RACQUETBALL - Fall 2010 by Jimmy Oliver

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CONTENTS

U.S. OPEN

WORLD OUTDOOR RACQUETBA LL

MILITARY SPECIAL

IN THIS ISSUE From the Top Racquetball 4 Ever Players Helping Players U.S. Open World Championships Fran 's House Police Association What 's The Call? World Outdoor Racquetball WSMRA NMRA IRT WPRO Military Special Section Carrabba 's Racquetball Calendar Upcoming Events Regional Qualifiers Christmas Goodies Ashaway String Special News & Notes

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visit us on the w_eb @ www.usaracquetball.com 2 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

FROM THE TOP

The Pride of Representing

YOUR COUNTRY

D By James Hiser, Ph.D. USAR Executive Director

"Although it is disappointing to always be the country that other countries cheer against... the pride of being # 1 really goes far beyond the boundaries of competition."

uring my trip back from the IRF World Championships in Korea, I had time to reflect not only on the team and the cultural experience but on what it means to live in this great country. Without doubt, this entire experience was an awakening. The trip to the DMZ really was the catalyst of the introspection, but the experience of helping with the team and being there for their victories and defeats was also extremely significant. Prior to this trip, for about 20 years I just worked these events and never got to experience the real feeling of being part of the team. What a rewarding opportunity! To see Rhonda's focus every morning in preparation for combat against the world's top (now former top) player; to experience the disappointment of Cheryl 's loss to Mexico; to witness Aimee and Jackie's determination and humility in defeat; to view Rocky's exuberance and Jack's frustration and self control under difficult conditions; to witness Mitch and Ben's struggle and then rebounding confidence; and to see Mike Guidry, always the coach and strategist, pull together plans for victory, are experiences that will not be forgotten. And yes, the city (Seoul) and country are remarkable , but what will forever stick as my most prevalent memory of the trip is respect and admiration for our military and the country they defend. Although it is disappointing to always be the country that other countries cheer against (the U.S. always seems to be the focus), the pride of being #1 really goes far beyond the boundaries of competition . When the Olympics were in Seoul, I can still remember the surprise many had when the Soviet Union and U.S. teams walked into the stadium . The Soviet Union was enthusiastically applauded; the U.S. was jeered. Why, when the U.S. had sacrificed so much during the Korean War (over 36,000 deaths) and the Soviet Union was the defender of the North Koreans? Politics and cultural bias is sometimes difficult to understand and the ignorance of history is sometimes hard to accept. But what everyone should admire is the consistency of the U.S. policy to fight for others' freedom and independence. All the great experiences of that tournament week in Korea would most certainly not have been possible without the many sacrifices of U.S. men and women in uniform. The DMZ had been quoted by President Clinton as "the scariest place in the world," and when you realize there are a million troops just a few miles away, always at battle readiness, the security and stability of such a wonderful country seems tenuous . But what maintains the balance of power as a stable deterrent is the military of the U.S. and South Korea. Although while in South Korea you seldom feel the stress of such a close enemy, I would imagine the elders of the country must feel consistent apprehension . Although it is easy to simply accept our freedoms and opportunities, it is valuable to occasionally look back and appreciate our privileges. It is a privilege and an honor to represent a country that has done so much for others, and when you witness the results of these sacrifices and see the opportunities given to millions of others, the honor becomes even more significant. Thank you , U.S. Team, thank you, Korea, but most importantly, thank you to each U.S. soldier who sacrifices each day to allow us these opportunities .

FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

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RACQUETBALL4EVER

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ifty dollars for a USAR membership? What is that for? Why does USAR need my $50??" Having heard these sentiments expressed one too many times, Jim Hiser and I engaged in a brainstorming exercise to identify all the good " stuff" that 's taken place over the past couple of years . There's a lot going on! We even impressed ourselves ... so allow me to paint the "good news " picture USA Racquetball members help create via annual membership dues. Members of USAR, you not only receive the magazine, secondary accident insurance coverage , rankings, etc . (all the things you usually hear when someone asks , "What value is there to being a USAR member?"), but you are also racquetball benefactors both for the present and the future . Here's a look at what's going on inside USA Racquetball:

PEOPLE Staff- 7 including Executive Director Jim Hiser at the National office in Colorado Springs, CO

Board of Directors- 14, currently (including three athlete representatives, two appointed members and a military representative) U.S. Team Coach- Mike Guidry U.S. Junior Team Coach- Kelley Beane National Rules Commissioner - Otto Dietrich USAR-IP Master Instructors - Fran Davis, Tom Travers and Jim Winterton Webmaster- Leo Vasquez

NEW PARTNERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS Life lime Fitness (host of the 2010 US Open in Minneapolis), Military Racquetball Federation, National Police Racquetball Association , World Firefighter Racquetball Association , World Outdoor Racquetball , U.S . Racquetball Foundation

PUBLICATIONS Racquetball magazine (quarterly) and the USAR eNewsletter (8 times annually)

INITIATIVES • Over 540 regional and local tournaments and clinics sanctioned annually • Six national events offered annually by USAR (Doubles , High Schools, lntercollegiates, Singles, Junior Olympics, and US Open) • Leadership Conference (state directors and leaders)September 2009 - Colorado Springs

41 FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

• U.S . Racquetball Foundat ion- independent fundraising association creat ed in support of future racquetball development (Board officers Shannon Wright and Randy Stafford) • USA Racquetball Instructor Program (USAR-IP) • Grant Fund Program - designed to promote grassroots racquetball development nationwide by supporting programs that can be replicated • Online membership system implemented June 2010 • Referee certifi cation program and expanded testing

USAR WEBSITE • USARACQUETBALL.COM The menu on the left side contains various links (listed below) that direct users to other pages on our website . Member Benefits, Member Services, President's Page , Tournaments, Event/State Directors, Programs, Racquetball Month , Racquetball University, Instructors Program, Junior Racquetball, Collegiate Racquetball, History of Racquetball, Rulebook (hard copy pullout included in this issue), Forum , Hall of Fame, Annual Awards, Record Books, Lists & Links, About USAR , Mission Statement , Merchandise, Archived Stories, and Facility Directory

USAR COMMITIEES (18) Chaired and populated by Board members and volunteers: Collegiate, Due Process, Election , Ethics/HR . Finance, Grant Fund, Hall of Fame, High School, Junior, Legislative, Marketing, Membership, Referee Certification , Rules, Scholarship , Systems & Technology, US Team, Women So .. .the next time someone says, " Gee , I just don 't see any value in USAR membership, " please share this information with them and ask which of the above services and initiatives should be allowed to fade into the sunset. A lot of people expend a lot of time and effort to make sure the infrastructure of our sport is intact and professionally administrated . Be our ambassador! I salute the mi litary, police, fire and EMS personnel who are a wonderful part of our sport and so important in our lives as well. Much gratitude to you and your families for your service and sacrifices. Wishing you and yours a safe and happy holiday season and a successful New Year!

Dear Member: The Allied 's Moving Benefits member discount program provides you, your friends and family access to cash-back rewards and discounts on moving services, real estate, and mortgage services that could save you more than $2 ,000 on moving costs. How does • • •

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Discounts on moving services - Members receive a free in-home estimate and exclusive discounts on interstate moving pricing as well as discounts on personal property protection plans. One-stop mortgage rate shopping and closing cost rewards: Shopping fo r mortgage rates can be exhausting. Let us do the work with our industry-leading mortgage rate shopping service. Also, save money with an exclusive $300 closing cost credit on purchase or refinances. ** Real Estate cash-back rewards: By buying or selling a home with one of our preferred agents, you, your friends or family will qualify for a cash-back reward of $50 for every $10,000 in-home value. For example, if you purchase a $200,000 home, you could receive $1,000 cash back! *

If you have questions about how you, your friends or family can save you more than $2,000 on moving costs, please log on to htto://acr.myhomebenefrts.com or call us at 866-576-2735.

*State restrictions apply, call or visit our website for details **Interest rate availability subject to credit qualifications This is not an offer of credit. Mortgage approvals rendered based on individual credit qualifications. SIRVA Mortgage, Inc. is licensed by (among others): Arizona Licensed Mortgage Banker, License #BK-0901430; Licensed by the Department Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, Lender License #413-0944; Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #6221; Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee; Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company, License# SL.0000368; Massachusetts Mortgage Lender. License #ML 1341; Licensed by the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, Mississippi Licensed Mortgage Company #369/201 0; Missouri Residential Mortgage Licensee; Montana Mortgage Lender License #2240; Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department; Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance; New York Licensed Mortgage Banker by the N.Y. State Banking Department; Ohio Mortgage Broker License #MB.803887.000; Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking; Rhode Island Licensed Lender; Texas Mortgage Lender, License# 44605; Licensed as a Mortgage Lender by the Virginia State Corporation Commission , license #MC-310. NMLS Unique Identifier# 2240. Main Office of SIRVA Mortgage, Inc; 6200 Oak Tree Blvd , Ste 300, Independence, OH 44131; Telephone: 1-800-531-3837.

PLAYERS HELPING PLAYERS

2010

Donations Susan & Leo Klimaitis

President's Advisory Council Christopher (Kit) Lawson Doug Ganim Geoff Peters Randy Stafford Lee Horwitz

Jack Hughes Michael O'Donoghue

Rick Betts Victor & Nancy Manilla

Blake Manning Brad McCunniff Cela Vigil Cheryl Jones David Leon David Marut Elizabeth Simons Frank Taddonio Gerry Price Gordon Kelly Hank Marcus

Jack Woods Jack Zollo James Kani Jerry Monell Jim Stahl Joanna Kenyon John & Patricia Redovian Johnnie Boyd Jr Julia Mouser Kevin Goulet Lorraine Galloway

Aaron Lopez Adam Katz Alaga Roffey Alan Ekblad Alan Gerling Alan Stokes Alexander York Ali Paksoy, Jr. Allen Drew Alvaro Torres Andrew Wenczel

Andy Ekblad Angel Rodriguez Ann Harch Arthur Hotchkiss Arthur Johnson Arthur Murphy Arun Rohila Aurora Perez Bocanegra Barbara Murphy Becky Gartman Bhala Ghatate

6 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

Houston RB Assoc IRT Goldman, Sachs & CO Leo Horwitz Women's Committee

Annie Muniz Ben Marshall Cheryl Kirk Christi Macri Connie Martin

Lynn Stephens Mabel Chisholm Mark Bianchi Martin Kovacs Merijean Kelley Nelson Adams Parris Geiser Richard Betts Robert McAdam Ron Corbett Rubenstein

Bill Penny Blair Wagner Bob Gerrity Bob Goldenberg Bob Reimer Brad Simmons Bradley Yoder Brad Simons Brian Berkel hamer Bruce Adams Bruce Reding

Geoff Peters Goldman, Sachs & Co. Jan Stelma Janice Vosika

Samatha Simmons Sawyer Lloyd Shannon Wright Sharlene Donovan Steve Douglas Tara Smith Terry Ann Rogers Terry Dees Thomas McAdam Timothy Chartier William Gingold

Bruno Malo Calvin Gomez Carig Jackson Carlos Castillo Carol Martin Cedric Ancellin Charles Hansen Christian Rodriguez-Fernandez Christopher Cooper Christy Gallow-Gramer Clinton lmholte

Craig Jac~son Dale Milhollin Dale Stevens Dan Schaffer Daniel Warner Darrell Vincent David Gelardi David King David Klein David Milazzo Dean Baer Debbie Peppina Diane Formisani Don Carpenter Don Checots Don Scales Donald Fletcher Donald Luehm Donald Scales Doug Horne Douglas Kerns Duane Russell Dwayne Hayes E.C. Newman Earl Daniels Ed Pardo Edmond Dsouza Edward Milstein Elma Severson Emmett Lodree Enrique Biosca Eric Kraus Eric Washington Francisco Martinez Frank Gibson Frank Robinson Frank Youngman Garnet Rodgers Garrett Foy Garry Duffield Gene Roberts George Coleman Glen Allen Glen Fishkin Greg Benson Greg Boulanger Gregory McClellan Henok Girma Hermando Castelo Howard Nellor Isaac Hirschfield Ivan Sanchez J.B. Smith Jack Fredine Jack Goldberg James Bileski James Coleman James DePauw James Lloyd James Therell James Tincher James Wood Jamie Hopkins Jan Warren Janell Marriott Jarom Shaver Jason Baez Alfonso Jason Linnell Jaswinder Pal Jay Byler Jay Harms Jeff Hansen Jeff Keuler Jeffrey Edwards Jerome Furey Jerome Miller Jesus Vi llahermosa Jim Curran

Jim Hadley Jim Hillman Jim Hiser Jim Winterton Jimmy Vasquezo JoAnna Reves Jo Shattuck Joanne Pomodoro Joe Camiolo John Duclos John Hulick John Wolfe Jonathan Burns Joseph McManus Justin Foster Karine Laidley Keely Franks Kelsey Crouch Ken Rivas Kendra Tutsch Kent Hugh Kevin Graff Kevin Kelly Kevin Macon Kipp Lanman Krystal Cxuk Lamar Hughes Lance Dellacroce Lara Cosenza Larry Hicks Larry Steiner Laurie King Leon Booker Leslie Pawka Lewis Edwards Lon Schlussel Loretta Peterson Lori Wenckus Lucinda Jirik Lucy Jirki Lu is Fuentes Lu is Soto Ly Abbott Lyhne Weisbart Malia Bailey Marc Auerbach Marc Masnor Marc Sim Marcus Mickey Margaret Hoff Margery Glynn Maria Moreno Mark Davis Mark Fuhrmann Mark Heflin Mark Sheedy Martin Carlson Matthew Niemier Melanie Steier Michael Cobb Michael Engle Michael Ginocchio Michael Gutierrez Michael Meadows Michael Morales Michael Pawka Micheal ENgle Mi chele Baxter Mike Mazza Mike Pawka Mike Stevenson Mike Targon Milton Karp Monica Yamaoka Mourad Ettaki Napoleon Williams Nicholas Riffel Nick Mala rest

Nilsen Ruckman Pam Schubach Paul Deal Paul Lorenz Paul Smith, SR Paula Coley Paula Diamond Pawel Pelka Peter Simon Phyllis Clair Ralph Graham Ralph Racacho Ramesh Awa Randolph Canham Raul Basurto Raymond Clevenger Rebecca Brinkman Rhonda Rajisch Ric Johnson Rich Drown Rich O'Keeffe Richard Bostwick Richard Golden Richard Goldener Richard Owens Richard Romero Rick Jackson Robert Arroyo Robert Gerrara Robert Power Roger Aranoff Ron Jones Ronna UIiana Roxanne Davis Roy Fraties Roy Hare Ruckman Nilsen Russell Clark Russell Montague Russell Palazzo Ryan Rodgers Saad Siddiqui Saktoko Nakano Salvatore Perconti Sam Nguy Satoko Nakano Scott Fauque Scott Martini Scott McCormick Scott Winters Shamai Wellons Sheldon Walker Sid Bird Stephen Stack Steve Cohen Steve Conn Steve Di Salvo Steve Gi lberti Steve Knowles Steven Markey Steven Mawhorter Steven Pace Susan Devol Tamara Buss Terry Moore Thao Le Thomas DellaDonne Timothy Vanhooser Tom McCullough Tom Travers Vanessa Smith Von Auna W. P. Daheldl Wayne Harris William Loiko William Schutters Yasushi Hakoishi Zachary Brown

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4 CANS-3 PER CAN EKTELON CLASSIC .......... 14.80 EKTELON FIREBALLS ...... 14.80 EKTELON PREMIUM SELECT 14.00 PENN BALISTIC.......•........ 13.95 PENN ULTRA BLUE .•........ 11 .95 PRO PENN GREEN........... 13.95 PRO PENN HIGH DEFINITION .14.95 WILSON BLUE BULLET ....•9.95 WILSON n TOUR ........•...• 11 .95 GIANT CAN- 12 BALLS PENN ULTRA BLUE ......•...10.95

BEDLAM LITE 170 ........•... 89.00 BEDLAM STUN 1SO ...•....119.95 BEDLAM 185G .........•.•...... 69.95 CHAOS •.........................••.• 45.95 COMMAND: POWER FLEX 160 ....... 189.95 POWER FLEX 170 •.....• 179.95 POWER FLEX 175 ....... 169.95 POWER FLEX 190 ....... 159.95 HEATSEEKER 180 ......•... 259.95 HEATSEEKER 170 .......... 234.95 HEATSEEKER 175 .......... 229.95 HEATSEEKER 190 .......... 209.95 JUDGEMENT STUN 160 ...99.95 LAUNCH PAD.................... 54.95 LETHAL NXT GEN 160........ 139.95 LETHAL NXTGEN 170n75.119.95 LETHAL NXT GEN 190.....•..109.95

EKTELON EX03 ATIACK.•....•........... 219.00 EX03 BLACK .........•......... 189.00 EX03 IGNITE ................... 199.00 03 BLACK ......•................. 129.00 03 RED .............................. 99.00 03RG .............................. 119.00 03 TOUR. ...............•..•.......• 79.00 03 WHITE ........................ 149.00 03 SPEEDPORT RED ....•. 159.00 03 HYBRID HORNET ..•..•.• 59.95 AIR RESPONSE ................ 59.95 AIRO GRAPHITE n -105 .28.95 DPR 2500 LITE .................• 89.00 POWERFAN VAPORIZER.26.95

HEAD AMP175 ...•.•....•..•..•..•.•..•. 129.95 AMP 185..........................109.95 DIRTY DEED ...........•....... 149.95 EXTREME 170.•.......•....... 109.95 I. 165.................................. 69.00 LIQUIDMETAL 170 ..........•• 99.95 LIQUIDMETAL BLAST ...... 29.95 LIQUIDMETAL HUR!11CANE 39.95 MEANSTREAK ................ 169.95 NANOn DEMON .........•..•. 17.95 PROBLEM CHIL0 .........•.•. 189.95 YOUTEC BLACKJACK ... 219.95 YOUTEC FULL HOUSE... 199.95 YDUTEC ROYAL FLUSH .. 199.95

WILSON K BOOM .•...•.........•.........•129.99 K FIERCE .......................... 69.99 K LITE ........................•....... 79.99 K RX160 ......•...... ••.••.......129.00 K RX 165 ......•......•.......•..• 149.00 n CHARGE •..........•............ 29.95 n LITE ...................•.•.......... 79.00 n ZONE ............................•.39.95 FORCE BLX ....•...•..•....••.• 119.99 LOCKJAW BLX ...............159.99 RANT BLX ....................... 149.99 SWORD BLX •.......•.•........ 169.99 WARLOCK BU<-..•........... 179.99

GEARBOX GB 250 - 165/170/175G. 199.95 GB 2SOT - 1700 •.........•... 199.95 GB 125- 1700 •.....•...........99.95 GB 75-185G .........•••..•.•..• 69.95 GB S0-190G ...•.••..•....•..... 29.95

GLOVES E-FORCE CHILL ............... 15.99 E-FORCE WEAPON .......... 12.99 EKTELON 03 ...•.......••....•..•16.00 EKTELON CLASSIC PRO ... 9.00 EKTELON CONTROLLER 11 .8.50 EKTELON COOLMAX ICE 12.00 EKTELON MAXTACK PR0.14.00 GEARBOX MOVEMENT .•.16.95 HEAD AIRFLOW TOUR ..•• 16.95 HEAO AMP PR0 ...............17.95 HEAO CONQUEST '11...... 12.95 WILSON RED ZONE .........14.99

