hinders thatmay be called by a player are describedin rules (2), (5), and (6) above, and allof these are subject to the approval ofthe referee. A dead-ball hinder stopsplay and the rally is replayed. e serverresumes play at first serve.

(c) Responsibility. While making anattempt to return the ball, a player isentitled to a fair chance to see andreturn the ball. It is the responsibility ofthe side that has just hit the ball tomove so the receiving side may gostraight to the ball and have anunobstructed view of and swing at theball. However, the receiver isresponsible for making a reasonableeffort to move towards the ball andmust have a reasonable chance to returnthe ball for any type of hinder to becalled.

Rule 3.14 Avoidable HindersAn avoidable hinder results in loss ofthe rally. An avoidable hinder does notnecessarily have to be an intentionalact. Dead-ball hinders are described inRule 3.14. Any of the following results

in an avoidable hinder:(a) Failure to move. A player does notmove sufficiently to allow an opponenta shot straight to the front wall as wellas a cross-court shot which is a shotdirectly to the front wall at an anglethat would cause the ball to rebounddirectly to the rear corner farthest fromthe player hitting the ball. Also when aplayer moves in such a direction that itprevents an opponent from takingeither of these shots.

(b) Stroke Interference. is occurswhen a player moves, or fails to move,so that the opponent returning the balldoes not have a free, unimpeded swing.is includes unintentionally movingin a direction that prevents theopponent from making an open,offensive shot.

(c) Blocking. Moves into a positionwhich blocks the opponent fromgetting to, or returning, the ball; or indoubles, a player moves in front of anopponent as the player’s partner isreturning the ball.

(d) Moving into the Ball. Moves in theway and is struck by the ball just playedby the opponent.

(e) Pushing. Deliberately pushes orshoves opponent during a rally.

(f ) Intentional Distractions. Deliberate

shouting, stamping of feet, waving ofracquet, or any other manner ofdisrupting one’s opponent.

(g) View Obstruction. A player movesacross an opponent’s line of vision justbefore the opponent strikes the ball.

(h) Wetting the Ball. e players,particularly the server, should ensurethat the ball is dry prior to the serve.Any wet ball that is not corrected priorto the serve shall result in an avoidablehinder against the server.

(i) Equipment Interference. If a playerloses any part of his/her equipmentthat interferes with play. e loss of eyeprotection is an automatic avoidablehinder, as is the dislodging of the safetycord from the wrist.

Rule 3.15 Timeouts(a) Rest Periods. During a game, eachplayer in singles or each side in doubles,either while serving or receiving, mayrequest a “time out.” Each “time out”shall not exceed one minute (60seconds). No more than two “timeouts” in a game shall be granted eachsingles player or each team in doubles.

(b) Injury. No time out shall be chargedto a player who is injured during play.An injured player shall not be allowedmore than a cumulative total of fieen(15) minutes of rest. If the injured

player is not able to resume play aer acumulative rest of fieen (15) minutes,the match shall be awarded to theopponent(s). On any additional injuryto the same player, the tournamentdirector or referee, aer considering anyavailable medical opinion, shalldetermine whether the injured playerwill be allowed to continue.

1. Should any external bleedingoccur, the referee must halt play assoon as the rally is over, charge aninjury timeout to the person who isbleeding, and not allow the match tocontinue until the bleeding hasstopped.

2. Muscle cramps and pulls, fatigue,and other ailments that are notcaused by direct contact (such aswith the ball, racquet, wall, or floor)will not be considered an injury.

(c) Equipment Timeouts. A time outmay be called by the referee at therequest of a player and aersubstantiation by the referee, because offaulty equipment or uniform. Two (2)minutes are to be allowed for anyuniform adjustment needed and thirty(30) seconds for any equipmentadjustment.

(d) Between Games. A two (2) minuterest period is allowed

(e) Postponed Games. Any games

postponed by the referee shall beresumed with the same score as whenpostponed.

Rule 3.16 Technical Fouls And Warnings(a) e referee is empowered to deductone point from a player's or team's scorewhen, in the referee's sole judgment, theplayer is being overly and deliberatelyabusive. e actual invoking of thispenalty is called a “referee's technical.”If the player or team against whom thetechnical was assessed does not resumeplay immediately, the referee isempowered to forfeit the match infavor of the opponent. Some examplesof actions that may result in technicalsare:

1. Profanity.

2. Excessive arguing.

3. reat of any nature to opponentor referee.

