AboutRob Chabot Expertise Racquetball. Know all the rules, etiquette, etc. Am familiar with equipment and am active on the applicable newsgroups when I have time. I can be of service to players up to the "advanced" level. Have been playing since the mid 1980s.
NOTE: I cannot answer questions on "what kind of racquet should I get?" This is like asking "what kind of dog or car should I get?" There are so many factors I do not know where to begin - how long have you been playing, do you prefer a top heavy or frame heavy racquet, how often do you plan on playing, etc. I recommend you find a pro shop that allows you to "demo" (borrow) racquets. You can usually borrow racquets for one to three days. A borrowing fee may be involved - and if you end up buying the racquet from that shop, it will usually credit you the loaner fees you have already paid against the purchase price of the racquet.
Experience Won the Ohio State University Intramurals tournament ("A" Division) six out of six times entered.
Question Rob, I've always interpreted the rules of play so that as the offensive player I am entitled to not only A shot at the ball, but THE shot I want. That is, if I am impeded from moving to my left to intercept the ball on its way to the back wall because my opponent is between me and the ball I can ask for a replay hinder, even if I could still retreat and play the ball off the back wall. Is this a correct interpretation?
If I make contact with my opponent during my shot (back into him while I set up to hit the ball) is this a penalty hinder and my point?
Thx, Phil
Answer You describe two scenarios:
Scenario 1
You want to cut off the ball passing down the left side of the court. (I assume the ball is traveling parallel to the side wall.) Your opponent is between you and the side wall. You wish to strike the ball on its way back instead of taking it off the back wall in the left corner.
I agree with your take on the situation in that you should (and do) have the "choice" to cut off the ball as it travels to the back wall instead of being forced to take it off the back wall/corner. The key thing here is that this is a hinder if - and only if - you *really*/*truly* could have hit the cut off shot at that point as opposed to you would have liked to ... but based on the ball speed/trajectory/etc, you really had no shot at the ball at that point. I mention this because someone I've been playing for years will sometimes call this sort of hinder when it is quite obvious that he had no chance in getting to the ball at that exact spot. (He has this annoying habit of calling hinders sometimes based on where he would have liked to be - or desired to be - but there was no chance on this green earth he would have been in position to get said ball - this guy ain't the most agile athlete in the world, if you get my drift :-))
Scenario 2
If you make contact with your opponent during your shot (you use the example of backing into him while you set up to hit the ball), this is a penalty hinder under Rule 3.15(b)
Rule 3.15 PENALTY HINDERS
A penalty hinder results in the loss of the rally. A penalty hinder does not necessarily have to be an intentional act. Replay hinders are described in Rule 3.14. Any of the following results in a penalty hinder:
(b) Stroke Interference. This occurs when a player moves, or fails to move, so that the opponent returning the ball does not have a free, unimpeded swing. This includes unintentionally moving in a direction that prevents the opponent from making a shot.
Personally, I'd call this a penalty hinder during a sanctioned/refereed game. If it's just club night and/or playing between friends, I'd suggest going with a replay hinder since the aggravation isn't worth it. (Personally, I've been playing for a LONG time and pretty much all official 'penalty hinders' are played as 'replay hinders' when I'm playing friends and/or in the club.