EYEGUARDS

E-FORCE CRYSTAL WRAP . 19.99 E-FORCE DUAL FOCUS ..• 24.99 EKTELON 03 BONES ........ 22.00 EKTELON MIRAGE 11 ..•..•.... 7.50 EKTELON MORE GAME ... 20.00 EKTELON QUANTUM ......• 25.00 EKTELON SPEED ............. 24.00 EKTELON STROBE........... 13.95 EKTELON VENDffiA .••.•.••. 8.95 GEARBOX VISION •........... 24.99 HEAO IMPULSE ..•.....•......... 6.95 HEAO PRO ELITE ..•.......... 19.95 HEAD RAPTOR •..............•. 24.95 HEAD RAVE ..............••.•..... 12.95 RAD TURBO...•.................. 17.95 WI LSON JET ..•..........•.....•. 12.99

SPORT BAGS E-FORCE: BACK PACK ..•................ 35.99 SMALL SPORT •.•.......•..• 35.99 MEDIUM SPORT ...•........ 49.95 EKTELON: EX03 BACK PK .............. 39.95 EX03 TOUR .................... 59.00 03 DUAL PACK .••.•.•••........• 24.95 03 SPEEDPORT: CAMO BACK PACK ......34.95 CLUB......•..•......•..•....••.•. 39.95 TRAVELER •...••.......•.•.... 69.00 TRIPLE PACK................ 49.00 HEAD RACQUETBALL: BACK PACK ••................. 44.95 TOUR COMBI... ..•.••......•. 69.95 ULTRA COMBI ......•....•..• 59.95 DEFIANT BACK PACK ... 29.95 DEFIANT ULTRACOMBl .. 44.95 WILSON INDOOR: BLX ALLGEARIRAK PAK. 49.99 BLX BACK PACK............. 39.99

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FALL 2010 I USA RACQU ETBALL I 7

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USA Racquetball offers the most c:o.rnl.7re.,ne.'~ program ever created For the sport! Upgrade instructor membership and become a CertiRed Instructor by successfully completing a USA Racquetball Instructors Program clinic. Register for one of these upcoming clinics today at www.usaracquetball.com: December 17-19

January 21-22

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Testimonials "The ten benchmarks were very helpful. This will enable instructors to stay on task when we get back to our clubs . Fran Davis, Jim Winterton, and Tom Travers were a GREAT TEAM with a wealth of knowledge that was priceless!" -- Nanny Villareal "Our Life Time Fitness Instructors concluded that having the opportunity to teach the benchmarks of your program to other participants and then being critiqued on their presentation was an invaluable part of their weekend experience." -- John Wilinski "This class was a great experience and gave me additional too ls to help me become a better instructor. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in teaching at any level." -- Drew Wilson

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INSTRUCTORS Master Plofessional Davis, Francine Hiser, Jim Martin, COnnie Travers, Tom Winterton, Jim Professional Clinicians Beane, Kelley Buchanan, Doug Collins, Wanda Croom, David P Davis, Francine Guidry, Mike Hawthorne, Andy Herrera, Anthony Hiser, Jim

Kowalski , Steve J Kulju, Richelle Lehman, Ernie

Mannino, Jason Shattuck, Jo Strandemo, Steve K Vanderson, Shane Williams, Mitch R Wi Ison , Drew

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USA USA USA USA USA

USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

Pnlfessional Instructor Arluck, Robert USA USA Berger, Peter S Bernardo, Patrick M USA Buchanan, Doug USA Cardenas, Abe I USA Clay, Jonathan USA Collins, Wanda USA Croom, David P USA Cuesta, Ralph USA Ferrin, Rick C USA Fronczak, Jerry USA Hill, Rich R USA Hiser, Jim USA Keogh, Torn F USA Meredith, Eddie USA Nannernann, Chrislllpher USA Pearson. BrianT USA Sambor, Craig A USA Stranderno, Steve K USA Strom, Gary USA Suarez, Jorge A USA

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Tcheou, Pao Turner, John Villareal, Manny Wiegand, Andy Wilinski, John 0 Wilson, Drew Winterton, Jim Wright, Eric

Certified Instructor Andrade, Claudia Berger, Peter S Caruso, Rich Colden, Spencer A Downing, Dennis R Fidecaro, Gloria Folger, Rick Franco, Jeff L Fronczak, Gary Gazelka, Lawrence D Glynn, Jeffrey Gutierrez, John M Harch, Ann P Hiller, Craig Hiser, Jim Howard, Twayne M Knezek, David Kowalski , Steve J Kulju, Richelle Lammer, Michael Lewis, Keith Magruder, Andre M Newport, Gerald R Rao, Arhant Rivera, Leon lish, Ronen Van Horn, Ron Vosika, Janice L Waters, Jeffrey Weinstein, Jeff H White Sr., Michael

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Non-Certified (Educallonll) Apple, Nolan USA Barberis, David J USA Bowen, Grag S USA Bowles, Jonathon USA Boykin, Cameron G USA USA Bray, Gene

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RustburJ Hatfield Sioux Falls Edina Carthage Lakeville Madison Cumming Atlanta Louisburg

Paris Irving Colorado Springs Millersville I.Nerpool Wichita Chino Hills Helotes

Tomball Seattle Carrollton Colorado Springs Kent

The Best Play Penn! Shouldn't You?

OFFICIAL BAL L

l!_enn. . .111 #1

pennracquet.com

SEW. IIIII.

he 15th 2010 US OPEN Racquetball Championships made its move to the Twin Cities October 20-24, 2010 as the event hosted over 700 of the world's best professional and amateur racquetball players from 13 countries. The tournament featured nearly 1,300 matches at three Life Time Fitness locations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to the Minneapolis Athletic Club and St. Louis Park Club, the main host club was situated in Downtown Minneapolis at the Target Center, home of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. The city of Minneapolis, the volunteers, local organizing committee, and staff of the host clubs made the players and fans feel right at home. Their warm hospitality, enthusiasm and friendly atmosphere enhanced the sport's largest Grand Slam event. The downtown area was clean and filled with restaurants, plenty of shopping and Minneapolis' excellent "Skyway" system. With almost eight miles of elevated climate-controlled walkways, players could get almost anywhere in Downtown Minneapolis without stepping outdoors. Along with all the players, there were an additional estimated 3,000 spectators. The tournament was projected to bring more than $4 million in economic impact to the region over the course of the weeklong event. Local Minneapolis television stations aired ten segments promoting the US OPEN. This free press coverage resulted in the equivalent of $318,091 in estimated publicity value and reached approximately 3.4 million viewers. The US OPEN moved to Minneapolis from Memphis this year, but fans would be excused for thinking it was 2009 all over again as the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) and Classic Professional Racquetball Tour (CPRT) winners

10 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

successfully defended their titles. In doing so, two became the winningest US OPEN professionals. The exception to that was Kane Waselenchuk, who was already the winningest IRT player at the US OPEN. He'd won the last five times he played in Memphis and captured his 6th US OPEN Championship in Minneapolis, defeating first-time US OPEN finalist Alvaro Beltran, 10-12, 11-2, 11-2, 11-6. The final of the IRT Men's Professional Division was the first US OPEN men's final not to have an American-born player on the court. On his way to the final from the qualifier draw, Beltran defeated Cliff Swain, Rocky Carson, Jose Rojas and Ben Croft -two US OPEN Champions and three of the top eight players in the world. In Game One of the final, it looked like Beltran might end Waselenchuk's winning streak that began 22 months ago after Beltran defeated him in January 2009, as the Mexican took the first game 12-10. Waselenchuk then struck back with two decisive 11-2 wins in Games Two and Three. In the fourth game, Beltran showed signs of life, and the possibility of the first five-game US OPEN men's final loomed with Beltran ahead 3-2 before Waselenchuk got back in his groove and made it 6-3. Beltran closed it to 9-6 and fought off the first match point with a flat rollout serve return, but still it seemed only a matter of time. That time came on the next opportunity, when Waselenchuk hit a pinch winner to take the game 11-6 and the match in four games. This was the first time that Waselenchuk has had to play four games in a US OPEN final and only the fifth time in the 15-year history of the US OPEN that a men's final was more than three games. Waselenchuk said the win was "the most emotionally draining" of his six US OPEN wins, as Beltran and Jack Huczek (defeated by

Waselenchuk in the semifinals), were both very strong. Like Beltran, Huczek also won the first game against Waselenchuk, only to see the champ come back and win the match , 9- 11, 11 -6, 11 -4, 11-6. Beltran reached the final after a curious semifinal in which he lost the first two games to Ben Croft , who blanked Beltran in Game Two , and then came back to win three straight, taking the match, 3-11, 0-11, 11-5, 11-7 , 11-3 . Anyone wondering whether Beltran has fully recovered from the knee injury he suffered last year should speculate no longer. The saddest result from Minneapolis on the men's side was Mitch Williams's loss to Croft in the quarterfinals. Mitch had to retire after injuring his left shoulder in Game Four of their match. At the time, Williams was two points from his first US OPEN semifinal, up 9-4 in the fourth game and leading 2-1 in games. But in a lunge to the left, Williams came down on his left arm and dislocated his shoulder. He tried to continue, but after two rallies real ized it was just too painful to hit forehands and retired. On the women's side, Rhonda Rajsich successfully defended her US OPEN title by defeating Paola Longoria , 11-8, 8- 11, 11-9, 11-5, in the WPRO Women's Professional final. They have met in each of the last three US OPEN finals, with Rajsich winning the last two . The win is Rajsich's fourth US OPEN title, which is more than any other woman and one ahead of Christie Huczek (formerly Van Hees). Rajsich has also now appeared in seven US OPEN finals (3 wins, 4 losses) behind only Cliff Swa in who's been in 8 (2-6). Afterwards , a disappointed Longoria said "I was so close ," as she had leads in the first three games, but lost two of them. In Game Four, though, Rajsich got the lead at 5-3 then made it 9-3 . Longoria kept battling but was only able to get a couple of points back before Rajsich won it with a perfect three-shot rally: She hit a lob Z-serve to the right; Longoria returned it down the line, but it came off the back wall setting up Rajsich, who hit a kill shot back down the line to win her 4th US OPEN. In the semifinals, Rajsich had defeated Christie Huczek, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9. In Game One, Huczek led 5-0 before Rajsich won it with eleven consecutive points. Game Two was close early, but with Rajsich leading 6-5, she pushed

~ -

Jude Children's Research Hospil

on to win 11-5. Huczek led 5-4 in game three. Then they were tied 8-8 before Rajsich made it 10-8. Huczek fought off three match points and closed the gap to 10-9. But on her fourth opportunity, Rajsich finished the job, winning the match in three games. Christie Huczek continues to impress the fans with her remarkable performances each year at the US OPEN. Because of her lack of playing time after becoming a fulltime mom in June to a beautiful baby girl, Eve, Hu czek came to the US OPEN ranked #22. She had only played one indoor tournament this year prior to t he US OPEN with little time to train . In the other semifinal, Longoria beat Samantha Salas Solis, 11-3, 11-5, 12-10. Longoria thoroughly controlled game one but Salas Solis led 4-0 in game two before Longoria stormed back using her strong drive serve and some great shot making. In Game Three, Longoria led 9-2 , only to see Salas Solis come back and tie it 10-10. Longoria then switched from her drive serve to a lob to the left (Salas Solis's backhand), and it paid off as she got the next two points with the winning point coming when Salas Solis skipped a return of the lob serve. The presence of the talent coming from Mexico continues to be promising in the women's divisions. With Longoria leading the way, Salas Solis and Susana Acosta are not far behind. Fellow countrywomen Jessica Parilla and Nancy Enriquez also have the potential and ability to compete at the highest levels. In the CPRT Men's 40+ compet ition, Woody Clouse successfully defended his 2009 title with a four-game victory over Jeff Bell, 9-0, 5-9, 9-2, 9-0. Clouse , a left-hander, played well throughout the match, hitting aces and diving for balls. With two CPRT US OPEN t itles under his belt, Clouse has one more than Ruben Gonzalez and Jimmy Lowe, the 2007 and 2008 winners, respectively. Don't forget to mark your calendars for October 26-30, 2011 and make plans to attend the 16th US OPEN Racquetball Championships which will again be hosted by Life Time Fitness. Doug Ganim, US OPEN Tournament Director, announced that next year's US OPEN would be held one week later since many of the top players from the Americas will be playing for their countries at the 2011 Pan American Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico.

12 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

IRF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Seoul, Korea by lim Hiser

THE VENUE

THE CITY

This was perhaps the best venue in the history of International Racquetball. Although the cost will be prohibitive for most other countries to be able to replicate the experience, the coordination, effort and support of the Local Organizing Committee and the City of Seoul should be recognized . The seven portable courts were enclosed under a temporary domed structure and played extremely well. What a terrific environment for a world championship!

Seoul is a remarkable city, very clean, safe and vibrant with an interesting mixture of historical sites and culture interspersed with some of the most modern technology in the world .

14 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT AND SOME DISAPPOINTMENT Many countries continue to improve their programs, and their results reflected their efforts. Bolivia will continue to be a major force on the world scene as witnessed in their overall team finish . Ecuador, Ireland, Guatemala and Costa Rica showed improvement while the Korean women surprised everyone with a fourth place finish. Mexico 's men were disappointing with their worst showing in recent history, but their women 's team remained strong. The young ages of the women 's team indicate they will be a signifi cant force in future world championships.

ONE OF THE HIGHliGHTS The partic ipation and support of the U.S. t roops stationed in Korea was inspiring. Their enthusiasm and constant support for the U.S. Team provided an extra incentive for our team members. They certainly made everyone proud to be a member of Team USA.

THE TEAM Rhonda Rajsich - Focused and determined to repeat her U.S. Open victory. Great to see her perform at such a high level. Cheryl Gudinas - Exhibited the professionalism and control of a true veteran. Bounced back from a discouraging defeat in singles to lead the women's team to victory. Aimee Ruiz and Jackie Paraiso- Although disappointed by their loss to Mexico in the first round, they came together as the true champions they are to easily defeat the Mexicans in team competition. Rocky Carson and Jack Huczek - I comment on these two together because they both played with such class and dignity that it was difficult to label either a loser. Both struggled early but acclimated to the court and environment quickly to face each other in the finals. Mitch Williams and Ben Croft - Mitch was the veteran, but Ben was definitely the motivator and cheerleader. They played well as a team and picked each other up when needed. Mike Guidry - The experience of international competition and the professional tour allowed Mike to make adjustments when needed. He is respected both by team members and competitors.

THE LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITIEE The LOC should be congratulated for not only organizing the most impressive IRF event in recent history but also for recruiting a large number of volunteers and professionals to assist with the operations. From personal guides to acupuncture specialist, every volunteer performed beyond expectations.

FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

I 15

Results IRF World Championships WOMEN

MEN

COMBINED

1 USA 2 CANADA 3 MEXICO 4 KOREA 5 JAPAN 6 BOLIVIA 7 ECUADOR 8 VENEZUELA 9 IRELAND 10 GUATEMALA 11 TONGA 12 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 13 COLOMBIA 14 ARGENTINA 15 COSTA RICA 16 INDIA 17 TAIPEI 17 ENGLAND 17 CHINA 17 CATALUNA 21 URUGUAY 21 UKRAINE 21 PHILIPPINES 21 VIETNAM 21 SAMOA

1 USA 2 CANADA 3 BOLIVIA 4 COSTA RICA 5 VENEZUELA 6 ECUADOR 7 KOREA 8 MEXICO 9 COLOMBIA 10 JAPAN 11 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 12 GUATEMALA 13 INDIA 14 ARGENTINA 15 IRELAND 16 TONGA 17 TAIPEI 17 ENGLAND 17 CHINA 17 CATALUNA 21 URUGUAY 21 UKRAINE 21 PHILIPPINES 21 VIETNAM 21 SAMOA

1 USA 2 CANADA 3 BOLIVIA 4 MEXICO 5 KOREA 6 VENEZUELA 7 ECUADOR 8 JAPAN 9 COSTA RICA 10 COLOMBIA 11 GUATEMALA 12 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 13 IRELAND 14 INDIA 15 ARGENTINA 16 TONGA 17 TAIPEI 17 ENGLAND 17 CHINA 17 CATALUNA 21 URUGUAY 21 UKRAINE 21 PHILIPPINES 21 VIETNAM 21 SAMOA

16 I FALL 20 10 I USA RACQUETBALL

FRAN'S HOUSE

Presented by

H E A n路

.penn

The Making of a CHAMPION

by Fran Davis, Diana McNab (Sports Psychologist} and Dan Obremski (Fitness Expert)

kay let's continue "Making You a Champion" using the core principles of "Building Your Racquetball Dream House" as you build your championship racquetball game one assessment at a time . This will allow you to achieve the "Racquetball Success Triangle" explained in a previous issue. Hopefully you continue to keep in mind the Four Assessments: Racquetball Skills, Mental Skills, Fitness Skills, and Nutrition Skills, so you can gauge where you are in your game on a continual basis. With this information you will now know what you have to work on in order to begin the road to " Becoming the Champion " you want to be . Now let's continue to give you the tools to "Make You a Champion. "

MENTAL SKILLS

Pre-game Psych Plan For elite athletes, the pre-game psych plan begins 48 hours before their competition . If they prepare before each match by eating properly; warming up their bod ies properly; sleeping enough; visualizing their game plan ; having routines before , during and after the match (humans are creatures of habit) ; saying their affirmations (positive statements); and staying calm and relaxed, the easier it will be to get into their zone , which will allow them to play their personal best.

FITNESS SKILLS

Agility RACQUETBALL SKILLS

In order to achieve the consistency level of a champion, you need to be fundamentally sound, and it begins with your stroke mechanics. There are no short cuts when it comes to developing your strokes -you want to be strong from both sides of the court, relying on both your forehand and backhand equally. You don 't want to be known as a lopsided player where you have an "A" forehand and a "C" backhand, because your opponents will pick on the weaker side. We have broken down the strokes into five different components: (1) grip, (2) stance, (3) step and swing, (4) contact point, and (5) follow-through * . Each of these stroke areas are equally important and are best described as the cogs of a clock. Each component of a clock acts independently but in unison for the clock to keep accurate time . The same is true for your strokeeach of the areas described works independently but in unison for you to have a stroke that is aggressive, consistent, and strong.

18 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

Agility for a racquetball player can be most clearly defined as the ability to maneuver your way around the court as you are gett ing into position to hit the ball as it comes off the wall at different angles, heights, and speeds, all while having a sense of where your opponent is on the court. Being on the balls of your feet and ready to move allows you to make adjustments on a dime. Thinking of agility in terms of football, visualize a running back approaching the line knowing there are big guys ready to hit him from all directions. He recognizes an opening and accelerates toward it, but he finds an even bigger guy running toward him. In an instant, the running back is able to maneuver his body and feet to make the quick adjustment to avoid the collision. Back to racquetball, when you watch Jason Mannino during a rally, his mind is intent on getting to every ball, no matter who is in his way. If a ball is in front court and his opponent is between him and the ball, Jason has the ability to make the same quick footwork and body adjustments to get around that opponent to get to the ball.

Concentrating your efforts on maneuvering your body around the court and around your opponent will not only enable you to get to more shots but also enhan ce your ability to perform the techniques and shots you 've learned once you get there because you will have more time .

NUTRITION SKILLS

Sleep: An athlete needs 6-8 hours of deep sleep . We go through Rapid Eye Movement (R.E.M.) sleep cycles, and each cycle has its own purpose . Sleep is imperative for peak performance , and it is the only real time that our bodies heal and repair. Jason likes to get nine hours of sleep and Paola Longoria ten hours of sleep before a big match to feel fully rested. My new book , Championship Racquetball, to be released February 2011 , provides more detail on the concepts discussed in this article : the five components of strokes, the Pre-game Psych Plan, spec ific exercises that develop your agility, and much more. Hope to see you at one of my camps for live personal instruction . Or, buy my video if you can't make a camp at this time . For details go to www.FranDavisRacquetball.com.