4. Excessive or hard striking of theball between rallies.

5. Slamming of the racquet againstwalls or floor, slamming the door, orany action which might result indamage to the court and/or injury toother players.

6. Delay of game. Examples include(i) taking too much time to dry thecourt, (ii) excessive questioning of

the referee about the rules, (iii)exceeding the time allotted fortimeouts or between games, (iv)calling a timeout aer the servicemotion begins, (v) calling a timeoutor asking for an appeal when noneare remaining will result in atechnical warning. If this occursagain in the same game it will resultin a technical foul. If there is a delayno warning shall be given. (vi) Atechnical foul will be assessed if thewarm-up period is violated. eallowed warm-up time in singles is 5minutes maximum for both playersat the same time. In doubles eachteam will be allowed 4 minutesmaximum for the warm-up.

7. Intentional front line foot faults tonegate a bad lob serve.

8. Anything consideredunsportsmanlike behavior.

9. Failure to wear proper eyewear, asspecified in Rule 2.5 d).

10. Using an illegal racquet asspecified in Rule 2.4(e).

11. Failure to secure safety cordaround the wrist during play andwarm up.

(b) Coaching. Where coaches areinvolved, coaches or team

representatives are bound by the samerules as far as technicals are concernedand any infractions are charged againstthe player. No coaches orrepresentatives are allowed onto thecourts at any time during a matchunless granted permission by thereferee. Failure to observe this rule is atechnical and will be charged againstthe player.Any coach or player conductingthemselves in a negative mannertowards the referee or linesperson of amatch shall receive the followingpenalties:First Offense: technical warning(minimum)Subsequent Offenses: technical on thecoach/person’s player or team.

(c) Technical Warning. If a player'sbehavior is not so severe as to warranta referee's technical, a technicalwarning may be issued without thededuction of a point.

(d) Effect of Technical or Warning. If areferee issues a technical foul, one pointshall be removed from the offender'sscore. No point will be deducted if areferee issues a technical warning. Ineither case, a technical foul or warningshould be accompanied by a briefexplanation. Issuing a technical foul orwarning has no effect on who will beserving when play resumes. If atechnical foul occurs when the offender

has no points or between games, theresult will be that the offender's scorebecomes minus one (-1). ree playertechnicals will result in a player/teamdisqualification from match.

RULE MODIFICATIONSe following sections (4.0 through11.0) detail additional or modifiedrules that apply to variations of thesingles game described in Sections 1through 3.

4.0 — DOUBLESe IRF’s rules for singles also apply indoubles with the following additionsand modifications:

Rule 4.1 Doubles Team(a) A doubles team shall consist of twoplayers who meet either the agerequirements or player classificationrequirements to participate in aparticular division of play. A team withdifferent skill levels must play in thedivision of the player with the higherlevel of ability.When playing in an adult age division,the team must play in the division ofthe younger player. When playing in ajunior age division, the team must playin the division of the older player.

(b) A change in playing partners may bemade so long as the first match of theposted team has not begun.For this purpose only, the match will be

considered started once the teams havebeen called to the court. e team must notify the tournamentdirector of the change prior to thebeginning of the match.

Rule 4.2 Serve In Doubles(a) Order of Serve. Each team shallinform the referee of the order ofservice which shall be followedthroughout that game. e order ofserve may be changed between games,once the referee has been notified. Atthe beginning of each game, when thefirst server of the first team to serve isout, the team is out. ereaer, bothplayers on each team shall serve untilthe team receives a handout and asideout.

(b) Partner’s Position. On each serve,the server’s partner shall stand erectwith back to the side wall and withboth feet on the floor within the servicebox from the moment the server beginsthe service motion until the serverstrikes the ball. Violations are calledfoot faults.

(c) Changes of Serve. In doubles, theside is retired when both partners havelost service, except that the team thatserves first at the beginning of eachgame loses the serve when the firstserver is retired.

Rule 4.3 Fault Serve In Doubles(a) e server’s partner is not in theservice box with both feet on the floorand back to the side wall from the timethe server begins the service motionuntil the ball until the ball is struck.

(b) A served ball that hits the doublespartner while in the doubles box resultsin a fault serve.

(c) ere will be an automatic screenserve in doubles matches when the ballgoes behind the body of the server'spartner.

