The Student Recreation Center currently offers eight courts for racquetball and squash. For those who aren’t familiar with the relatively little-known sports available at the University, today’s FourPlay offers an instructional section of how to learn two, year-round activities.
Racquetball is played in a closed room that is 20 feet wide, 40 feet long and 20 feet high. To start the point, the server hits the ball off the back wall, which must then bounce on the floor past the second solid line called the “short line” in the middle of the court. Like tennis, the server gets two chances to hit a good serve in most cases, or the serve goes to the other player.
Once the point starts, the rules are also like tennis, but the scoring is much different. The point is over when the ball either bounces twice or fails to hit the front wall before hitting the floor.
A normal match is played as a best of three games. Games are played to 15 unless there is a decisive third game, which is played to 11. Official rules state that a player does not have to win by two.
Ryan Moore, a racquetball instructor at the Recreation Center, said the University offers plenty of opportunities for students to try racquetball for themselves.
“The beauty of playing racquetball at Oregon is that you can play all year round,” Moore said. “Weather is not a factor.”
Moore said he is currently teaching both Racquetball 1 and Racquetball 2 at the University. He said the excitement of the sport is what appeals to him.
“I love the fast-paced nature of it,” Moore said. “I love the workout.”
The Recreation Center will hold a singles and doubles racquetball tournament on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 that is open to players of all skill levels, Moore said.
Physical Activity and Recreation Services Director Dennis Munroe said the
Recreation Center plans to add five additional racquetball courts to its facilities in its proposed expansion.
Squash is played much the same as racquetball. One main difference between the two sports lies in the equipment. Squash is played with a longer, more narrow racquet, and the ball is much smaller and has less bounce than a racquetball.
According to World Squash Federation rules, players can only score on their serves like
racquetball, but each game is only played to nine points. There are also limitations to where a player can hit the front wall. Each shot must hit the front wall above the “board,” a section across the bottom of the front wall that is 48 centimeters off the floor.
Players in both sports are allowed to hit the ball of any of the four walls and ceiling on each shot, provided that it hits the front wall before bouncing on the floor.