Fran Davis coaches Jason Mannino (#4 IRT Pro Player) and Paola Longoria (#1 WPRO Pro Player). She is one of the Master Instructors of the new USA Racquetball Instructor Program (USAR-IP).

Diana McNab is a renowned sports psychologist who has worked with many Olympic and professional athletes such as two-time Olympian and X-Games Half Pipe Snowboarding Champion Gretchen Bleiler, three-time Canadian Olympic Team Skier Emily Brydon as well as NHL hockey players and other elite athletes in many sports.

Dan Obremski developed the FASTFIT Training System twelve years ago with an emphasis on helping athletes develop all of their movement skills. FASTFIT is an acronym for "Fitness Agility Speed Training For Individuals and Teams." He is a member of the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame and has won several national and world championships.

NATIONAL POLICE RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION /WORLD FIREFIGHTERS RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION

Po ice & Fire Games

he Canadian/American Poli ce & Fire Games were held in Dublin , Ohio, August 16th- 2 1st. Many officers and firefighters come from across the U.S. and Canada to participate in this Olympic-type event, and racquetball was well represented by players from Minnesota, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and Canada. The National Police Racquetball Association and World Firefighter Racquetball Associations governed the racquetball event and CPRT Commissioner Steve Lerner was appointed as racquetball coordinator. The first serve was " blasted " on Wednesday morning at Life Time Fitness, and the fierce competition never stopped until the early evening hours on Thursday. Among the winners, NPRA's own Bill Bearden teamed with fellow Texan Jayson Jordan to capture gold medals in the Men's Open Doubles and Open Senior doubles divisions. Bill also took a bronze in the Men 's Senior Singles and Jordan took silver in the Men's Open Singl es. Other notable winners were Ed Davidson (Columbus, OH PD) who took double gold in Men's Open Singles and Senior/Master Singles; Ron Zinn (Canada's Ministry of Corrections) who earned his first gold in the Men's Grand Master Singles then teamed up with fellow Canadian Tanya Hodgin (Ontario Provincial Police) for his second gold in Open Mixed

20 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

Doubles. Tanya also took home a gold medal for her success in Women's Open Singles . At the end of th is event, a racquetball social was hosted by Bill Bearden and the NPRA at a nearby sports restaurant. This social event allowed players to get better acquainted in a more relaxed environment outside of the racquetball courts. At the social, there were prizes given away (courtesy of Ektelon); an official NPRA customized racquet from RacquetSkinz was raffled (won by Eddie Pearson from Kentucky); and t-shirts and police/fire patches were exchanged. Conversations turned to the upcoming US Open , the 2011 World Police & Fire Games in New York City, and the 2012 Can/Am Games in St. Cloud , Minnesota. The Can/Am Games is not just about competition between these groups of first responders, but it's about the camaraderie as well. This was evident during all the self-officiated matches. If there was a questionable call, the players would simply ask someone watching the match or they would just replay the point. The National Police Racquetball Association would like to thank Ektelon for providing products and equipment for the games and CPRT Commissioner Steve Lerner for his management of the event. All results and pictures can be seen at www.policeracquetball. com .

hope

THE OFFICIAL RULES the new rules and the rulebook will go into effect on january 1, 2011!"

his has been a long rule change process for so few rule changes, but it is finally complete . The result is the brand new 2011 Official Rules of Racquetball that appears in the center of this issue . It is (1) easily removed, (2) not quite as easily read , and (3) co nvenient to place in your racquetball bag for quick reference. Be sure to complete all three of these steps. At most tournaments, there are never enough current rul ebooks or, for that matter, people who are knowledgeable about the rules of the game. If you look closely enough , you will find numerous places in the new rulebook where the wording, but not the underlying rules, was changed a bit to clarify meaning. A good example of this is Policy A.6 that really says nothing more than it did before, but we think it explains the process more clearly. The only true rule changes were (1) to set a limit on the length of wrist cords [Rule 2.4(d)] and (2) a very

significant change to the doubles rules that now allows partners to serve in any order every time the team steps in to serve during a game. Of course, opponents and referees both will now have to keep closer track of who should be serving to prevent allowing extra serving opportunities for one team. Finally, a small word of caution : even though you may now have this brand new rulebook in your hands and you can also find it posted at the USAR website , please note that the new rules and the ru lebook wi II go into effect on January 1, 2011! In the meantime, the 2007 version of the rulebook will remain in effect and cont inue to be available as a downloadable PDF file under the Rulebook tab on the left side of the USA Racquetball homepage. Do you have a rules/refereeing question? Be sure to email it to me at ODietrich@usra .org and not only will I answer it, but you j ust might find it featured in an upcoming issue of Racquetball.

WORLD OUTDOOR RACQUETBALL

he World Outdoor Racquetball and the World Players of Handball converged on the Stratosphere Hotel, September 23-26, 2010 for the first-ever 2010 World 3-Wall Ball Championships in Las Vegas , NV. The hotel's parking lot on the world-famous Las Vegas Boulevard was transformed with the co nstruction of nine outdoor courts to host the richest outdoor event in the history of combined handball and racquetball. This was the first time that professional outdoor racquetball and professional outdoor handball have shared the same

201.0

stage. Along with the professional divisions offering over $35,000 in cash prize money, amateur divisions for men , women , and jun ior players were offered in both racquetball and handball singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The men's pro racquetball singles division was won by Rocky Carson as he defeated Alvaro Beltran in the men 's final and Rhonda Rajsich defeated Jackie Para iso in the women's final. The men's pro handball singl es division was won by David Chapman as he defeated Luis Moreno in the finals.

Racquetball Warehouse WOR Championships presented by Ektelon

MARINA PARK- HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA jULY 8-11, 2010

Marina Park hosted 330 players and thousands of spectators in 56 divisions over four days and nights. The competitors represented four countries and 24 states with seven of the Top 10 ranked I RT professionals and seven of the Top 20 WPRO professionals competing. "National Champ" was everybody's nickname! We had the best men, women, and juniors from both the outdoor and indoor games. People came from far and wide to see and be seen, but most of all to test their mettle against the best outdoor players in the world and of course to try and bring home a National Championship. Nothing shows the excitement WOR has brought back to outdoor more than the appearance on Sunday of leaders and National Outdoor Champions from the beginnings of the sport, including Brian Hawkes, Charlie Brumfield , Barry Wallace , and Bob Wetzel. It is truly an honor to see the past and the present of outdoor together!

2010 WOR BELLE ISLE RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS The Motown tradition continues! This year's Belle Isle Championships featured players from Michigan, Ohio, Florida, New York, and Ontario , Canada. The participants came from great distances to be a part of the greatest outdoor racquetball tournament series in the country and for a chance at the coveted title of WOR Belle Isle Champion. They also came to because the party is legendary .. .and Belle Isle did not disappoint! The OJ was rockin' all day with a little bit of Motown music bias, while the barbecue and refreshments were keeping the players and spectators delighted . This was Belle Isle Racquetball at its BEST! If you missed the party this year ... Don't forget to mark your calendars next year for the 3rd weekends in June, July, and August to play in the Belle Isle tournament series .. . you'll never have more fun playing racquetball than on the island!

FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

I 23

WOMEN'S SENIOR/MASTERS RACQUETBALL

NEWS

By Kendra Tutsch, WSMRA President

he WSMRA is an organization dedicated to promoting racquetball as a lifetime sport. Our members are women 35 and over who want to compete at a high level and have fun at the same time. We sponsor a yearly national tournament of selfrefereed, round robin play within age groups. All matches in our tournament count in the current USAR ranking system. In this tournament you will not only find yourself competing against some of the best women players in the country, but you will have a great time as well. We stress fun, friends and good sportsmanship . You are never out of the draw at this singles round-robin tournament. We offer Open/A and B/C (intermediate) divisions for all age groups. We are heading to Colorado for our 22nd Annual Women's Senior/Masters National Racquetball Championships to be held January 14-16, 2011 at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center in Littleton , CO (Denver area). This will be a great tournament at an outstanding facility. The WSMRA is continuing its longtime partnership with our National Sponsor, Wilson Racquetball. Wilson will donate merchandise for our fundraisers and plans to sponsor a clinic by a top WPRO athlete during the tournament.

This is the first time that the tournament wi II be in Colorado and we plan to be " Rockin' the Rockies" with some great racquetball! The annual "Fun Doubles" to benefit Breast Cancer Research is scheduled for the afternoon of January 13th . This will be a great opportunity to get used to the courts and the altitude. There will be time for sightseeing in the Denver area . Bring some friends, and plan to come early or stay late the tournament organizers have planned an exciting posttournament trip to the Breckenridge ski area . The WSMRA is a partner of USA Racquetball and donates a portion of funds raised in our yearly silent auction to support the USAR Scholarship Program . For more information on the WSMRA, pictures, results, and information as well as an entry form for the 2011 tournament, please visit our web site: www.wsmra .com or contact WSMRA Chair Kendra Tutsch at kdtutsch@wisc.edu. Please enter on R2 Sports (www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp ?TID= 7190) by January 7 , 2011 or download the entry form and postmark by January 5, 2011. We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Colorado!

by Bruce Adams, NMRA Secretary he National Masters Racquetball Association (NMRA) held its International Championships in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from July 14th to 17th at the 24/7 Fitness Clubs. The event was the home of the NMRA, started 39 years ago as an "Invitational." Participants numbered 144, with 31 being either first-time players in an NMRA event and/or new members. We thank you all for joining us! Our Friday night banquet opened with the American Legion Post 215 serving as the Color Guard. The Honorable Mayor Ed Pawlowski welcomed the banquet crowd to the Allentown area. Many door prizes were given away during the evening. Awards were given to Paul Banales for decades of work with the NMRA. Joe Lee was recognized for traveling the farthest (Hawaii). Over $1,400 was raised for Junior Racquetball- two auctioned racquets that went to Joe Lee and Cap Hiles. The highlight of the evening was the induction of the 39th Hall of Fame recipient, Amos Rosenbloom of Minnesota . His wife Marsha attended along with other family members. Amos is proud of his 42-year racquetball career and especially the local racquetball organizations he founded to help promote non-tournament players. He is seen with his jacket from Journeyman Players- "Play For The Health Of lt." Amos, owner of an insurance business, has partnered with Cap Hiles in doubles for many years. At this Pennsylvania event, 145 participants covered the

24 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

45 to 90 brackets in singles , doubles and mixed . Leon Jackson Jr. I Scott Kraemer were Men 's 45 winners; Gladys Leonard I Sallie Benedict were the Women's 45 winners; Jean Halahan and Salvador Acosta were the 45 Singles winners. The 45 Mixed Doubles was won by Scott Kraemer I Gladys Leonard over Curtis Perry I Thao Le. We are planning our Doubles-Only event, to be held in Fullerton, CA (22 courts) on December 2-4, 2010, the future site of the USAR National Singles Championships . We are working on future venues, specifically Portland for March 2011 and other locations for July 2011 and beyond. Please feel free to contact any board member with location possibilities and questions. For more information, please visit our website at www.nmra.info. For tournament registration, visit www.R2Sports.com. We also encourage our members and readers to visit the USA Racquetball website at www.usaracquetball.com. Come try one of our events - you'll become hooked like so many others! The NMRA is dedicated to the mature racquetball player 45 years old and older. All matches at our two annual events (singles, doubles and mixed doubles) are self-officiated and round-robin format- No More One Round and Out. Your first event does not require membership to the association, but we hope you will choose to join. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event!

.penn Official Ball of all USA Racquetball National and Regional Events

RULEBOOK

USA RACQUETBALL. COM

2011 USAR OFFICIAL RULES OF RACQUETBALL This updated rulebook contains significant changes affecting Rules 2.4(d), 3.9(g), 4.2(a), and 4.4(a). It also has several clarifications from the last published version (ÂŠ 2007)the most significant being to Policy A.6, plus a new policy (D) on Self-Officiating.

OFFICIAL RULES & REGULATIONS 1- THE GAME 1.1 Types of Games 1.2 Description 1.3 Objective 1.4 Points and Outs 1.5 Match, Game, Tiebreaker 2- COURTS AND EQUIPMENT 2.1 Court Specifications 2.2 Ball Specifications 2.3 Ball Selection 2.4 Racquet Specifications 2.5 Apparel 3 - PLAY REGULATIONS 3.1 Serve 3.2 Start 3.3 Manner 3.4 Readiness 3.5 Delays 3.6 Drive Service Zones 3.7 Defective Serves 3.8 Dead-Ball Serves 3.9 Fault Serves 3.10 Out Serves 3. 11 Return of Serve 3.12 Changes of Serve 3.13 Rallies 3. 14 Replay Hinders 3.15 Penalty Hinders 3.16 Tlmeouts 3.17 Technical Fouls and Warnings

A.8 A.9 A.IO

Warm-up Times Tournament Conduct Spectator Conduct

B- OFFICIATING B.l Tournament Management B.2 Tournament Rules Committee B.3 Referee Appointment and Removal B.4 Rules Briefing B.5 Referees Line Judges B.6 B.7 Appeals B.8 Outcome of Appeals B.9 Rule Interpretations C- ELIGIBILITY & NATIONAL EVENTS C.1 Eligibility C.2 Waiver & Release C.3 Divisions C.4 Division Competition by Gender C.5 USAR Regional Championships C.6 U.S. National Singles & Doubles Championships C. 7 U.S. National Junior Olympic Championships C.8 U.S. National High School Championships C.9 U.S. National Intercollegiate Championships C.10 U.S. Open D- SELF-OFFICIATING D.1 Score D.2 During Rallies D.3 The Serve D.4 Replay Hinders D.5 Penalty Hinders D.6 Disputes E- PROCEDURES E.l Rule Change Proced ures E.2 USAR National Rules Committee NOTE: Changes to rules and regulation s in Sections I through 10 must adhere to published rule change procedures. Remaining policy sections may be altered by vote of the USAR Board of Directors.

RULE MODIFICATIONS

is over when a player (or team in doubles) is unable to hit the ball before it touches the floor twice, is unable to return the ball in such a manner that it touches the front wall before it touches the floor, or when a hinder is called. Rule 1.4 POINTS AND OUTS Points are scored only by the serving side when it serves an irretrievable serve (an ace) or wins a rally. Losing the serve is called a sideout in singles. In doubles, when the first server loses the serve, it is called a handout and when the second server loses the serve, it is a sideout. Rule 1.5 MATCH, GAME, TIEBREAKER A match is won by the first side winning two games. The first two games of a match are played to 15 points. If each side wins one game, a tiebreaker game is played to 11 points. Unless a rule exception exists, the first side reaching the requisite score is the winner.

2- COURTS AND EQUIPMENT Rule 2.1 COURT SPECIFICATIONS The specifications for the standard four-wall racquetball court are: (a) Dimensions. The dimensions shall be 20 feet wide, 40 feet long and 20 feet high, with a back wall at least 12 feet high. All surtaces shall be in play, with the exception of any gallery opening, surtaces designated as out-of-play for a valid reason (such as being of a very different material or not in alignment with the back wall) , and designated court hinders. (b) Markings. Racquetball courts shall be marked with lines 1 112 inches wide as follows: I. Short Line. The back edge of the short line is midway between , and is parallel with , the front and back walls. 2. Service Line. The front edge of the service line is parallel with, and 5 feet in front of, the back edge of the short line. 3. Service Zone. The service zone is the 5-foot x 20-foot area bounded by the bottom edges of the side walls and by the outer edges of the short line and the service line.

ALSO .. 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

Doubles One Serve Game Multi-bounce Outdoor Racquetball , World Outdoor Racquetball [WOR] 8.0 Wheelchair Racqueball 9.0 Visually Impaired Racquetball Deaf Racquetball Men's Professional, International Racquetball Tour [IRT] Women 's Professional Racquetball Organization [WPRO] Classic Professional Racquetball Tour [CPRn National Masters Racquetball Association [NMRA]

COMPETITION POLICIES &PROCEDURES A- TOURNAMENTS A.! Draws A.2 Consolation Matches A.3 Scheduling A.4 Notice of Matches A.5 Third Place A.6 Round Robin Scoring A.7 Court Assignments

Rule Change Procedures USAR National Office Information USAR National Rules Commissioner Rulebook Index OFFICIAL RULES &REGULATIONS 1- THE GAME Rule 1.1 TYPES OF GAMES Racquetball is played by two or four players. When played by two, it is called singles and when played by four, doubles. Cut-throat is the name generally applied to several non-tournament variations of the standard game when played by three players.

4. Service Boxes. The service boxes, used in doubles play, are located at each end of the service zone and are designated by lines parallel with the side walls [see 4.2(b)]. The edge of the line nearest to the center of the court shall be 18 inches from the nearest side wall. 5. Drive Serve Lines. The drive serve lines, which form the drive serve zones, are parallel with the side wall and are within the service zone. For each line, the edge of the line nearest to the center of the court shall be 3 feet from the nearest side wall.

Rule 1.2 DESCRIPTION Racq uetball is a competitive game in which each player uses a strung racquet to serve and return the ball.

6. Receiving Line. The receiving line is a broken line parallel to the short line. The back edge of the receiving line is five feet from the back edge of the short line. The receiving line begins with a line 21 inches long that extends from each side wall. These lines are connected by an alternate series of six-inch spaces and six-inch lines. This will result in a line composed of 17 six-inch spaces, 16 six-inch lines, and 2 twenty-one-inch lines.

Rule 1.3 OBJECTIVE The objective is to win each rally by serving or returning the ball so the opponent is unable to keep the ball in play. A rally

7. Safety Zone. The safety zone is the 5-foot x 20-foot area bounded by the bottom edges of the side walls and by the back edges of the short line and the receiving line. The zone

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is observed only during the serve. See Rules 3.10(i) and 3.1 !(a). Rule 2.2 BALL SPECIFICATIONS (a) The standard racquetball shall be 2 114 inches in diameter; weigh approximately 1.4 ounces; have a hardness of 55-60 inches durometer; and bounce 68-72 inches from a 100-i nch drop at a temperature of 70-74 degrees Fahrenheit. (b) Only a ball having the approval of the USAR may be used in a USAR sanctioned tournament. Rule 2.3 BALL SELECTION (a) A ball shall be selected by the referee for use in each match. During the match the referee may, based on personal discretion or at the request of a player or team , replace the ball. Ball s that are not round or which bounce erratically shall not be used. (b) If possible, the referee and players should agree to analternate ball, so that in the event of breakage, the second ball can be put into play immediately.