Rule 4.4 Out Serve In Doubles(a) Out-of-Order Serve. In doubles,when either partner serves out of order,the points scored by that server will besubtracted and an out serve will becalled; if the second server serves out oforder, the out serve will be applied tothe first server and the second serverwill resume serving. If the playerdesignated as the first server serves outof order, a sideout will be called. ereferee should call “no serve” as soon asan out-of-order serve occurs. If nopoints are scored while the team is outof order, only the out penalty will haveto be assessed. However, if points arescored before the out of ordercondition is noticed and the refereecannot recall the number, the refereemay enlist the aid of the line judges(but not the crowd) to recall the

number of points to be deducted.

(b) Ball Hits Partner. A served ball thathits the doubles partner while outsidethe doubles box results in a loss ofserve.

Rule 4.5 Return In Doubles(a) e rally is lost if one player hitsthat same player’s partner with anattempted return.

(b) If one player swings at the ball andmisses it, both partners may makefurther attempts to return the ball untilit touches the floor the second time.Both partners on a side are entitled toreturn the ball.

(c) Both players on a side are entitled toa fair and unobstructed chance at theball and either one is entitled to ahinder even though it naturally wouldbe the partner's ball and even thoughthe partner may have attempted to playthe ball or may have already missed it. Itis not a hinder when players hindertheir own partner.

5.0 — MULTI-BOUNCEIn general, the IRF’s standard rulesgoverning racquetball play will befollowed except for the modificationsthat follow.

Rule 5.1 Basic Return RuleIn general, the ball remains in play as

long as it is bouncing. However, theplayer may swing only once at the balland the ball is considered dead at thepoint it stops bouncing and begins toroll. Also, anytime the ball rebounds offthe back wall, it must be struck beforeit crosses the short line on the way tothe front wall, except as explained inRule 6.2.

Rule 5.2 Blast RuleIf the ball caroms from the front wall tothe back wall on the fly, the player mayhit the ball from any place on the court— including past the short line — solong as the ball is still bouncing.

Rule 5.3 Front Wall LinesTwo parallel lines (tape may be used)should be placed across the front wallsuch that the bottom edge of one line is3 feet above the floor and the bottomedge of the other line is 1 foot abovethe floor . At all times, any ball that hitsthe front wall (i) below the 3-foot lineand (ii) either on or above the 1-footline must be returned before itbounces a third time. However, if theball hits below the 1-foot line, it mustbe returned before it bounces twice. Ifthe ball hits on or above the 3-foot line,the ball must be returned as describedin the basic return rule.

Rule 5.4 Games And MatchesAll games are played to 11 points andthe first side to win two games wins the

match.

6.0 — WHEELCHAIRRule 6.1 Adjustments

e participant may wear an appliancethat is medically prescribed, providingit does not jeopardize the safety ofothers and the player does not use it toany unfair advantage. e participantmay secure any portion of his/her bodyto the wheelchair.

Rule 6.2 EquipmentIn order to protect playing surfaces, thewheelchair must be equipped with afunctional roller bar or similarprotection under the foot platform.ere should be no sharp edgesanywhere on the outside parts of thechair that could cause injury or damageto the court and the chair must beequipped with non-marking tires. eracquet, including bumper guard andall solid parts of the handle, may notexceed 22 inches in length.

Rule 6.3 Two-Bounce RuleTwo bounces of the ball on the floor arepermitted but not mandatory during allrallies and serves.

Rule 6.4 Wheel FaultsAll four wheels of the wheelchair areconsidered equal to both feet of theable-bodied player and subsequent callsare made accordingly. e proper call is“Wheel Fault.”

Rule 6.5 Avoidable Hinder/Chair ControlAny player who intentionally alters thedirection or speed of the wheelchairwith their lower extremities will beassessed an avoidable hinder.

Rule 6.6 DivingPlayers may “dive” from theirwheelchair to make a shot: however,every separate attempt at a shot must beinitiated from an upright sittingposition in the wheelchair. e playersbuttock must be in contact with thechair when the ball is hit. Aer the ballhas been hit, the player may then comeclear from the chair. Any infraction ofthe above will result in the loss of therally. Players diving from theirwheelchairs, where either they or theirwheelchair impede their opponent’sshot or movement to a ball which isdeemed returnable by the referee, willresult in an avoidable hinder.

Rule 6.7 Maintenance DelayEach player will be allowed up to two(2) five-minute maintenance delays permatch for any malfunction and repairof a wheelchair, prosthesis, or assistancedevice. ese delays are irrespective ofother game timeouts or injurytimeouts.

Rule 6.8 CoachingOnly one coach per player may enterthe court during a timeout to “upright”their player aer a rally or between

games and only then with thepermission of the referee. Failure toabide by this rule will result in atechnical foul assessed against theplayer of the offending coach.

