Expert: Rob Chabot - 9/2/2009

Question
QUESTION: If you hit the ball and it goes between your legs do you lose the point or is it a replay hinder? also, do you play that you have to win by 2 points? Thanks, Aileen

ANSWER: 1) If you hit the ball and the ball then goes between your legs, it's up to the receiving player to either play the shot OR to call replay hinder. It is NOT a point unless the ball hits you while the ball passes through your legs. (See rule 3.14.4)

3.14 - Replay Hinders
4. Screen Ball. Any ball rebounding from the front wall so close to the body of the defensive player that it prevents the offensive player from having a clear view of the ball. (The referee should be careful not to make the screen call so quickly that it takes away a good offensive opportunity.) A ball that passes between the legs of a player who has just returned the ball is not automatically a screen. It depends on whether the other player is impaired as a result. Generally, the call should work to the advantage of the offensive player.

2) First player to 15 points wins. There is no 'minimum' margin of victory - 15-14 is a possible score.

See http://www.usra.org/Rulebook.aspx for the full rulebook.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Two more questions..can you use 2 hands on the racquet? Also, if you call hinder when the ball is going close to your opponent after they hit it, and the ball hits your opponent, do they lose the point? Does calling a hinder immediately stop play?

Answer
1) You cannot use two hands to hold a racquetball racquet.

2) If you call a hinder, play stops immediately. If you do *NOT* call hinder and your opponent hits the ball and the ball hits him/her, serve (or point) goes to you. But only if you did not call hinder - if you call hinder before the ball hits your opponent, play stops immediately.