Rule 2.4 RACQUET SPECIFICATIONS The racquet frame, including bumper guard and all solid parts of the handle, may not exceed 22 inches in length. The racquet frame may be any material judged safe. (b) Using a racquet frame that exceeds 22 inches will result in forfeiture of the game in progress or, if discovered between games, forfeiture of the preceding game. (c) The penalty for playing with a racquet frame that does not exceed 22 inches, but has a grip extending beyond the 22inch limit, if noted during the course of a game, shall be a technical foul and a timeout to correct the problem. Subsequent violation will result in the loss of the game in progress. If a player challenges a racquet during a game that is found to be within the 22-inch limit, then a timeout is charged to the player who made the challenge. There is no penalty if the grip issue is noted and corrected between games. (d) The racquet frame must include a cord securely attached to the player's wrist. The wrist cord can be no lon ger than 18 inches as measured from one end of the cord to the other. When stretched to its maximum, the cord ca nnot be longer than 24 inches. Players using non-complying cords will be charged with a time-out to make the change and , if none remain, a technical foul will be assessed to make the change. (e) The string of the racquet must be gut, monofilament, nylon, graphite, plastic, metal, or a combination thereof, and must not mark or deface the ball. Rule 2.5 APPAREL (a) All players must wear lensed eyewear that has been warranted by its manufacturer or distributor as(!) designed for use in racquetball and (2) meeting or exceeding the then current and full ASTM F803 standard. This rule applies to all persons, including those who wear corrective lenses. The eyewear must be unaltered and worn as designed at all times. A player who fails to wear proper eyewear will be assessed a technical foul and a timeout to obtain proper eyewear [see Rule 3.17(a)(9)]. Asecond infraction in the same match will result in immediate forfeiture of the match. Certifications & Compliance. The USAR maintains a reference

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list of eyewear so warranted by their manufacturers, and provides that list to each sanctioned event (an eyewear list dated more than 90 days prior to the first day of the tournament will be deemed invalid for the purpose of determining compliance with this eyewear rule). In addition, the list is available online at the USAR.org website (indexed under "eyeguards"), and individual copies may be requested by calling the USAR National Office at (719) 635-5396. To be used in sanctioned competition, protective eyewear must: bear a permanent, physical stamp of the appropriate "ASTMF803" citation on the frame itself, OR appear on the ASTM reference listing, OR bear the "Protective Eyewear Certification Council " [PECCJ seal of approval for the ASTM standard, OR be certified in writing by the maker that it complies with the required ASTM standard (in this instance, the player must be able to provide written, adequate proof- on demand- at any sanctioned event, before such eyewear may be used). (b) Clothing and Shoes. The clothing may be of any color; however, a player may be required to change wet, extremely loose fitting, or otherwise distracting garments. Insignias and writing on the clothing must be considered to be in good taste by the tournament director. Shoes must have soles, which do not mark or damage the floor. (c) Equipment Requirements During Warm-up. Proper eyeguards [see 2.5(a)] must be worn and wrist cords must be used during any on-court warm-up period. The referee should give a technical warning to any person who fails to comply and assess a technical foul if that player continues to not comply after receiving such a warning.

3- PLAY REGULATIONS Rule 3.1 SERVE In Open Division competition, the server will have one opportunity to put the ball into play [see section 5.0, for complete, one-serve modifications]. In all other divisions, the server will have two opportunities to put the ball into play. The player or team winning the coin toss has the option to either serve or receive at the start of the first game. The second game will begin in reverse order of the first game. The player or team scoring the highest total of points in games I and 2 will have the option to serve or receive first at the start of the tiebreaker. If both players or teams score an equal number of points in the first two games, another coi n toss will take place and the winner of the toss will have the option to serve or receive. Rule 3.2 START The server may not start the service motion until the referee has called the score or "second serve." The referee shall call the score as both server and receiver prepare to return to their respective positions, shortly after the previous rally has endedeven if the players are not ready. The serve is started from any place within the service zone. (Certain drive serves are an exception. See Rule 3.6.) Neither the ball nor any part of either foot may extend beyond either line of the service zone when initiating the service motion. Stepping on, but not beyond, the lines is permitted. However, when completing the service motion, the server may step beyond the service (front) line provided that some part of both feet remain on or inside the line until the served ball passes the short line. The server may not step beyond the short line until the ball pa sses the short line. See Rule 3.9(a) and 3.10(i) for penalties for violations.

Rule 3.3 MANNER After taking a set position inside the service zone, a player may begin the service motion. The service motion is any continuous movement that results in the ball being served. Once the service motion begins, after the ball leaves the hand, it must next bounce on the floor in the service zone and then , without touching anything else, be struck by the racquet before the ball bounces on the floor a second time. After being struck, the ball must hit the front wall first and on the rebound hit the floor beyond the back edge of the short line, either with or without touching one of the side walls. However, the receiver may return the ball "on the fly" before those things happen as long as Rule 3.11 is followed. Rule 3.4 READINESS The service motion shall not begin until the referee has called the score or "second serve" and the server has visually checked the receiver's readiness . Rule 3.5 DELAYS Except as noted in Rule 3.5(b), the referee may call a technical foul for delays exceeding 10 seconds. (a) The 10-second rule applies to the server and receiver simultaneously. Concurrently, they are allowed up to 10 seconds after the score is called to serve or be ready to receive. It is the server's responsibility to look and be certain thereceiver is ready. If a receiver is not ready, they must signal by raising the racquet above the head or completely turning the back to the server. (These are the only two acceptable signals.) (b) Serving while the receiving player/team is signaling "not ready" is a fault serve. (c) After the score or "second serve" is called , if the server looks at the receiver and the receiver is not signaling "not ready", the server may then serve. If the receiver attempts to signal "not ready" after that point, the signal shall not be acknowledged and the serve becomes legal. Rule 3.6 DRIVE SERVICE ZONES There is a drive serve line 3 feet from each side wall in the service zone. Viewed one at a time, each drive serve line divides the service zone into a 3-foot and a 17-foot section. The player may drive serve between the body and the side wall nearest to where the service motion began only if the player, the racquet, and the ball (only until it is struck by the server) starts and remains outside of that 3-foot drive service zone until the served ball crosses the short line. Adrive serve involving "any continuous movement" (see Rule 3.3 Manner, beginning in one 3-foot drive service zone and continuing into the opposite 3-foot drive service zone, is a fault serve. (a) The drive serve zones are not observed for cross-court drive serves, the hard-Z, soft-Z, lob or half-lob serves. (b) The 3-foot line is part of the 3-foot zone and defines a plane that, if broken, is an infraction. (see Rule 3.9g) Rule 3.7 DEFECTIVE SERVES Defective serves are of three types resulting in penalties as follows: (a) Dead-Ball Serve. A dead-ball serve results in no penalty and the server is given another serve (without canceling a prior fault serve). (b) Fault Serve. Two fault serves result in an out (either a sideout or a handout).

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consecutive screen serves results in an out. (k) Serving before the Receiver is Ready. Aserve is made while the receiver is not ready as described in Rule 3.5(b). In one serve play, if a serve is made while the receiver is not ready as described in Rule 3.5(b), the server will be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve.

Ru le 3.8 DEAD-BALL SERVES Dead-ball serves do not cancel any previous fault serve. The following are dead-ball serves: (a) Court Hinders. A serve that takes an irregular bounce because it hit a wet spot or an irregular surface on the court is a dead-ball serve. In addition, any serve that hits any surface designated by local rules as an obstruction rather than being out-of-play.

Rule 3.10 OUT SERVES Any of the following results in an out: (a) Two Consecutive Fault Serves [see Rule 3.9], or a single fault serve in one serve play [see exceptions: 5.0].

(b) Broken Ball. II the ball is determined to have broken on the serve, a new ball sha ll be substituted and the serve shall be replayed , not cance li ng any prior fault serve.

(b) Missed Serve Attempt. Any attempt to strike the ball that results in a total miss or in the ball touching any part of the server's body, including the loot. Also, allowing the ball to bounce more than once during the service motion.

(c) Out-of-Court Serve. A served ball that first hits the front wall and , after striking the floor, either goes out of the court or hits a surface above the normal playing area of the court that has been declared as out-of-play for a valid reason [See Rule 2.1(a))

(c) Touched Serve. Any served ball that on the rebound from the front wall touches the server or server's racquet before touching the floor, or any ball intentionally stopped or caught by the server or server's partner.

Rule 3.9 FAULT SERVES The following serves are faults and any two in succession result in an out: (a) Foot Faults. Aloot fault results when: 1

I. At the start of or during the service motion , any part of the server (or doubles partner), including the racquet , touches the floor outside of the service zone. 2. At the end of the service motion, the server steps with either foot on the floor beyond the service line (with no part of the foot on the line or inside the service zone) before the served ball crosses the short line. (b) Short Serve. Ashort serve is any served ball that first hits the front wall and, on the rebound , hits the floor on or in front of the short line either with or without touching a side wall. (c) Three-Wall Serve. Athree-wall serve is any served ball that first hits the front wall and, on the rebound , strikes both side walls before touching the floor. (d) Ceiling Serve. Aceiling serve is any served ball that first hits the front wall and then touches the ceil in g (with or without touching a side wall). (e) Long Serve. A long serve is a served ball that first hits the front wall and rebounds to the back wall before touching the floor (with or without touching a side wall). Bouncing Ball Outside Service Zone. Bouncing the ball outside the service zone, including the ball touching a side wall, as a part of the service motion is a fault serve. (I)

(g) Serving the Ball Without a Bounce. Tossing the ball into the air and serving it without a bounce is a fault serve. (h) Illegal Drive Serve. Adrive serve in which the player fails to observe the 17-foot drive service zone outlined in Rule 3.6. (i) Screen Serve. A served ball that first hits the front wall and on the rebound passes so closely to the server, or server's partner in doubles, that it prevents the receiver from having a clea r view of the ball. (The receiver is obligated to take up good court position, near center court, to obtain that view.) (j) In one serve play, if a serve is called a screen, the server

(d) Fake or Balk Serve. Any movement of the racquet toward the ball during the serve that is non-continuous and done lor the purpose of deceiving the receiver. II a balk serve occurs, but the referee believes that no deceit was involved , the oplion of declaring "no serve" and having the serve replayed without penalty can be exercised. (e) Illegal Hit. An il legal hit includes contacti ng the ball twice, carrying the ball, or hitting the ball with the handle of the racquet or part of the body or uniform. (I) Non-Front Wall Serve. Any served ball that does not strike the front wall first.

(g) Crotch Serve. Any served ball that hits the crotch of the front wall and floor, front wall and side wall , or front wall and ceiling is an out serve (beca use it did not hit the front wall first). Aserve into the crotch of the back wall and floor is a good serve and in play. A served ball that hits the crotch of the side wall and floor beyond the short line is in play. (h) Out-of-Court Serve. An out -of-court serve is any served ball that first hits the front wall and, before striking the floor, either goes out of the court or hits a surface above the normal playing area of the court that ha s been declared as outof-play lor a valid reason [See Rule 2.1(a)]. (i) Safety Zone Violation. An immediate loss of serve shall result if, after the serve has been struck, the server or doubles partner steps into the safety zone before the served ball passes the short line. Rule 3.11 RETURN OF SERVE (a) Receiving Position I. The receiver may not break the plane of the receiving line with the racquet or body until the ball either bounces in the safety zone or else crosses the receiving line. For example, if the receiver steps on the dashed receiving line with either loot (with any part of the loot contacting the line), a point shall be called lor the server. 2. The follow through may carry the receiver or the racquet past the receiving line, but neither may break the plane of the short line unless the ball is struck alter rebounding off the back wa ll.

3. Any violation by the receiver results in a point for the server. (b) Defective Serve. A player on the receiving side may not intentionally catch or touch a served ball (such as an apparently long or short serve) until the referee has made a call or the ball has touched the floor lor a second time. Violation results in loss of the rally, i.e. a point. (c) Legal Return. Alter a legal serve, a player receiving the serve must strike the ball on the fly or alter the first bounce, and before the ball touches the floor the second time; andreturn the ball to the front wall, either directly or alter touching one or both side walls, the back wall or the ceiling, or any combination of those surfaces. A returned ball must touch the front wall before touching the floor. (d) Failure to Return. The failure to retu rn a serve results in a point lor the server. (e) Other Provisions. Except as noted in this rule (3.11), the return of serve is subject to all provisions of Rules 3.13 through 3.15.

Rule 3.12 CHANGES OF SERVE (a) Outs. Aserver is entitled to continue serving until one of the following occurs: I. Out Serve. See Rule 3.10. 2. Two Consecutive Fault Serves [see Rule 3.9], or a single fault serve in one serve play [see exceptions: 5.0) 3. Failure to Return Ball. Player or team fail s to keep the ball in play as required by Rule 3.11 (c). 4. Penalty Hinder. Player or team commits a penalty hinder which results in an out. See Rule 3. 15. (b) Sideout. Retiring the server in singles is ca lled a sideout. (c) Effect of Sideout. When the server (or serving team) receives a sideout, the server becomes the receiver and thereceiver becomes the server. Rule 3.13 RALLIES All of the play that occurs alter the successful return of serve is called the rally. Play shall be conducted according to the following rules: (a) Legal Hits. Only the head of the racquet (not the handle or the hand) may be used at any time to return the ball. The racquet may be held in one or both hands. Switching hands to hit a ball, touching the ball with any part of the body or uniform , or removing the wrist safety cord during a rally resu lts in a loss of the rally. (b) One Touch. The player or team trying to return the ball may touch or strike the ball only once or else the rally is lost. The ball may not be carried. (A carried ball is one that rests on the racquet lon g enough that the effect is more of a sling or throw than a hit.) (c) Failure to Return. Any of the following constitutes a failure to make a legal return during a rally : I. The ball bounces on the floor more than once or else "rolls" before being hit.

will be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve. Two

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2. The ball does not reach the front wall on the fly. 3. The ball is hit such that it goes, without first touching the floor, into the gallery or wall open ing or else hits a surface above the normal playing area of the cou rt that has been declared as out-of-play [See Rule 2.l(a)]. 4. A ball that obviously does not have the velocity or direction to hit the front wall strikes another player. 5. A ball struck by a player hits that player or that player's partner. 6. Committing a pena lty hinder. See Rule 3. 15.

sc ribes certain conditions under which a penalty hinders, mi ght be ca lled instead and resu lt in loss of the rally.

adjacent court obviously di stracts a player. Also see Rule 3.15.

(a) Situations

(b) Effect of Hinders. The referee's call of hinder stops play and voids any situation that follows, such as the ball hitting the player. The only hinders that may be called by a player are described in rul es (2), (5), and (6) above, and all of them are subject to the approval of the referee. A replay hinder stops play and the rally is replayed . The server resumes play at first serve.

I. Court Hinders. The referee should stop play immediately whenever the ball hits any part of the court that was designated prior to the match as a court hinder (such as a vent grate). The referee should also stop play (i) when the ball takes an irregular bounce as a result of contacting an irregular su rface (such as court light or vent) or after striking a wet spot on the floor or wall and (ii) when , in the referee's opinion , the irregular bounce affected the rally. This also includes any ball that leaves the court after legally touching the front wa ll and then bouncing on the floor.

7. Switching hands durin g a rally. 8. Failure to use a racquet wrist safety cord as intended. 9. Touching the ball with the body or uniform. 10. Carrying or slin ging the ball with the 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 the rally, it is an out. If the receiver loses the rally, it resu lts in a point for the server. (e) Return Attempts. The ball remains in play until it touches the floor a second time, rega rd less of how many walls it makes contact with - including the front wa ll. If a player swings at the ball and misses it, the player may continue to attempt to return the ba ll until it touches the floor for the second time. (f) Broken Bal l. If there is any suspicion th at a ball has broken during a rally, play shall continue until the end of the rally. The referee or any player may request the ball be exa mined. If the referee decides the ball is broken, the ball will be replaced and the rally replayed. The server resumes play at first serve. The proper way to check for a broken ball is to squeeze it by hand . However, if the referee can be certain that the ball was broken during, and not after, the previous rally, then he can call for that rally to be replayed . Checking the ba ll by any hard striking of it with a racquet will not be considered a valid check and sha ll work to the disadvantage of the player or team that struck the ball after the rally.

(g) Play Stoppage

I. If a foreign object enters the court, or any other outside interference occurs, the referee shall stop the play immed iately and declare a repl ay hinder. 2. If a player loses any apparel, equipment, or other article, the referee shall stop play immed iately and declare a penalty hinder or replay hinder as described in Rule 3.15 (i). (h) Replays. Whenever a rally is replayed for any reason, the server resumes play at first serve. A previous fault serve is not considered. Rul e 3.14 REPLAY HINDERS Arally is replayed without penalty and the server resumes play at first serve whenever a replay hinder occurs. Depending on the circumstances, several of the replay hinder described below could more properly be called penalty hinders. The differences might be small and also involve referee jud gment. So, as suggested below, also see Rule 3.15, which de-

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USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK

2. Ball Hits Opponent. When an opponent is hit by a retu rn shot in flight, it is a replay hinder. If the opponent is struck by a ball that obviou sly did not have the velocity or direction to reac h the front wa ll, it is not a hinder, and the player who hit the ball will lose the rally. A player who has been hit by the ball can stop play and make the ca ll though the call mu st be made immediately and acknowledged by the referee. Note this interference may, under certai n conditions , be declared a penalty hinder. Also see Rule 3. 15. 3. Body Contact. If body contact occurs which the referee believes was sufficient to stop the rally, either for the purpose of preventing injury by further conta ct or because the contact prevented a player from being able to make a reasonable return , the referee shall call a hinder. Incidental body contact in wh ich the offensive player clea rly will have the advantage should not be called a hinder, unless the offensive player obvious ly stops play. Contact with th e racquet on the follow-throu gh normally is not considered a hinder for either player. Also see Rule 3.15. 4. Screen Ball. Any ba ll 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 ca ll so quickly that it takes away a good offensive opportunity.) A ball that passes between the legs of a player who ha s just returned the ball is not automat ically a screen. It depends on whether the other player is impaired as a result. Generally, the ca ll should work to the adva nta ge of the offensive player. Also see Rule 3.15 5. Backswing Hind er. Any body or racquet contact, on the backswing or on the way to or just prior to returning the ba ll, which impairs the hitter's ability to take a reasonable swin g. This call ca n be made by the player attempting the return , thou gh the ca ll must be made immediately and is subject to the referee's approval. Note the interference may be considered a penalty hinder. Also see Rule 3. 15. 6. Safety Holdup. Any player about to execute a return , who believes that strikin g the opponent with the ball or racquet is likely, may immediately stop play and request a replay hinder. Thi s call must be made immediately and is subject to acceptance and approval of the referee. The referee will grant a replay hinder if it is believed the holdup was reasonable and the player would have been able to return the shot. The referee may also cal l a penalty hinder if warranted. Also, see Rule 3.15. 7. Other Interference. Any other unintentional interference that prevents an opponent from having a fair chance to see or return the ball. Exa mple: When a ball from another court enters the court during a rally or when a referee's ca ll on an

(c) Responsib ility. While making an attempt to return the ba ll, a player is entitled to a fair chance to see and return the ba ll. It is the responsibility of the side that has just hit th e ba ll to move so the receiving side may go straight to the ba ll and have an unobstructed view of an d swing at the bal l. However, the receiver is responsible for making a reasonable effort to move towards the ball and must have a rea sonable chance to return the ba ll for any type of hinder to be called. Rule 3.15 PENALTY HINDERS A penalty hind er results in the loss of the rally. A penalty hinder does not have to be an intentiona l act, but an intentional hinder would be a penalty hinder. Replay hinders are desc ribed in Ru le 3.14. Any of the following results in a penalty hinder: (a) Failure to Move. A player does not move suffici ently to allow an op ponent a shot straight to the front wa ll as well as a cross-court shot which is a shot directly to the front wa ll at an angle that would cause the ball to rebound directly to the rear corner farthest from the player hitting the ball. In add ition , when a player moves in such a direction that it prevents an opponent from taking either of these shots. (b) Stroke Interference. Thi s occurs when a player moves, or fails to move, so that the opponent retu rning the ball does not have a free, unimpeded swi ng. Th is includes unintentionally moving in a direction that prevent s the opponent from making a shot. (c) Blocking. Moves into a position which blocks the opponent from getting to, or returning, the ball; or in doubles, the offensive player who is not returning the ball hinders or impedes either defensive players' ability to move into a position to cover the pending shot that comes into play. (d) Movin g into the Ball. Moves in the way and is struck by the ball just played by the opponent. (e) Pushing. Deliberately pushes or shoves opponent during a rally. (f) Intentional Di stractions. Deliberate shouting, stamping of feet, waving of racquet , or any other manner of di srupting one's opponent. (g) View Obstruction. A player moves across an opponent's line of vision ju st before the opponent strikes the ball. (h) Wettin g the Ball. The players, particularly the server, should ensure that the ball is dry prior to the serve. Any wet ball that is not corrected prior to the serve shall result in a penalty hinder against the server. (i) Apparel or Equipment Loss. If a player loses any apparel, equipment, or other article, play shall be immediately stopped and that player shall be called for a pen alty hinder, unless the player has just hit a shot that could not be retrieved . If the loss of equ ipment is cau sed by a player's oppo-