A — OFFICIATINGA.1 Tournament Management

All recognized IRF tournaments shallbe managed by a tournament director,who shall designate the officials.

A.2 Officialse official shall be a referee designatedby the tournament director or the floormanager or one agreed to by bothparticipants (teams in doubles).Officials may also include, at thediscretion of the tournament director, ascorekeeper and two linespeople.

A.3 Referee RemovalA referee may be removed upon theagreement of both participants (teamsin doubles) or at the discretion of thetournament director. In the event thatthe referee's removal is requested by oneplayer (team) and not agreed to by theother, the tournament director or thatdirector's designated assistant(s) mayaccept or reject the request.

A.4 Rules BriefingBefore all tournaments, all officials andplayers shall be briefed on rules as wellas local court hinders, regulations, andmodifications the tournament director

wishes to impose. e briefing shouldbe reduced to writing. e current IRFrules will apply and be made available.Any modifications the tournamentdirector wishes to impose must bestated on the entry form and beavailable to all players at registration.

A.5 Referees(a) Pre-Match Duties. Before eachmatch begins, it shall be the duty of thereferee to:

1. Check on adequacy of preparationof court with respect to cleanliness,lighting and temperature.

2. Check on availability andsuitability of materials to includeballs, towels, scorecards, pencils, andtimepiece necessary for the match.

3. Check the readiness andqualifications of the line judges andscorekeeper. Review appealprocedures and instruct them of theirduties, rules and local regulations.

4. Go onto the court to makeintroductions; brief the players oncourt hinders (both designated andundesignated); identify any out-of-play areas [See Rule 2.1]; discusslocal regulations and rulemodifications for this tournament;and explain oen misinterpretedrules.

5. Inspect players’ equipment;identify the line judges; verifyselection of a primary and alternateball.

6. Toss coin and offer the winner thechoice of serving or receiving.

(b) Referee’s decisions. During thematch, the referee shall make alldecisions with regard to the rules.Where line judges are used, the refereeshall announce all final judgments. Ifboth players in singles and three out offour in a doubles match disagree with acall made by the referee, the referee isoverruled, with the exception oftechnical fouls and forfeitures.

(c) Protests. Any decision of the refereewill, on protest, be accorded dueprocess as set forth in the constitutionof the IRF. For the purposes ofrendering a prompt decision regardingprotests filed during the course of anongoing tournament, the stages of dueprocess will be: first to the tournamentdesk, then to the tournament director,and finally to the tournament rulescommittee. In those instances whentime permits, the protest may beelevated to a higher level as called for inthe IRF Constitution.

A.6 Line JudgesIn any IRF sanctioned tournament,linespeople may be designated in order to

decide appealed rulings. Two linespeoplewill be designated by the tournamentdirector and shall, at the referee's signal,either agree or disagree with the refereeruling. e signal to show agreement withthe referee’s call is “thumbs up.” e signalto show disagreement is “thumbs down.”e signal for no opinion is an “open palmdown.” Both linespeople must disagreewith the referee in order to reverse theruling. If both linespeople disagree withthe referee's call, it shall be overruled, andthe call reversed. If either linespersonagrees with the referee, the call shall stand.In the event that one linesperson disagrees,and the other signals that they did not seethe call in question, the rally shall bereplayed. If both linespeople indicate theydid not see the appealed call in question,the referee’s call will stand.

A.7 AppealsIn any match using line judges, all calls areappealable with the exception of technicalsand game/match forfeitures. (a) Limit on Appeals. Each player will

be allowed to make a maximum ofthree “not accepted” appeals per game.If one linesperson has no opinion andthe other disagrees with the referee'scall, the appeal will not count againstthe five-appeal limit. If the referee's callstands, one appeal is charged.

(b) Loss of Appeal. e referee shallrecognize an appeal only if it is madebefore the appealing player leaves the

court, or if the players do not leave thecourt, only before the next serve begins.A player or team will forfeit the right ofappeal if such appeal is made directly tothe line judges or follows an excessivedemonstration or complaint.Obstructed View. If the referee’s view isobstructed, he/she can issue a “no-call”on the play. If one line judge is alsounable to make a call (agreeing with thereferee’s “no call”), the final decisionmay be determined by the call of theremaining line judge.