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nent, then a replay hinder should be called. If the opponent's action is judged to have been avoidable, then the opponent should be called for a penalty hinder. Rule 3.16 TIME OUTS (a) Rest Period s. Each player or team is entitled to three 30-second timeouts in games to 15 and two 30-second timeouts in games to 11. limeouts may not be called by either side once the service motion has begun. Calling for a timeout when none remain or after the service motion has begun will result in the assessment of a technical foul for delay of game. If a player takes more than 30 seconds for a single timeout, the referee may automatically charge any remaining timeouts, as needed, for any extra time taken. Once all time allowed has expired, a delay of game technical foul can be assessed. A player who leaves the court shou ld ca ll a timeout or else advise the referee of the rea son for leaving the court. If a player leaves the court without advising the referee, a timeout may be charged to that player. If none remain, the referee may assess a technical foul for delay of game; however, the referee may excuse a delay if the player's reason for leaving was to correct a problem affecting the playability of the court, such as obtaining a towel to dry the court or disposing of some foreign material from the court. (b) Injury. If a player is injured during the cou rse of a match because of contact, such as with the ball, racq uet, wall , floor, or another player, an injury timeout will be awarded without regard to the player's use of regular timeouts. While a player may call more than one timeout for the same injury or for additional injuries that occur during the match, a player is not allowed more than a total of 15 minutes of rest for injury during the entire match. If the injured player is not able toresume play after total rest of 15 minutes, the match sha ll be awarded to the opponent. 1. Shou ld any external bleeding occur, the referee must halt play as soon as the ra lly is over, charge an injury timeout to the person who is bleeding, and not allow the match to continue until the bleeding has stopped. 2. Muscle cramps and pulls, fatigue, and other ai lments that are not caused by direct contact on the court will not be considered an injury. Injury time is also not allowed for pre-existing conditions. (c) Equipment limeouts. Players are expected to keep all clothing and equipment in good, playable condition and must use regular timeouts for adjustment and replacement of equipment (such as broken strings or racquet) durin g play. If a player or team has no regular timeouts left and the referee determines that an equipment change or adjustment is necessary for fair and safe continuation of the match, the referee may grant an equipment timeout not to exceed 2 minutes. The referee may allow additional time under extenuating circumstances. (d) Between Games. The rest period between the first two games of a match is 2 minutes. If a tiebreaker is necessary, the rest period between the second and third game is 5 minutes. (e) Postponed Games. Any games postponed by referees shall be resumed with the same score as when postponed.

sole judgment; the pl ayer is being overtly and deli berately abusive. Aprior warni ng is not required, but see Rule 3. 17(b). If the player or team against whom the technical foul was assessed does not resume play immed iately, the referee is empowered to forfeit the match in favor of the opponent. Some examples of actions that can result in technical fouls are:

with different skill levels must play in the division of the player with the higher level of ability. When playing in an adult age division, the team must play in the divi sion of the younger player. When playing in a junior age division, the team must play in the division of the older player.

3. Threat of any nature to opponent or referee.

(b) Achange in playing partners may be made so long as the first match of the posted team has not begun. For this purpose only, the match will be considered started once the team s have been called to the court. The team must notify the tournament director of the change prior to the beginning of the match. â&#x20AC;˘

4. Excessive or hard striking of the ball between rallies.

Rule 4.2 SERVEIN DOUBLES

5. Slamming of the racquet against wa lls or floor, slamming the door, or any action that might result in damage to the court or injury to other players.

(a) Order of Serve. At the beginning of each game, when the first server of the first team to serve is out, the team is out. After that, either partner can serve first each time the team steps in to serve. Both players on each team shall serve until there is a handout and a sideout - i.e. both players are out. The referee must make su re that neither partner serves again after that partner had previously lost a rally while serving.

1. Profanity. 2. Excessive arguing.

6. Delay of game. Examples include (i) taking too much time to dry the court, (ii) excessive questioning of the referee about the rules, (iii) exceeding the time allotted for warm-up (see Policy A.8), timeouts, or between games, (iv) ca lling a timeout when none remain, or after the service motion begins, or (v) taking more than ten seconds to serve or be ready to receive serve. 7. Intentional front line foot fault to negate a bad lob serve. 8. Anything the referee considers unsportsmanlike behavior. 9. Failure to wear lensed eyewear designed for racquet sports [See Rule 2.5(a)] is an automatic technical foul on the first infraction, plus a mandatory timeout (to acquire the proper eyewear) will be charged against the offending player. Asecond infraction by that player during the match will result in automatic forfeiture of the match.

(b) Partner's Position. On each serve, the server's partner sha ll stand erect with back facing the side wall and with both feet on the floor within the service box from the moment the server begins the service motion until the served ball passes the short line. Violation is called a foot fault unless the if the server's partner enters the safety zone before the ball passes the short line in which case the server loses service. (c) Changes of Serve. In doubles, the side is retired when both partners have lost service, except that the team that serves first at the beginning of each game loses the serve when the first server is retired . Rule 4.3 FAULT SERVE IN DOUBLES

(b) Technical Warnings. There are varying degrees of unsportsmanlike behavior, so if a player's behavior is not so severe as to warrant a technical foul and deduction of a point, the referee may issue a technical warning without the deduction of a point. (c) Effect of Technical Foul or Warning. If a referee issues a technical foul , one point shall be removed from the offender's score. No point will be deducted if a referee issues a technica l warning. In either case, a technical fou l or warning should be accompanied by a brief explanation. Issuing a technical foul or warning has no effect on who will serve when play resumes. If a technical foul occurs when the offender has no points or between games, the result will be that the offender's score becomes minus one (-1). RULE MODIFICATIONS

(a) The server's partner is not in the service box with both feet on the floor and back to (but not necessarily against) the side wall from the time the server begins the service motion until the ball passes the short line. (b) Aserved ball that hits the doubles partner while in the doubles box results in a fault serve. (c) In one serve play, if a serve hits the non-serving partner while standing in the box, the server will be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve. Hitting the non-serving partner twice results in an out. (d) In one serve play, consecutive faults- such as (i) a screen serve followed by hitting the non-serving partner or (ii) hitting the non-serving partner followed by serving whi le the receiver is not ready - results in an out.

The following sections (4.0 through 11.0) detail the additional or modified rules that apply to variations of the singles game described in Sections 1 through 3.

Rule 4.4 OUT SERVE IN DOUBLES

4.0 - DOUBLES

Out-of-Order Serve. If either partner serves again after that partner had previously lost a rally while serving, the penalty is an immediate out for that team.

The USAR's rules for singles also apply in doubles with the following additions and modifications:

(b) Ball Hits Partner. Aserved ball that hits the doubles partner while outside the doubles box results in loss of serve.

Rule 4.1 DOUBLES TEAM Rule 3.17 TECHNICAL FOULS AND WARNINGS (a) Technical Fouls. The referee is empowered to deduct one point from a player's or team's score when , in the referee's

Ru le 4.5 RETURN IN DOUBLES (a) Adoubles team shall consist of two players who meet ei ther the age req uirements or player classification requirements to participate in a particular division of play. Atea m

(a) The rally is lost if one player hits that same player's partner with an attempted return.

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USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK I 7

(b) If one player swings at the ball and mi sses it, both partners may make further attempts to return the ball until it touches the floor the second time. Both partners on a side are entitled to return the ba ll.

Rule 6.4 GAMESAND MATCHES All games are played to II points and the fi rst side to win two games wins the match . 7.0 - OUTDOORRACQUETBALL [World Outdoor Rac quetball Association/WORJ There are ma ny rule va riations in the outdoor game. Generally, th e stand ard USAR rules also app ly outdoors. Va riati ons acknowledged by WOR are described below, but there may be local rule exceptions that supercede them. Tournament di rectors are advised to put any local rule exceptions in writing and all participa nts are advised to ask about them prior to playi ng.

5.0 - ONE SERVE The USAR 's sta nd ard rules govern ing racquetball play will be followed, but only one serve is allowed. Therefore, any fault serve is an out serve, with a few exceptions [noted separately below, and within the text ru les cited]. See Rule 3.9 FAULT SERVES [Sc reens] (i) In one serve play, if a serve is called a screen, the server will be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve, except if the serve is also defective for some other reason , such as being long or short. Two consecutive screen serves resu lts in an out.

(f) Asafety holdup (replay hinder) also includes consideration

7.1 COURT SPECIFICATI ONS Outdoor courts vary in size and there is no "official size. " Genera lly, outdoor courts either have no or a very limited ceil ing. They usually have no back walls; however, some courts may have a non -connected back wall surface considered part of the pl ayin g area. Outdoor courts can be classified as one of two general types.

(Serving before the Receiver is Ready) (j) In one serve play, if a serve is ma de while the receiver is

not ready as described in Rule 3.5(b), the server wil l be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve.

(a) One-Wall. A one-wall court has no side walls that do not extend more than a few feet. (b) Three-Wal l. The front wall is usually at least 20 feet wide and at least 20 feet high. The side walls generally are at least 20 feet long and 20 feet high where they meet the front wall and are often tapered as t hey come toward the back court.

See Rule 4.3 FAU LT SERVES IN DOUBLES [Serve hits partner] (c) In one serve play, if a serve hits the non-serving partner while standing in the box, the server wi ll be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve. Hitt ing the non-serving partner twice, results in an out. [Consec utive fau lts] (d) In one serve play, consecutive faults- either (i) a sc reen serve followed by hitti ng the non-servin g partner or (ii) hitti ng the non -servi ng pa rt ner followed by a screen serveres ults in an out.

7.2 COURT MARKINGS Generally, the marki ngs are the same as the USAR 's standard rules , except that on an outdoo r court, there is no receiving (5-foot) line. Since the size of outdoor courts may vary, the exact placement of other li nes may also vary. Some outdoor courts may al so have sin gles service li nes to red uce the server's advantage. These lines are usually placed 18 inches inside each side line and run from the short line to the back line. These lines are only in force duri ng the serve and are not used for doubles play.

6.0 - MULTI-BOUNCE In general, the USAR's standard ru les governing racquetba ll play wi ll be followed except for the mod ifications that follow.

7.3 APPAREL Shirts are not required in the outdoor game. 7.4 PLAY REGULATIONS

Ru le 6.1 BASIC RETURN RULE In general, the ball remain s in play as long as it is bouncin g. However, the player may swing only once at the ball and the ball is con sid ered dead at the point it stops bouncin g and begins to roll. Al so, anytime the ball rebound s off the ba ck wa ll , it mu st be struck before it crosses the short line on the way to the front wa ll, except as explained in Rule 6.2. Ru le 6.2 BLAST RULE If the ball caroms from the front wa ll to the back wall on the fly, the player may hit the ba ll from any place on the courtincluding past the short li ne-so long as the ball is still bouncing. Rule 6.3 FRONT WALL LINES Two parallel lines (tape may be used) should be placed across the front wa ll such that the bottom edge of one line is 3 feet above the floor and the bottom edge of the other line is I foot above the floor. During the rally, any ball that hits the front wall (i) below the 3-foot line and (ii) either on or above the !-foot line must be returned before it bounces a third time. However, if the ball hits below the !-foot line, it must be returned before it bounces twice. If the ball hits on or above the 3-foot line, the ball must be returned as described in the ba sic return rule.

81 2011 USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK

(e) Generally, there are no court hinders. Local rules , however, may designate a particular featu re of the court as a court hinder. The elements of nature, such as sun, wind , rain , etc., may not serve as the basis for a hinder. A bal l that strikes a light pole that is inside the playing area , but outside the "in " zone, wit hout bouncin g is consi dered out. However, if the ball first boun ces "in ", and then hits such a light pole, it is a court hinder as soon as the ball touches the pole. A court hinder may also be ca lled when a returned ball hits a light attached to the end of a side wall if the ball would have otherwise reached the front wall.

(a) All divisions follow the USAR's ba sic one serve rules. Generally, a rally mu st be played for the receiver(s) to win a point or take possession of the serve. (b) In doubles, the non-servi ng partner may take a position in the normal doubles box or outside the court beyon d the back li ne or side line. If the non-serving partner hinders the receiving team on the return of serve, the referee may ca ll a penalty hinder. In one wall , the non-servin g partner may not step onto the playing zone of the court until serve ha s pa ssed the short line. (c) On the return of serve, the receiver(s) may not break the plane of the short line and doing so res ults in a point for the server. (d) If the ball bounces on a side line or the back line on its first bounce, the ball is considered "in ". When the singles service line is used, a served ball that bounces on it is "in ". If the ball hits the beveled end of a si de wall or the beveled top of the front wall or a side wall and remains in play, the shot is good. A ball that bounces over a side wall is legal, however, local rules may declare that such a shot is out when long-wall courts are used.

given to players on an adjacent court or any spectators who are not part of the stationary crowd. The player must be able to hit the ball prior to it reaching the stationary crowd. Any vehicle that enters the playing area can be grounds for a safety holdup. Parked vehic les are classified as part of the stationary crowd. (g) Intentionally launchi ng a ball following a ra lly is a technical foul for delay of game against the player who sent the ball sailing. This includes launching a ball prior to the referee or opponent confirming that it is broken. (h) When linejudges are in place, they will be used exactly like indoors with the exception of calling side lines. The linejudge will have the first call on sidelines, not the referee. If a ball is out, the line judge should say "OUT" and stop play. If there is an appeal on the linejudge's call on a side line, the appeal will only go to the referee. If the referee disagrees with the line judge's call , then the rally will be replayed. If the referee agrees or has no opi nion, the ca ll stands. The opposi te side line judge does not render an opinion. 8.0 - WHEELCHAIR Rule 8.1 CHANGESTO STANDARD RU LES In general, the USAR's sta ndard rules govern ing racquetball play will be followed, except for the modifications that follow. (a) Where USAR rules refer to server, person, body, or other si milar va riations, for wheelchair play such reference shall include all parts of the wheelchair in add ition to the perso n sitti ng on it. (b) Where the rul es refer to feet, sta ndin g or other simil ar descript ions, for wheelchair play it mean s only where the rear wheels actua lly touch th e floor. (c) Where the rules mention body contact, for wheelch ai r play it shall mean any part of the wheelc hair in addition to the player. (d) Where the rules refer to double bou nce or after the first bounce, it shall mean three bounces. All variations of the same phra ses shall be revised accordingly. Rule 8.2 DIVISIONS (a) Novice Division. The novice division is for the beginning player who is ju st learnin g to play. (b) Intermediate Division. The Intermediate Division is for the player who ha s played tournaments before and ha s a skill level to be competitive in the division . (c) Open Division. The Open Division is the highest level of play and is for the advanced player.

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(d) Multi-Bounce Division. The Multi-Bounce Division is for the individuals (men or women) whose mobility is such that wheelchair racquetball would be impossible if not for the Multi-Bounce Division. (e) Junior Division. The junior divisions are for players who are under the age of 19. The tournament director will determine if the divisions will be played as two bounce or multi-bounce. Age divisions are: 8-11, 12-15, and 16-18. Rule 8.3 RULES (a) Two Bounce Rule. Two bounces are used in wheelchair racquetball in all divisions except the Multi-Bounce Division. The ball may hit the floor twice before being returned. (b) Out-of-Chair Rule. The player can neither intentionally jump out of the chair to hit a ball nor stand up in the chair to serve the ball. If the referee determines that the chair was left intentionally, it will result in loss of the rally for the offender. If a player unintentionally leaves the chair, no penalty will be assessed. The referee will warn repeat offenders. (c) Equipment Standards. To protect playing surfaces, the tournament officials will not allow a person to participate with black tires or anything that will mark or damage the court. (d) Start. The serve may be started from any place within the service zone. Although the front casters may extend beyond the lines of the service zone, at no time shall the rear wheels cross either the service or short line before the served ball crosses the short line. Penalties for violation are the same as those for the standard game. (e) Maintenance Delay. A maintenance delay is a delay in the progress of a match due to a malfunction of a wheelchair, prosthesis, or assistive device. Such delay must be requested by the player, granted by the referee during the match, and shall not exceed 5 minutes. Only two such delays may be granted for each player for each match. After using both maintenance delays, the player has the following options: (i) continue play with the defective equipment, (ii) immediately substitute replacement equipment, or (iii) postpone the game, with the approval of the referee and opponent. Rule 8.4 MULTI-BOUNCE RULES (a) The ball may bounce as many times as the receiver wants though the player may swing only once to return the ball to the front wa II. (b) The ball must be hit before it crosses the short line on its way back to the front wall. (c) The receiver cannot cross the short line after the ball contacts the back wall. 9.0 - VISUALLY IMPAIRED In general , the USAR's standard ru les governing racquetball play will be followed except for the modifications that follow. Rule 9.1 ELIGIBILITY A player's visual acuity must not be better than 20/200 with the best practical eye correction or else the player's field of vision must not be better than 20 degrees. The three classifications of blindness are Bl (totally blind to light perception), B2 (able to see hand movement up to 20/600 corrected), and B3 (from 20/600 to 20/200 corrected).

Rule 9.2 RETURN OF SERVE AND RALLIES On the return of serve and on every return thereafter, the player may make multiple attempts to strike the ball until (i) the ball has been touched , (ii) the ball has stopped bouncing, or (iii) the ball has passed the short line after touching the back wall. The only exception is described in Rule 9.3. Rule 9.3 BLAST RULE If the ball (other than on the serve) caroms from the front wall to the back wall on the fly, the player may retrieve the ball from any place on the courtincluding in front of the short line - so long as the ball has not been touched and is still bouncing. Rule 9.4 HINDERS A replay hinder will result in the rally being replayed without penalty unless the hinder was intentional. If a hinder is clearly intentional, a penalty hinder should be called and the rally awarded to the non-offending player or team. 10.0 - DEAF In general, the USAR's standard rules governi ng racquetball play will be followed except for the modifications that follow. Rule 10.1 ELIGIBILITY An athlete shall have a hearing loss of 55 dB or more in the better ear to be eligible for any tournament for deaf athletes. 11.0 - MEN'SPROFESSIONAL [International Racquetball Tour/[IRT]] In general, competition on the International Racquetball Tour [IRT] will follow the standard rules governing racquetball established by the USAR, except for the modifications that follow. Consult the IRT President regarding any changes after this publication. The IRT President will resolve aiiiRT rules questions.

Rule 11.1 GAME, MATCH All games are played to 11 points, and are won by the player who reaches that score with at least a 2-point lead. If necessary, the game will conti nue beyond 11 points, until one player has a 2-point lead. Matches are played the best three out of a possible five games. Rule 11.2 WARM-UP Players may warm-up without either eye protection or wrist cords, but must use them during play. Rul e 11.3 APPEALS The referee's call is final. Players CANNOT question calls that involve skips, double bounces, or fault serves, including screen serves. The first incidence of such questioning is a technical warning and the second is a technical foul (loss of one point). Discussions or rule clarifications are only allowed for hinder calls. Rule 11.4 LINE JUDGES Not used except in selected events to make certain specified calls during on-going play. The IRT President will determine whether to use line judges, the format for appeals, and the line judges' specific authority. Rule 11.5 SERVES Players are allowed two serves to put the ball into play and the server (or partner in doubles) may leave the service zone as soon as the ball is struck on the serve. Rule 11.6 RESUMING PLAY The referee should ca ll the score or "second serve" at the end

of a rally and once he does, the players are allowed 10 seconds to initiate the serve. The first such delay is a technical warning and after that a technical foul is ca lled (loss of one point). Rule 11.7 READINESS RULE In IRT matches, any serve made white the opponent is not ready is replayed. Rule 11.8 COURT HINDERS No court hinders are allow,!!d or called, except for a wet ball on the first surface-either the floor or side wall-that the serve touches after the front wall. Rule 11.9 OUT-OF-COURT BALL Any ball leaving the court results in

loss of roily.

Rule 11.10 CARRYING THE BALL There is no "corry rule" in IRT play unless the "carry" is intentional. Rule 11.11 BALL All matches are played with the Penn Pro ball. The first, third , and fifth (if necessary) games of the match are started with a new ball. Rule 11.12 AFTER THE RALLY Any hitting of the ball after the rally is a technical warning the first time and further any other incidents are a technical ' foul (loss of one point). Rule 11.13 TIMEOUTS (a) Per Game. Each player is entitled to one !-minute timeout per game. (b) Between Points. The player has 10 seconds to put the ball in play once the referee calls the score or "second serve". (c) Between Games. The rest period between all games is 2 minutes, including between games 4 and 5. (d) Equipment Timeouts. A player does not have to use regular timeouts to correct or adjust equipment, if the need for the change or adjustment is acknowledged by the referee as being necessary for fair and safe continuation of the match. (e) Injury Timeout. Consists of two seven and one-half minute (7-1/2) timeouts within a match. Once an injury timeout is taken, the full seven and a half minutes (7-1/2) must be used, or it is forfeited. A player experiencing a cramp may call an injury timeout. Rule 11.14 FORFEITTIME A match can be forfeited when any player or team fails toreport to play within 15 minutes after the scheduled time of the match. Rule 11.15 APPAREL Players must wear collared shirts that are clean and in good repair, however, T-shirts made of some type of performance fabric (Cool Max and Dri-Fit are examples) are acceptable substitutes. Shirts must present a professional appearance and are subject to approval/rejection by the IRT President. 12.0- WOM EN 'S PROFESSIONAL RACQUETBALL ORGANIZATION/[WPRO] In general, competition in the Women 's Professional Racquetball Organization [WPRO] wi ll follow the standard rules governing racquetball establi shed by the USAR, except for the modifications that follow. Consult the tour commissioner re-

2o11

USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK I 9

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garding any changes after this publication. The WPRO tour commissioner or, if that person is on-court, the tournament director or other designated person , will resolve all WPRO rules questions or di sputes and has the final say. Rule 12.1 GAME, MATCH Matches are best 3 out of 5 ga mes to II points. The first player to score II points with at least a 2-point lead wins the ga me. Rule 12.2 NEW BALL A new ball will be used in the first , third , and, if necessal)', fifth game.

Rule 13.2 GAME, MATCH Matches are played best 3 out of 5 games to 9 points. Game 5, if necessal)', must be won by at lea st 2 points and thus may continue beyond 9 points.

Rule 12.3 LINE JUDGES, APPEALS Line judges are required for semifinal and final matches. Players may use three appeals in each game, plus a ga meending rally may be appealed even if all three appeals have been used.

Rule 13.3 BONUS SERVE Players are allowed only one serve, except that once in evel)' game, a player (or doubles team) may take a second serve if he advises the referee of hi s intent immediately following the defective serve.

Rule 12.4 SERVE Players are allowed only one serve to put the ball into play.

Rule 134 TIME Players are allowed one !-minute timeout in each game and there is a 2-minute break between all games. If game 5 goes beyond 9 points, then each player is allowed one more!minute timeout in that game. Rule 13.5 APPEALS The referee's call is final. There are no line judges, and no appeals may be made.

Rule 12.5 TIMEOUTS (a) Per Game. Each player is entitled to two 45-second timeouts per game. Calling a timeout when none remain will results in a technical foul and deduction of one point from the violator's score. (b) Between Games. The rest period between all games is Ill, minutes, except between ga mes 4 and 5 when 2\12 minutes are allowed. (c) Wet Court. Player may leave the court to obtain a towel to diY the court, but neither player may leave the court while it is being dried unless she officially calls a timeout. (d) Equipment Tlmeouts. Players may only call an equipment timeout if both of her regular timeouts have been exhausted. Equipm ent must be deemed unsafe to use for an equipment timeout to be called. It cannot be used to change a wet glove. The maximum time allowed for an equipment timeout is 20 seconds. (e) lnjul)' Tlmeouts. Atota l of 15 minutes is allowed for an injulY timeout in a match. An injul)' must not be pre-existing to the current match. Aggravatin g a previous injufY does not qualify for an injul)' timeout. The referee must stop play for any external bleeding so that the player may receive treatment or apply a banda ge. Rule 12.6 HINDERS Court Hinders. There are NO court hinders except when the ball strikes a foreign object, including, but not limited to, microphones , speakers, etc. used for production. (b) Audible Distractions. Audible distractions are NOT a hinder (justification for play stoppage) unless made by the referee during a rally. 13.0 - CLASSIC PROFESSIONAL RACQUETBALL TOUR [CPRT] In general, competition will follow the standard rules governin g racquetball established by the USAR, except for the modifications that follow. Consult the tour commissioner regarding any changes after this publication. The CPRT tour commissioner or other designated person will resolve all CPRT rules questions or disputes.

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Rule 131 ELIGIBILITY Players tl)'ing to qualify for the CPRT Professional Divi sion must be at least 40 years old as of the first day of the event and also ranked outside of the top 8 of the IRT ran kings as of September I of the current season. Participants in CRPT amateur divisions must comply with all the requirements of USA Racquetball.

I 2011 USA RACQUETBAll RUlEBOOK

Rule 13.6 COURT HINDERS No court hinders are allowed or called. Rule 137 UNIFORM/EQUIPMENT In quarterfinal matches and above, players may not represent any entity that is not an official partner of the CPRT with their racquet stencil or other logos. Players may not show any logo on their string bed unless they play with the racquet of a CPRT partner - currently E-Force, Ektelon, or Head. Determination of racquet logo acceptability will be at the sole discretion of the CPRT who will grant approval , if appropriate. An official CPRT shirt must be worn by any player who participates in an awards prese ntation or who appears in any organized publicity photograph taken by or for the CPRT. 14.0 - NATIONAL MASTERS RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION/[NMRA] In general, competition will follow the standard rules governing racquetball established by the USAR, except for the modifications that follow. Consult the NMRA President rega rdin g any changes after this publication. The NMRA President or other designated person will reso lve all NMRA rules questions or disputes. Rule 14.1 ELIGIBILITY Players at least 45 years of age are eligible to compete in an NMRA event. Competition is offered at 5-year age increments. Players must play in their proper age group as determined by their age on the first day of the tournament. You must be a current member of the USAR as of the first and last day of the tournament to compete. Rule 14.2 DRAWS All NMRA events are played as round robins. If there are more than 12 players/teams in an age bracket, then it will be split into pools. The top finisher from each pool will play a single elimination playoff to determine the champion. When there are only two flights, the top three players/teams are selected for the playoff. Playoff matches are two games to 15 points with a tiebreaker game to II (if necessafY).

Rule 14.3 GAME, MATCH The number of entrants and available court time dictate the choice of score to win a game, which is usually the first player/team to score either II or 15 points. A match consists of two games. Rule 14.4 MATCH SCORE Each player/team receives credit for evel)' point scored during the match. They earn two more points for eac h game they win, plus an additional4 points if they win the match by scoring more overall points than their opponent. However, if each player/team wi ns a game and the scores are the sa me, then there is no match winner and the match is recorded as a "tie". A "tie" matches result in each player/team earning 2 points for the game they won , plus 2 more points, i.e. onehalf of the 4 additional points usually earned by the winner of the match.

Rule 14.5 ORDER OF FINISH The fini shing positions of the players/tea ms are determined based on who scored the highest average number of points (total overall points earned divided by the total games played). Rule 14.6 FORFEITS If a team/player forfeits a match, they receive zero points for that match and their opponents receive the maximum total points for the match . If a team/player drops out of the tournament, they cannot receive an award. Moreover, the points earned ba sed on the matches they did play are not affected and the players/teams they did NOT play will have their averages based on the fewer number games they will have played.

COMPETITION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Sections A throu gh Dthat follow contain mostly policies and procedures concerning competition , rather than "rules of play" which are subject to the formal rule change procedures However, some of the topics that follow are still subject to the formal rule change procedures. A- TOURNAMENTS A.! DRAWS (a) If poss ible, all draws shall be made at least two (2) days before the tournament commences. The seeding method of drawing shall be approved by the USAR. (b) At USAR National events, the draw and seed ing committee shall be chaired by the USAR's Executive Director, National Tournament Director, and the host tournament director. No other persons shall participate in the draw or seeding unless at the invitation of the draw and seeding committee. (c) In loca l and regional tournaments, the draw sha ll be the responsibility of the tournament director. A.2 CONSOLATION MATCHES (a) Each entrant shall be entitled to participate in a minimum of two matches. Therefore, losers of their first match shall have the opportunity to compete in a consolation bracket of their own division. In draws of less than seven players, a round robin may be offered. See A.6 about how to determine the winner of a round robin event.

..d!!b.

'T=!~~ . r, ,;. .

(b) Consolation matches may be waived at the discretion of the tourn am ent director, but th is waiver must be in writing on the tourn ament application. (c) Preliminary co nsolation matches will be two of three ga mes to II points. Semifinal and final matches will follow the regular scori ng format.

tial (i.e. games won minus games lost) is awarded the highest place for which there exists a tie. If a multiple tie (more than two) still remain s after applying steps I and 2 above, then the player who scored the highest average points per match is awarded the highest place in question. As always, points scored against persons NOT involved in the tie are NOT counted.

A.3 SCHEDULING (a) Preliminary Matches. If contestants are entered in more than one divi sion, it is likely that they wi ll be requ ired to play several times on the sa me day with little rest between matches. Thi s is a risk assumed on enterin g multiple categories of play. If possible, schedules should provi de at least one (I) hour of rest between matches. (b) Final Matches. Where the possibility exists of one or more players reaching the finals in multiple divisions, it is recommended that these matches be scheduled several hours apart to assure more rest between the final matches. If thi s is not possible, it is recommended that a singles final be schedu led before any doubles final , and that at least one (I) hour of rest be allowed between matches. (c) Conflicts. If a player reaches the finals of two divi sions that are sc hedu led within the same hour, that player should be given the option of choosing which final is to be played first. A.4 NOTICE OF MATCHES After the first round of matches, it is the responsibility of eac h player to check the posted sched ules to determine the time and place of each subsequent match. If any change is made in the sc hedule after posting, it shall be the duty of the tournament director to notify the players of the change. A.5 FINISHES Finalists must play off for first and second place, or determine a winner by some mutually acceptable method . Semi-fi nalists are not required to play off for third place. However, if one sem ifinal ist wishes to play off and the other does not, the one willing to play shall be awarded third place. A.6 ROUND ROBIN SCORING The final places of players or teams in round robin competition are determined in the following seq uence: a. The winner of the most matches wins the top place; b. If two are tied for any particular place ha ving won the same number of matches, then the winner of their head-to-head match is awarded the pla ce that they are tied for in all cases; c. If three or more are tied in the number of matches won , the place is determined as follows: Determine the net difference between the number of games that each tied player won and lost when they played each other. Games played against persons NOT involved in the tie are NOT considered. The player with the largest positive difference in games differential (i.e. games won minus games lost) is awarded the highest place for which there exists a tie. If a multiple tie of more than two still remains after tallying the games differentials (Step 1), determine the net difference between the points that each tied player won and lost when they played each other. Again , points won or lost involving persons NOT involved in the tie are NOT considered. The player with the largest positive difference in points differen-

Once any one or more of the three steps described in paragraph c. above have been applied to reduce the number tied for a particular place to two players, then the winner of the remaining two players' head -to-head match is awarded the higher place for which there exists a tie. For the purposes of determining place, a forfeited match shou ld be treated as a match won in two games by a score of (0,0)

A.7 COURT ASSIGNMENTS In all USAR sanctioned tournaments, the tournament director and/or USAR official in attendance may decide on a change of court after the completion of any tournament ga me, if suc h a cha nge will accommodate better spectator cond itions. A.8 WARM-UP TIMES Once all players in a match have been inform ed what court they will be playing on, si ngles players are allowed up to 5 minutes of on-court warm-up time and these warm-up times run concurrently. For doubles, each team is allowed up to 5 minutes for on-court warm-up and while these times do not run concurrently, both teams' warm-ups mu st be completed generally within a 10-minute period that starts when the first team begins its warm-up . A.9 TOURNAMENT CONDUCT In all USAR sanctioned tournaments, the referee is empowered to forfeit a match, if the conduct of a player or team is considered detrimental to the tournament and the game. See B.5 (d) and (e). A.JO SPECTATOR CONDUCT In the event of disruptive or threatening behavior on the part of any spectator, relative, parent, guardian, or coach at any USAR sanctioned event, the referee is empowered to address a first offense by enforcing sa nction #I detailed below. For additional infractions, the tournament director, or USAR official in attendance, either of their own accord or at therequest of the referee, is empowered to enforce sanctions #2 and #3 as warranted.

I. For the first offense: violator may watch , but not speak (as determined by whether the referee hears the person), while the athlete's match is being played. 2. For the second offense: violator may not watch that match, but may remain within the building. 3. For the third offense: violator will be removed from the club for the duration of the tournament, and pertinent authorities advised of the restriction . If a given situation so warrants, the tournament director or USAR official may invoke this sanction immediately and without previous offenses- in the interest of safety. B- OFFICIATING B.l TOURNAMENT MANAGEMENT Atournament director, who shall designate the officials, shall manage all USAR sanctioned tournaments.

B.2 RULESCOMMinEE The tournament director should appoint a tournament rules committee to resolve any disputes that the referee, tournament desk, or tournament director can not resolve. The committee, composed of an odd nu mber of persons, may include state or national officials, or other qualified individuals in attendance that are prepared to meet on short notice. The tournament director shou ld not be a member of this com mittee. B.3 REFEREE APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL The principal official for every match shall be the referee who has been designated by the tournament director, or a designated representative, and who ha s been agreed upon by all participants in the match. The referee's authority regarding a match begins once the pl ayers are ca lled to the court. The referee may be removed from a match upon the agree ment of all participants (teams in doubles) or at the discretion of the tournament director or the designated representative. In the event that a referee's removal is requested by one player or team and not agreed to by the other, the tournament director or the designated representative may accept or reject the request. It is suggested that the match be observed before determini ng what, if any, action is to be taken. In addition, two line judges and a scorekeeper may also be designated to assist the referee in officiating the match. B.4 RULES BRIEFING Before all tournaments, all officials and players shall be briefed on rules as well as local court hinders, regulations, and modifications the tournament director wishes to impose. The briefing should be reduced to writing. The current USAR rules will apply and be made available. Any modifications the tournament director wishes to impose must be stated on the entry form and be available to all players at registration. B.5 REFEREES (a) Pre-Match Duties. Before each match begins, it shall be the duty of the referee to:

I. Check on adequacy of preparation of court with respect to cleanliness, li ghting, and temperature. 2. Check on availability and suitability of materials to include balls, towels, scorecards, pencils, and timepiece necessary for the match. 3. Check the readiness and qualifications of the line judges and scorekeeper. Review appeal procedures and instruct them of their duties, rules , and loca l regulations. 4. Go onto the court to make introductions; brief the players on court hinders (both designated and undesignated); identify any out-of-play areas [see rule 2.l(a)]; discuss local regulations and rule modifications for this tournament; and explain often-misinterpreted rules. 5. In spect players' equipment; identify the line judges; verify selection of a primary and alternate ball. 6. Toss coin and offer the winner the choice of serving or receivi ng. (b) Decisions. During the match, the referee shall make all decisions with rega rd to the rules. Where line judges are used, the referee shall announce all final judgments. If both players in singles and three out of four in a doubles match di sagree with a call made by the referee, the referee is over-

2011

USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK I

ruled , with the exception of technical fou ls and forfeitu res. (c) Protests. Any decision not involving the judgment of the referee will , on protest, be accorded due process as set fort h in the constitution of the USAR. For the purposes of rendering a prom pt decision regarding protests filed during the cou rse of an ongoing tourname nt, the stages of due process will be: fi rst to the tou rnament desk, then to the tou rnam ent director, and fi nal ly to the tournament rules co mmittee. In th ose insta nces when time permits, the protest may be elevated to the state associ ation or, when app ropriate, to th e nationa l level as ca lled lor in the USAR constitution. (d) Forfeitures. A match may be forfeited by the referee when:

I. Any player refuses to abide by the referee's decision or engages in unsportsmanlike con duct. 2. Any player or team who fai ls to report to play 10 minutes alter the match ha s bee n schedu led to play. (The tournament director may permit a longer delay if circumstances warrant such a decision .}

3. A game will be forfeited by the referee lor using an illegal racquet as spec ified in Rule 2.4(e}. (e) Defaults. A player or team may be forfeited by the tournament director or official lor failure to comply with the tournament or host faci lity's rules while on the premises between matches, or lor abuse of hospitality, locker room , or other ru les and procedures. (I} Spectators. The referee shall have jurisdiction over the

spectators, as well as the players, while the match is in progress. (g) Other Rulings. The referee may rule on all matters not specifically covered in the USAR Official Rules. However, the referee's ruling is subject to protest as described in B.S (c).

Manner of Res ponse Line judges should be careful not to sig nal until the referee an nounces the appeal and asks for a ruling. In respondi ng to the referee's request, line judges should not look at eac h other, but indicate their opinions simultaneously in cl ear view of the players and referee. If at any time a line judge is unsu re of whic h ca ll is being appealed or what the referee's call was, the li ne ju dge shoul d ask th e referee to repeat th e call and the appea l.

(I}

(g) Result of Response. The referee's ca ll stand s if at least one line jud ge agrees with the refe ree or if neither line jud ge ha s an opini on. If both line judges disagree with the referee, the refe ree mu st reverse the call. II one line judge disagrees wit h the referee and the other signals no opinion, the rally is re played. Any replays, with the exce ption of appeals on the second serve itself, wil l result in resumption of play at first serve. B.7 APPEALS (a} Appealab le Call s and Non-Calls. In any match using line judges, a player may appeal any call or non-call by the referee, except lor a techn ica l foul or forfeiture. (b) How to Appea l. Averbal appeal by a player must be made directly to the referee immediately alter the rally has ended. A player who believes there is an infraction to appeal, should bring it to the attention of the referee and line judges by raising the non-racquet hand at the time the perceived infraction occurs. The player is obligated to continue to play until the rally has ended or the referee stops play. The referee will recogn ize a player's appeal only if it is made before that player leaves the court lor any reason including timeouts and game-ending rallies or, if that player doesn 't leave the court, before the next serve begins. (c) Loss of Appeal. A player or team forfeits its right of appeal lor that rally if the appeal is made directly to the line judges or, if the appeal is made after an excessive demonstration or complaint.

B.6 LINE JUDGES (a } When Utilized. Two line judges should be used lor semifinal and final matches, when requested by a player or team , or when the referee or tournament director so desires. However, the use of line judges is subject to availability and the discretion of the tournament director.