A.8 Outcome of AppealsEverything except technical fouls andforfeitures can be appealed. e followingoutcomes cover several of the mostcommon types of appeal, but not allpossible appeals can be addressed.erefore, the referee’s discretion andcommon sense should govern theoutcomes of those appeals that are notcovered herein:

(a) Skip Ball. If the referee makes a callof “skip ball” and the call is reversed,the referee then must decide if the shotin question could have been returnedhad play continued. If, in the opinionof the referee, the shot could have beenreturned, the rally shall be replayed.However, if the shot was notretrievable, the side that hit the shot inquestion is declared the winner of therally. If the referee makes no call on ashot (thereby indicating that the shotdid not skip), an appeal may be made

that the shot skipped. If the “no call” isreversed, the side that hit the shot inquestion loses the rally.

(b) Fault Serve. If the referee makes acall of fault serve and the call isreversed, the serve is replayed, unless ifthe referee considered the serve to benot retrievable, in which case a point isawarded to the server. If an appeal ismade because the referee makes no callon a serve—thereby indicating that theserve was good—and the “no call” isreversed, it will result in second serve ifthe infraction occurred on the firstserve or loss of serve if the infractionoccurred on the second serve, orutilizing one-serve rules.

(c) Out Serve. If the referee calls an“out serve” and the call is reversed, theserve will be replayed, unless the servewas obviously a fault also, in which casethe call becomes fault serve. However,if the call is reversed and the serve wasconsidered an ace, a point will beawarded. Also, if the referee makes nocall on a serve— thereby indicating thatthe serve was good—but the “no call” isreversed, it results in an immediate lossof serve.

(d) Double Bounce Pickup. If thereferee makes a call of two bounces, andthe call is reversed, the rally is replayed,except if the player against whom thecall was made hit a shot that could not

have been retrieved, then that playerwins the rally. (Before awarding a rallyin this situation, the referee must becertain that the shot would not havebeen retrieved even if play had not beenhalted.) If an appeal is made becausethe referee makes no call, therebyindicating that the get was not twobounces, and the “no call” is reversed,the player who made the two-bouncepickup is declared the loser of the rally.

(e) Receiving LineViolation/Encroachment. If the refereemakes a call of encroachment, but thecall is overturned, the serve shall bereplayed unless the return was deemedirretrievable in which case a sideout (orpossibly a handout in doubles) shouldbe called. When an appeal is madebecause the referee made no call, andthe appeal is successful, the server isawarded a point.

(f ) Court Hinder. If the referee makes acall of court hinder during a rally orreturn of serve, the rally is replayed. Ifthe referee makes no call and a playerfeels that a court hinder occurred, thatplayer may appeal. If the appeal issuccessful, the rally will be replayed. Acourt hinder on a second serve resultsin only that serve being replayed.

(g) Other Rulings. e referee may ruleon all matters not covered in the IRFOfficial Rules. However, the referee’s

ruling is subject to protest as describedin B.5(c).

A.9 Rule InterpretationsIf a player feels the referee hasinterpreted the rules incorrectly, theplayer may require the referee ortournament director to cite theapplicable rule in the rulebook. Havingdiscovered a misapplication ormisinterpretation, the official mustcorrect the error by replaying the rally,awarding the point, calling sideout, ortaking other corrective measures.

B — PROCEDURESB.1 Rule Change Procedures

(a) Any participating country maypropose a rule change to theInternational Racquetball FederationRules Committee. e rule changesmust be submitted in writing to theIRF Office, Colorado Springs,Colorado, before January 15th of theyear in which the WorldChampionships are held.

(b) e proposed rule changes will besubmitted to the IRF Rules Committeefor review and evaluation. ecommittee will then submit itsrecommendation to the IRF ExecutiveBoard by June 1st of the year in whichthe World Championships are held.

(c) e Executive Board will present itsrecommendation and the

recommendations of the RulesCommittee to the participatingcountries during the World Congressmeeting at the World Championships.

(d) e participating countries at theWorld Congress will then vote on theproposed rule changes.

(e) Rule changes which receive themajority of yes votes will go into effecton September 1st of the year in whichthey are passed.

20 feet

(6) Receiving Line

(2) Service Line

(1) Short Line

(3) Service Zone

(7) Safety Zone

15 feet

15 feet

40 feet5 feet

5 feet

18 inches, (4) Service Boxes

(5) Drive Service Lines

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Copyright © 2016 IRF. Forinformation about reprint rights andfees, please contact:e InternationalRacquetball Federation,Colorado Springs, CO / USA,www.internationalracquetball.com

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