(d) Limit on Appeals. A player or team can make three appeals per game. However, if either line judge disagrees (thumb down} with the referee 's call , that appeal will not count against the three-appeal limit. In addition, a potential game-ending rally may be appealed without charge against the limit-even if the three-appeal limit has been reached.

cause the referee makes no call on a serve (thereby indicatin g that the serve was good} and the "no call" is reversed, the result will be a fault serve. (c) Out Serve. II the referee calls an "out serve", and the ca ll is reversed , th e serve wi ll be replayed , unless the serve was obviously a fault too, in which case the call becomes fault serve. However, if the call is reversed and the serve was co nsidered an ace, a poi nt wi ll be award ed. Also , if the referee ma kes no call on a serve~thereby indicating that the serve was good ~but the "no call " is reve rsed, it results in an im mediate loss of serve. (d) Double Bounce Pi cku p. If the referee makes a call of two bounces, and the cal l is reversed, the ral ly is repl ayed, except if the player aga in st whom the call was made hit a shot that could not ha ve been retrieved, then that player wins the rally. (Before award ing a rally in th is situation, the referee mu st be certa in that the shot would not have been retrieved even if play had not been halted.} II an appea l is made because the referee makes no call thereby indicating that the get was not two boun ces, an d the "no call " is reversed, the player who made the two- bounce pickup is declared the loser of the ra lly. (e) Receivin g Line Violation (Encroachment}. II the referee makes a call of encroachment, but the call is overturned , the serve shall be replayed unless the return was deemed irretrievab le in which case a sideout (or possibly a handout in doubles} should be called. When an appeal is made because the referee made no call , and the appeal is successful , the server is awarded a point. (I} Court Hinder. If the referee makes a call of court hinder

during a rally or return of serve, the rally is replayed. II the referee makes no call and a player feels that a court hinder occurred, that player may appeal. II the appeal is successful , the rally will be replayed.lf a court hinder occurs on a second serve, play resumes at second serve. B.9 RULE INTERPRETATIONS If a player feels the referee has interpreted the rules incorrectly, the player may require the referee or tournament director to cite the applicable rule in the rulebook. Having discovered a misapplication or misinterpretation, the official must correct the error by replaying the rally, awarding the point, calling "Sideout", or taking other corrective measures. C~

(b) Replacing Line Judges. II any player objects to a person serving as a line judge before the match begins, all reasonable effort shall be made to lind a replacement acceptable to the officials and players. II a player objects alter the match begins, any replacement shall be at the discretion of the referee and/or tournament director. (c) Position of Line Judges. The players and referee shall designate the court location of the line judges. The tournament director shall settle any dispute. (d) Duties and Responsibilities. Line judges are designated to help decide appeals. In the event of an appeal , and alter a very brief explanation of the appeal by the referee, the line judges must indicate their opinion of the referee's call. (e) Signals. Line judges should extend their arm and signal as follows: (i} thumb up to show agreement with the referee's call , (ii) thumb down to show disagreement, and (iii} hand open with palm facing down to indicate "no opinion " or that the play in question wasn 't seen.

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USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK

B.8 OUTCOME OF APPEALS Everything except technical fouls and forfeitures can be appealed. The following outcomes cover several of the most common types of appeal, but not all possible appeals could be addressed. Therefore, referee's discretion and common sense should govern the outcomes of those appeals that are not covered herein: (a} Skip Ball. II the referee makes a call of "skip ball," and the call is reversed, the referee then must decide if the shot in question could have been returned had play continued. II, in the opinion of the referee, the shot could have been returned , the rally shall be replayed. However, if the shot wa s not retrievable, the side that hit the shot in question is declared the winner of the rally. If the referee makes no call on a shot (thereby indicating that the shot did not skip), an appeal may be made that the shot skipped. If the "no call " is reversed , the side that hit the shot in question loses the rally. (b) Fault Serve. II the referee makes a call of fault serve and the call is reversed , the serve is replayed - unless the referee considered the serve to have been irretrievable, in which case a point is awarded to the server. II an appeal is made be-

ELIGIBILITY

AND NATIONAL EVENTS

C.! ELIGIBILITY To be eligible to compete in any USAR sanctioned event, a player must only be a valid , registered member of USA Racquetball C.2 WAIVER & RELEASE Athletic Waiver and Release of Liability: In consideration of being allowed to participate in any USA Racquetball athletics/sports programs, and related events and activities, all member signatories:

I. Agree that prior to participating, they will inspect the facilities and equipment to be used , and if they believe anything is unsafe, they will immediately advise their coach, supervisor, or USAR personnel of such condition(s} and refuse to participate. 2. Acknowledge and fully understand that each participant will be engaging in activities that involve risk of serious injury, including permanent disability and death, and severe social and economic losses which might result not only from

their own actions, inaction, or negligence but the actions, inaction, or negligence of others, the rules of play, or the condition of the premises or of any equipment used. Further, that there may be other risks not known to us or not reasonably foreseeable at this lime. 3. Assume all the foregoing risks and accept personal responsibility for the damages following such injury, permanent disability, or death. 4. Release, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue the USA Racquetball , its affiliated clubs, regional sports organizations, their respective administrators, directors, agents, coaches, and other employees of the organization, other participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessees of premises used to conduct the event, all of which are hereinafter referred to as "releases" from any and all liability to the signatory on the opposite side of this form, his or her heirs and next of kin for any and all claims , demands, losses or damages on account of injury including death or damage to property, caused oralleged to be caused in whole or in part by the negligence of the release of otherwise. C.3 RECOGNIZED DIVISIONS Title opportunities at national championships will be selected from the division lists that follow. Combined Age+ Skill divisions may also be offered to provide additional competitive opportunities for non-open entrants. For ranking consistency, state organizations are encouraged to select from these recognized divisions when establishing competition in all sanctioned events. (a) Open Division. Any eligible player, as defined in C.l. (b) Adult Age Divisions. Eligibility is determined by the player's age on the first day of the tournament that anyone begins playing in that division. Divisions are: 24 & under- Varsity 25+- Junior Veterans 30+- Veterans 35+- Seniors 40+- Veteran Seniors 45+- Masters 50+ - Veteran Masters 55+- Golden Masters 60+- Veteran Golden Masters 65+- Senior Golden Masters 70+- Advanced Golden Masters 75+- Super Golden Masters 80+- Grand Masters 85+- Super Grand Masters (c) Junior Age Divisions. Player eligibility is determined by the player's age on January 1st of the current calendar year. Divisions are: 18 & Under 16 & Under 14 & Under 12 & Under 10 & Under 8 & Under (regular rules) 8 & Under (multi-bounce rules) 6 & Under (multi-bounce rules) (d) Skill Divisions. Player eligibility is determined by Am PRO skill level certification or verification by a state association official, at the entered level. Elite [Open level drop-down] A

c D

It will be conducted on a different date than all other National Championships. Traditionally held in February or March.

Novice (e) Age+ Skill Divisions. Player eligibility is determined by the 1 player's age on the first day of the tournament, plus AmPRO skill level certification , or verification by a state association official , at the entered level. Such combinations may be offered as additional competition to players who do not fall into the "open" or designated skill levels of play. For example: 24- AlB; ' 30+ B; 35+ C/D; 40+ A; 65 +AlB, etc. C.4 COMPETITION BY GENDER Men and women may compete only in events and divisions for ' their respective gender during regional and national tournaments. If there is not sufficient number of players to warrant play in a specific division, the tournament director may place the entrants in a comparably competitive division. Note: For the purpose of encouraging the development of women's racquetball, the governing bodies of numerous states permit 1 women to play in men 's divisions when a comparable skill level is not available in the women 's divisions. C.5 USAR REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (a) Adult Regional Tournaments l. Regional tournaments will be conducted at various metropolitan sites designated annually by the USAR and players may compete at any site they choose. 2. A person may compete in any number of adult regional tournaments , but may not enter a championship division (as listed in C.4) after having won that division at a previous adult regional tournament that same year. â&#x20AC;˘ 3. A person cannot participate in more than two championship events at a regional tournament. 4. Any awards or remuneration to a USAR National Championship will be posted on the entry blank. (b) Junior Regional Tournaments. Certain regions still host regional qualifying events. Qualification for Junior Nationals is either the regionals or state championships. C.6 U.S. NATIONAL SINGLES AND DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS The U.S. National Singles and Doubles Tournaments are separate tournaments and are played on different dates. Na tional Singles are traditionally held in May; National Doubles in February. (a) Competition in an Adult Regional singles tournament (or recognized qualifying event) is required to qualify for the National Singles Championship. l. Recognized qualifying events are: WSMA Championships (January); NMRA Singles Championships (February); World Intercollegiate Championships (April); individual state championships. (b) The National Tournament Director may handle the rating of each region and determine how many players shall qualify from each regional tournament. C.7 U.S. NATIONALJUNIOR OLYMPIC CHAMPIONSHIPS It will be conducted on a different date than all other National Championships. Traditionally held in June. C.8 U.S. NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS

C.9 U.S. NATIONAL INTERCOLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS It will be conducted on a different date than all other National Championships. Traditionally held in March or April. C.lO US OPEN RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS It will be conducted on a different date than all other National Championships, ang include both pro and USAR competitive divisions. D- Self-Officiating-- "How to Ref Without a Ref" I

SAFETY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY PLAYER WHO ENTERS THE COURT' At no time should the physical safety of the participants be compromised . Players are entitled, and expected , to hold up their swing, without penalty, any time they believe there might be a risk of physical contact. Any time a player claims to have held up to avoid contact, even if being over-cautious, they are entitled to at least a replay hinder and, perhaps a penalty hinder depending on the circumstances). D.l Score Since there is no referee, it is important for the server to announce and for both players/teams to agree on both the server's and receiver's score BEFORE each first serve. D.2 During Rallies During rallies, it is the hitter's responsibility to make the call. If there is a possibility that a skip ball, double-bounce, or illegal hit occurred, play should continue unless the hitter makes the call against himself. If the hitter does not make the call and goes on to win the rally, and the opponent thought that one of the hitter's shots was not good, they may appeal to the hitter by pointing out which shot was thought to be bad and request that the hitter reconsider. If the hitter is sure of the non-call, and the opponent is still sure the hitter is wrong , the rally should be replayed. As a matter of etiquette, players are expected to make calls against themselves any time they are not sure. Unless the hitter is certain the shot was good, it should be replayed. D.3 The Serve

Fault Serves. The receiver has the primary responsibility to make this call, though either player may make it. Thereceiver must make the call immediately, and not wait until the ball has been hit to gain the benefit of seeing how good a return they have made. It is not an option play. The recei ver does not have the right to play a serve they know was short. Screen Serves. The screen serve call is the sole responsibility of the receiver. If the receiver has taken the proper court position, near center court, and the ball passes so close to the server that the closeness causes the receiver to not have clear view of the ball, a screen serve should be called immediately. The receiver may not call a screen after attempting to hit the ball or after taking himself out of proper court position by starting the wrong way. The server may not call a screen under any circumstance and thus, must always expect to play the rally unless the receiver calls "screen serve". Other Situations. Foot faults, 10-second violations, receiving zone violations, and other calls generally require a referee. However, if either player believes an opponent is abusing any of these rules, be sure there is clear agreement on what the

2011

USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK I

exact rule says, and reach a mutual understandi ng that the rules should be followed. D.4 Replay Hinders Generally, the hinder call should work just like the screen serve does as sort of an option play for the hindered party. Only the person going for the shot can stop play by calling a hinder, and must do so immediately and not wait to see how good a shot they can hit. If the hindered party believes they can make an effective return in spite of some physical contact or screen that has occurred, they may continue to play, but cannot claim a hinder thereafter. D.5 Penalty Hinders Penalty hinders are usually unintentional, so they can occur even in the friendliest matches. A player who realizes that they have caused such a hinder should simply declare their opponent to be the winner of the rally. If a player feels that his opponent caused such a hinder, but the opponent does not make the call himself, after the rally, the offended player should point out that a penalty hinder may have occurred. However, unless the opponent agrees that a penalty hinder occurred, it should not be called. Often just pointing out what appears to have been a penalty hinder will prevent the opponent from such actions on future rallies. D.6 Disputes Should either player, for any reason, desire to have a referee, then a referee should be found - although there could be some delay in the match while the person is sought. E- PROCEDURES E. I RULE CHANGE PROCEDURES To ensure the orderly growth of racquetball , the USAR has established specific procedures that are followed before a major change is made to the rules of the game. NOTE: Changes to rules and regulations in Sections I through 10 must adhere to published rule change procedures. Remaining sections may be altered by vote of the USAR Board of Directors*. (a) Rule change proposa ls must be submitted in writing to the USAR National Office by June lsi. (b) The USAR Board of Directors will review all proposals at its Fall board meeting and determine which will be considered. (c) Selected proposals will appear in RACQUETBALL Magazine - the official USAR publication - as soon as poss ible after the Fall board meeting for comment by the general membership. (d) After reviewing membership input and the recommendations of the National Rules Committee and National Rules Commissioner, the proposals are discussed and voted upon at the annual Board of Directors meeting in May. (e) Changes approved in May become effective on September l si. Exception: changes in racquet specifications become effective 2 years later on September lsi. (f) Proposed rules that are considered for adoption in one year, but are not approved by the Board of Directors in May of that year, wi ll not be considered for adoption the following year.

141 2011 USA RACQUETBALL RULEBOOK

*The following policies & procedures segments are subject to stated rule change procedures outlined in D.!: A.6 Round Robin Scoring A.8 Tournament Conduct B.5 (d-g) Forfeitures, Defaults .. B.6 Line Judges B.7 Appeals B.8 Outcome of Appeals

E.2 NATIONAL RULES COMMISSIONER Otto Dietrich, National Rules Commissioner 35805 North 34'hLane Phoenix, AZ 85086 678-575-8975 (Cell phone) Email: ODietrich@USRA.org

RULEBOOK INDEX Apparel Appeals

2.5 Appeal Limit, Loss Outcome of Appeals What May be Appealed

B.7 B.8 B.7(a)

Ball Specifications Selection, Change Blocking Body Contact Broken Ball On the Serve On Return of Serve During the Rally Carries On the Serve During the Rally Classic Professional Tour (CPRT) Court Specifications Deaf Delays Doubles Generally Blocking Change in Partners Order of Serve Out-of-Order Serve Partner's Position During Serve Return Attempts Team Classification Drive Serve Rule Due Process (Player's Ri ghts) Eyeguards Five-Foot Rule Foot Faults Forfeits B.5(d) Grievance Procedure Hinders, Penalty Hinders, Replay Generally Court Hinders Safety Holdup Screen How to Ref Without a Ref Issues Not Covered by the Rulebook Legal/Illegal Hits

2.2 2.3 3.15(c) 3.14(a)3 & 5 3.8(b) 3.ll(e); 3.13(1) 3.13(1) 310(e) 3.13(b) 13.0 2.1 10.0 3.5; 317(a)6 4.0 3.15(c) 4.l(b) 4.2(a) 4.4(a) 4.2(b); 4.3(a) 4.5(b) 4.l(a) 3.6 B.5(c) 2.5(a); 2.5(c); 3.17(a)9 3.ll(a) 3.9(a); 4.2(b)

Line Judges Loss of Apparel/Equipment Men 's Professional (IRT) Multi-bounce Modifications National Rules Commissioner One Serve Game Out-of-court Ball Out Serves National Masters (NMRA) Outdoor Racquetball (WOR) Postponed Games Profanity Professional Modifications Protests B.5(c) Racquet Specifications Racquet Illegal Racquets Wrist Cord Grip Rallies 3.13 Return of Serve Readiness Referees Appointment and Removal Duties and Responsibilities Overturning the Referee's Call Return of Serve Rule Interpretations Rule Change Procedures Safety Holdup Safety Zone Violation by Server Self Officiating Serves Changes of Serve Dead-ball Serves Drive Serves Doubles Fault Serves Manner Order (Who Serves First) Out Serves Screen Serves Spectators, Control of Technical Fouls and Warnings Ten-second Rule nmeouts Regular Injuries Equipment Between Games Tournaments Visually Impaired Wheelchair Women 's Professional (WPRO)

313(b) B.6 315(i); 313(g)2 ILO 6.0 E.2 5.0 3.10(h); 3.13(c)3 3.10 14.0 7.0 3.16(e) 3.17(a)l I LO; 12.0; 13.0 '1,.

2.4(a) 2.4(b); 2.4(c) 24(d) 2.4(e) 311 3.4 B.3 B.5 B.5(b) 3.11 B.9

E.! 314(a)6 3.10(i) D 3.12; 4.2(c) 3.8 3.6 4.2 3.9 3.3 3.1 3.1D 3.9(i) B5(f); A.IO 3.17 3.4; 3.5 3.!6(a) 3.16(b) 3.16(c) 3.16(d) A 9.0 8.0 12.0

The 2011 USAR Official Rules of Racquetball are copyrighted. All rights reserved. These rules may not be reproduced , elecIronically scanned, or downloaded, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. CopyrightÂŠ 2011 USAR . For information about reprint rights and fees, please contact USA Racquetball , 1685 West Uintah, Colorado Springs, CO 80904-2906. Tel: 719/635-5396 - Fax: 719/635-0685 - Email: racquetball@usra .org - www.usaracquetball.com

The Best Play Penn! Shouldn't You?

OFFICIAL BALL

International Racquetball Federation

pennracquet.com

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John LoMon.aco

or the second year, the LoMonaco Memorial Grant will be awarded for an all-expenses paid trip to the May 2011 USAR National Singles Championships in California.

The recipient of the John LoMonaco Memorial Grant: • May be male or female and must be at least 18 years of age. • Must be a citizen of the United States. • May not have previously competed in the USAR National Singles Championships. • Will submit an application and write an essay no longer than 500 words expressing why he/she wants to attend and compete in the 2011 National Singles Championships next May. • Will sign a USAR liability waiver as well as a release for use of his/her likeness in publications at USAR's discretion. • Will be given the opportunity to write an article describing his/her experiences as a first-time National Singles player for possible publication in the USAR eNewsletter or Racquetball magazine.

Covered expenses will be: entry fee (two divisions), meals, five nights' lodging at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Houston, coach airfare, ground transportation, and a VIP pass. The recipient will submit receipts to USA Racquetball for reimbursement not to exceed $2,000. Companion costs will be at the expense of the recipient or his/her companion. The essay and application become the property of USA Racquetball and will not be returned. The Executive and Grant Fund Committees of the USAR Board, along with the anonymous contributor, will make the f inal determination as to who will receive the grant. The application form and more information can be found on the USA Racquetball web site. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2010, with the recipient announced on or before February 28, 2011.

FALL 20 10 I USA RACQUETBALL

I 25

Stepping up his Game, Moving up the Pro Ran kings by Jennifer Sinclair Johnson s the echo of rebounding racquetballs faded away after the last major Pro Stop before the US Open, Anthony Herrera had proven he'd joined the tour full time- not just to play against the best but to challenge them -taking his game and ranking to a higher level. Herrera stepped onto the court at the NovaSors Ghost of Georgetown Kansas City tournament for the fall's first Tier 1 Pro Stop. By the time he closed the glass doors behind him and walked away, he 'd forced heavily-favored Ben Croft (#5) to a five-game battle that lasted over two hours. The following weekend in Cali, Colombia, he took #5 Shane Vanderson (who had slipped from #4 after losing to Ben Croft in the KC quarterfinals) to four games. Two weeks later he pushed #6 Andy Hawthorne into another five-game match during the San Diego Racquet House Pro/Am, the third major tour stop of the season. I asked him how he felt about how well he'd done. He didn't hesitate before answering, "I usually let my playing do the talking." Indeed . " He caught my eye because we'd played when he first came on the tour," said IRT President Jason Mannino. "Now he has refined his game and taken it to a new level." John Scott, IRT Netwo rk Announcer and pro player agreed. " Anthony is a young breed of player. His explosive gets mean he doesn't just go to the ball with little effort, but he also re-kills it. Many of us can get a defensive shot off, but Anthony is very effective offensi ve ly, too." Herrera plans to be able to put even more focus on racquetball as he finishes college coursework online to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. "This year is different than the last two years," he said , referring to when he first starting playing the pro tour. "Now that I'm finishing up school, I can focus on training and playing racquetball . I want to dedicate a couple of years to succeeding in the sport." He started last summer with a renewed focus and new sponsors , Gearbox Racquetball and Back to Health Wellness, a chiropractic clinic in his hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado. " Before and after tourneys and training, Dr. Dan Lonquist works on different parts of my body. I feel it gives me a little extra edge to have confidence in my body as a machine ." So far, it 's paying off . "I approach it like a full-time job. You have to if you're going to compete with the top guys. My philosophy is to train harder than anyone else I play." Currently he's work ing wi t h sports therapist Pablo Fajre , who has helped him with footwork and game psychology by setting up a training program that includes on- and off-court drills targeting areas in his game he'd like to improve . Scott recognized Fajre's influence on Herrera's game , noting the mental, physical, and on-court impact. "The biggest improvements have been in strength and foot work. Herrera has added muscle and therefore power. Pablo is a former pro player out of Chile and a great mind in racquetball. He can look at the game from a distance for strategy. He 's

26 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

IRT RANKINGS

met icu lous, a doctor of racq uetbal l. " Herrera's winning prescriptio n means he's learned how to play the game rather than just hit the ball. Scott exp lained the difference. " Anyone can learn to drop and hit and to make a particular shot. The key is in knowing how to win when you don't have the best game by anti cipating and covering a part icular player's shot, for example. He's c lose to becoming a Top 8 player. " Like the ful l-time job it has become, Herrera takes his racquetba ll seriously. Yet, he st ill has fun . " I train ins ide the gym and out. Living in Colorado means I can do everything outs ide, like bike and hike up a mou ntain for a cardiovascular workout." An avid snowboarder and wakeboarder, he enjoys an annual trip to Lake Powell with his fam ily and likes to spend his off time with gir lf ri end Ashley Jimenez in Tempe, Arizona . It's just hard sometimes to get there. " Life is not simple being a touring pro - you're traveling al l the time." He credits his family as a tremendous support. " I've been on a two-and-a-ha lf month road trip without seeing them . At least Skype lets us stay connected." Anthony will likely log more winning matches as he continues to break through. " I would not be surprised t o find Herrera playing in the quarters this year, which would be his first in a pro stop ," pred icted Scott. Mannino added , "He 's the type of guy who seems to come out of nowhere, no one seems to talk about, you don't hear about." Until now. As Anthony Herrera steps up his game , talk around the pro circuit will change.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

WAS ELENCHUK, KANE CROFT, BEN CARSON , ROCKY HUCZEK, JACK CROWTH ER , CHRIS WILLIAM S, MITCH VANDERSON , SHANE HAWTHORN E, ANDY ROJAS, JOSE MANN INO , JASON HERRERA, JUAN BELTRAN , ALVARO PRATI, CHARLIE HERRERA, ANTHONY D. LANDA, ALEJANDRO HERR ERA, ALEJANDRO MORENO, JAVIER SWAIN, CLIFF ODEGARD, KR IS SHIMIZU , HIROSH I MUNOZ, FELIPE CAMAC HO, FELI PE CARSON, TONY HERR ERA, ANDRES HORN , DAVID GOMEZ, FRANCISCO GREEN, MIKE MONTALBANO, NICK scon, JOHN SIMPSON , BRIAN CONNELL, LEE DEROCHERES, ERIC KIRCH , BRAD GONZALEZ, RUBEN KNOTH , TAYLOR GAGNON , VINCENT ACKERM AN, ALEX GUTI ERREZ, POLO ROJAS, MARCO FRANCO, SEBASTI AN

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IRT SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER 18-2 1 DECEMBER 3-6 DECEMBER 3-6 DECEMBER 10- 12 JANUARY 6-9 JANUARY 13-1 6 JANUARY 20-23 JANUARY 21 -23 JANUARY 21-23 JANUAR Y 27-30 JANUARY 27-30 FEBRUARY 4-6 FEBRUAR Y 11 -13 FEBRUARY 17-20 FEBRUARY 24- 27 MAR CH 3-5 MAR CH 3-5 MAR CH 10-13 MAR CH 17-19 MAR CH 18-20 MAR CH 24-27 APRIL 1-3 APRIL 7-10 APRIL14-17 APR IL 28-MAY 1 MAY 5-8 MAY 6-8 MAY 12-15 MAY 18-21 MAY 25-29 JUNE 10-1 2 JULY 22-24

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20TH ANNUAL TURKEY SHOOT ROSE CITY Pro/Am ST. NICK SPLAT ND MINOT OPEN COAST TO COAST CALIFORNIA OPEN NEW YORK CITY Pro/Am LAWLER SPORTS Pro/Am NEW JERSEY OPE N CONCORD OPEN WICHITA OPEN LEWIS DRUG Pro/Am CIN CINNATI OPE N KEYSTONE CLASSIC SEATTLE OPE N SAN DIEGO OPE N CARL MYER S MEMOR IAL LEAM INGTO N RACQUETBALL CLASS IC FLO RIDA SPR ING BREAK Pro/Am SALT LA KE CITY Pro/Am NO RTH WEST OPEN PARTY WITH THE PR OS TOP EKA OPE N SOUTH CAR OLI NA OPEN MEXICO OPEN ALISO VIEJ O Pro/Am CAMPESTRE JUAREZ OPE N CIN CO DE MAYO SHOOTOUT BOSTON Pro/Am COSTA RI CA OPEN IRT PR O NATIO NALS/USAR FI NA LS MAR YLAND OPEN CHAMPIONSH IPS TAMPA OPE N

GARDEN CITY, KS PORTLAND, OR MILLERSVILLE, MD MINOT, ND LOS ANGLES , CA LONG ISLAND , NY TERRE HAUTE, IN FAIRFIELD , NJ CONCORD , CA WICHITA , KS SIOU X FALLS , SD CINCINNATI, OH WINNIPEG , CANADA SEATTLE , WA SAN DIEGO , CA GARDEN CITY, KS LEAMI NGTON, CANADA TA MPA, FL SALT LAKE CI TY, UT BELLI NG HAM, WA ST. LO UIS, MO TOPE KA, KS TBD TIJ UANA, MEXICO ALISO VIEJO, CA JUAREZ, MEXICO PUEB LO , CO BOSTON, MA SAN JOS E, COSTA RI CA FULLERTON, CA LAUREL , MD TAMPA, FL FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

I 27

he Landmark Fitness Club of North Dallas was the scene for the 2010-11 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization 's season opener. The tournament hotel was the beautiful Westin , and, to everyone's delight, the hotel and club are under the same roof . I arrived Wednesday night and didn 't go outside until Friday. Tournament Directors Mike and Keely Franks welcomed the players on Thursday night with the traditional sponsor doubles which was won by Vivian Gomez and partner Chase Robinson . Vivian and Chase defeated Samantha Salas and Jose Rodriquez in the final. The Landmark Fitness Club has six courts, with the championship court in view immediately after entering the

club. It features two glass side walls and a glass back wall, which allows for plenty of viewing. Since the glass was covered with "Twin View" filament, visibility for the players was good . With 175 players entered in the tournament, tournament play began early Friday morning. In spite of the large number of entrants, it ran on time throughout the weekend. As an additional bonus for the spectators, there was also an IRT satellite event, and this was particularly interesting with the recent men's tour rule change to two serves. In the satellite event, young Jose Rojas defeated Ben Croft in three straight games. In the opening round, Aubrey O'Brien defeated Sharon Jackson in a tough five-game battle. Da'monique Davis

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DATE

TOURNAMENT

LOCATION

LEVEL

NEW! Dec. 3-5 Dec.10-12 NEW! Jan. 7-9 NEW! Jan 28-30 Feb. 25-27 Mar.18-2o Mar. 25-27 Apr.1-3 Apr.29-May 1

New Jersey Open Christmas Classic Coast to Coast California Open Wilson Tour for Hope Great Balls of Fire SCS World gate Pro-Am Terrapin Shootout Miller Lite Open In Shape WPRO Championships presented by Ektelon WPRO Ektelon World Championships

Woodbridge, NJ Arlington, VA Canoga Park, CA Cincinnati, OH Miami, FL Herndon, VA Laurel, MD York, PA Stockton, CA

SAT ($3,000) T1 T1 SAT($3000) T1 T1 SAT ($5,ooo) T1 T1

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28 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

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started the landslide of upsets by defeating ninth seed Vivian Gomez in three straight. Claudine Garcia of the Dominican Republic defeated number 8, T.J. Baumbaugh, in four games. Christie Huczek defeated the number 11 seed, Krystal Csuk, in three straight games. In the round of 16, the upsets continued with Claudine Garcia defeating Da'monique, Canada's Jen Saunders defeating #5 Adrienne Fisher, and Mexico's Suzy Acosta defeating USAR National Champion and #3 seed Cheryl Gudinas. Christie Huczek defeated number 6, Jo Shattuck, and Mexico's Samantha Salas defeated tournament director Keely Franks, the number 7 seed, in four games. All of these upsets resulted in quarterfinals match-ups that included six international players. Only three of the top eight seeds made it to the quarters. Christie Huczek continued her return to the tour by defeating Suzy Acosta in five hardfought games. Suzy was up two games to one with a nice lead in the fourth game . Veteran Christie kept her composure, won Game 4, and then played a solid tiebreaker to move into the semifinals. In the second quarterfinal , it looked like a routine win for Rhonda Rajsich as she won the first two games over Samantha Salas. But Samantha kept her composure and began to execute her drive serves. Rhonda learned that there is a "new Samantha" - one who is fit, fast , and mature. "La Violenta" can no longer serve as a nickname since Samantha has learned to shake off tough calls and disappointing errors. Samantha won the last three games with scores of 11-2, 11-7, and 11-8. The next quarterfinal pitted Claudine Garcia against #1 player Paola Longoria . Paola proved too much for Claudine, winning the match in three games, 11-2, 11-2, and 11-6. What makes Paola so good? Her mobility, anticipation, precision, and consistency are four obvious assets. In the last quarterfinal, Jen Saunders defeated #4 seed Kerri Wachtel in four games. Jen and Kerri are both excellent control players . Jen served well predominantly using a lob knick on the left side wall. Kerri hates the ceiling and continued to attempt aggressive returns, many of which resulted in opportunities for Jen . Thus the semifinals consisted of two players from Mexico against two players from Canada. The first semi was a war, even though it resulted in a victory for Samantha in three games over Christie. Samantha's persistence, quickness, and endurance proved to be the difference. Her backhand off the back wall was precise throughout the match . All three games had multiple lead changes and a lot of suspense. At the end of the day, Samantha had defeated two former season ending #1 players. In the second semi, Paola brought the entire package against Jen Saunders and defeated her in three straight, 11-7, 11-5, and 11-6.

In the finals, Paola continued to execute as she had done throughout the draw. Her semi screen serves to the back left corner were perfect over and over again . From right of center in the service box, Paola will deceptively drive either left or right or hit the Z to the right hand corner. Weak returns result in Paola executing tight pinches or good solid passes. Her mobility makes an opponent's attempt to tap the ball softly into one of the front corners for a winner almost impossible to execute. Samantha , perhaps showing a bit of fatigue from the tough Saturday matches, just couldn't get on track . Her drive-serves just were not there as they were the day before. Many were off the back wall or hit at slightly at the wrong angle. Although there were many side-outs, Paola won the match 11-4. 11-4, and 11-5. What a tournament, with fantastic hospitality throughout! Mike and Keely Franks do a wonderfu l job in hosting, and it is such a pleasure to play in one of their events. Videographer Larry Commons recorded the quarters, semis and finals , and these matches are posted on www.wpro-tour.com for free-of-charge viewing . In the end, it must be said that Paola Longoria served notice to her competitors that she is on a mission to make it three straight as the season ending #1 player. In the IRT, Kane incredibly went through the entire 2009-10 season losing only three games. Paola went through the first tournament of this season without losing a game. The question now is, when will she lose her f irst?

FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

I 29

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MILITARY RAC UETBALL FEDERATION From Inception to the Present BY STEVEN HARPER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MILITARY RACQUETBALL FEDERATION

pproximately three years ago, Steven Harper, Hank Marcus, and Peggine Tellez formed a new racquetball organization for those serving or have served in the Armed Forces. Military Racquetball Federation (MRF) , a nonprofit organization, was created to organize and promote racquetball and fitness throughout all branches of the military worldwide . MRF is dedicated to Active Duty, Veterans, Retirees, National Guard, DOD ID card holders, Reservists, and Dependents age 16 or older- both here and abroad . MRF has provided rehabilitative clinics, educational pro-

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grams, and tournament competition . Its first major accomplishment was a three-day outdoor racquetball demonstration onboard an operational large-deck navy warship, USS BONHOMME RICHARD. Thereafter, MRF hosted an eight-week racquetball clinic for military personnel and their dependents and even had a surprise guest appearance by Rhonda Rajsich. MRF has held two National Military Racquetball Championships in San Diego, CA and partnered with the local San Diego chapter USO to promote an outdoor fam ily-day racquetball demonstration for 200 family members. MRF is the first racquetball organ ization to partner with the largest nonprofit organization ded icated to injured soldiers- the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Over t ime, MRF has gained support and recognition from several other racquetball organizations: USAR, IRT, CPRT, NMRA, WOR, WFRA, as well as the financ ial backing from Ektelon, E-Force, and Racquetworld Without these organizations, MRF would not have been able to gain as much ground as it has over a relat ively short period of t ime. MRF's greatest milestone thus far is recently when Executive Director Steven Harper had the rare and unique opportunity of meeting our Commander-InChief, President Barack Obama . With so many new activities and events taking place so quickly, MRF recru ited a National Program Director, Jack Hughes, who has been responsible for sanctioning and/or coordinating over fifteen tournaments nationwide and internationally. These major tournaments include:

JOINT BASE BALAD ROLLOUT RACQUETBALL TOURNAMENT SPC Broeker (US Army) started off with a small idea to coordinate a racquetball event that allowed fellow deployed racqu etball players at Joint Base Balad , Iraq to play in some type of racquetball competition. That small idea quickly grew as he ran across the MRF. With the organization's help, he was able to hold the first MRF sanctioned racquetball tournament in Iraq. In all, 36 hard-fought matches were played with in a week 's time. With the assistance of Pat Bernardo of RacquetWorld, Jonathan Clay of Rollout Racquetball, Jen Tranchilla and Dan Whitley of Vetta Sports-Concord Fitness and Racquetball in St. Louis, MO, Ektelon, and E-Force, they were able to provide a ton of prizes and giveaways to the players . The services and support those individuals and organizations showed to our military men and women stationed in a war zone will always be remembered . FORT HOOD IRON HORSE OPEN Reaching out to the Fort Hood families of recent fata l shooting of twelve soldiers and one civilian and the wounding of 31 people became the mission of a group of Fort Hood racquetball players via the Fort Hood Iron Horse Open , a racquetball tournament held at Fort Hood , TX which was initially intended to help raise funds for local charities but was redirected to assist the Vi ctims of Fort Hood Fam ily Fund. Fort Hood is home to 40 ,000 troops of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment as well as elements of the 4th Infantry Division. It is the largest U.S. military installation in the nation . Tournament Director Kimo Hansen leveraged the assistance of the Fort Hood staff and the MRF, collecting over $2 ,000 towards a Fort Hood Fund that was disbursed through Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) channels to the immediate families affected by this tragedy.

MRF TEXAS OPEN HELD AT RANDOLPH AFB The Rambler Fitness Center at Randolph AFB in Texas hosted its second annual MRF racquetball event involving combined service personnel. Players came out from local bases Randolph, Lackland and Ft. Hood and some from as far away as California, Oklahoma and Louisiana. These players represented the loyalty to racquetball in our Armed Forces that we are committed to serving. The Coast Guard's Glenn Martineau and Rambler regular Clarita Parra worked efficiently to take care of the players. The tournament featured pool play and round robin formats to allow for maximum match play.

HONORING THOSE AT THE PENTAGON 9 YEARS LATER -THE FORT MYER OPEN Honoring and remembering service men and women who lost their lives nine years ago on September 11th, the MRF paid tribute by hosting its second annual MRF Fort Myer Open at Fort Myer Army Base in September 2010. Players from as far as Texas and Pennsylvania came to support this tournament. We thank the staff at Fort Myer (Pete, Todd, Mike, Brandon, and Sylvia) for providing the venue for another successfu I tournament.

MRF ASSISTS TRUE HEROESTHE WOUNDED WARRIORS

years ago when Steven Harper teamed up with Aaron Embry (a certified AMPRO racquetball instructor) to start a new program at Balboa Naval Hospital teaching racquetball fundamentals to Wounded Warriors. To date, there are over 34,000 service members have been physically wounded during the Iraq/Afghanistan war and an estimated 300,000 suffer from the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Military Medicine Journal estimates that over 30% of those who spend time in a war zone will develop some form of PTSD , and in 2009 alone, nearly 80 ,000 soldiers have been officially diagnosed with PTSD . Many Wounded Warriors returning from combat have lost limbs and/or are wheelchair bound for life. Soldiers dealing with amputated limbs , however, are mak ing progress; seeing them learn to walk again is powerful. From that time , Steven Harper has been on a personal crusade , traveling to several Army and Marine Corps bases to establish the groundwork on wh ich to begin a racquetball rehabilitation program. Thus far the following bases have agreed to implement this program as part of their physical fitness regimen : Walter Reed in Wash ington , DC; Fort Bragg, NC; Fort Benning, GA ; Camp Lejeune , NC; and Fort Gordon , GA. One of MRF's Racquetball ambassadors is Michael A. Carrasquillo , SGT US Army (Ret)- Wounded Warrior. His MOS is 11B1P Airborne Infantry. His duty stations I tour of duties included Vicenza, Italy, Iraq and Afghanistan . While in Afghanistan , Michael was assigned to the 1st of the 508th Infantry Battalions, responsible for the Pactika province . Their primary mission was area denial through the Kungar mountain area of the Afghan border. After being very seriously

wounded in Afghanistan , he was returned to the United States to begin his rehabilitation at Walter Reed Hospital. Michael had played racquetball in the past. After two years of rehab and relative inactivity, and having gained over 45 pounds, he decided to find something that not only would give him great exercise but also something that he could do well. It had been tough to identify something that meshed with the type of 路 injuries he had sustained. Racquetball was easy enough for his body to do while hard enough to get great exercise out of it. He watched guys play, watched videos online, read some books, and most of his practice came from playing with his dad. This past August, the MRF showcased racquetball at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with some very special and talented Wounded Warriors. Michael, along with Amp Phommachanh (Chapter President of Fort Belvoir), Kevin Jones (an Active Duty Army Soldier currently serving in the DC area) and Steven Harper spent a day teaching 20 Wounded Warriors the fundamentals of racquetball. Some of these Warriors are dealing with unique and serious combat injuries but still find the courage and strength to keep getting back up. The theme at Walter Reed is, "although life is tough and has handed you sour lemons, you must choose to make lemonade." That's what the students who participated in this one-day demonstration concentrate on ... some of their injuries were loss of limbs, PTSD/depression, and one Warrior was quadriplegic (meaning he had lost both arms and legs) but he still played racquetball for the day- Real Courage! All in all, each Warrior appeared to have a great time, but it was us at MRF who were honored to be able to spend a day with those who sacrificed for our country. Special thanks to Ms. Tiffany Smith, Ms. Penny Miller, and Mr. Harvey Naranjo who allowed us the opportunity to spend a day with their Wounded Warriors.

A DAY WITH SOLDIERS AT FORT BENNING, GA Any day spent with Wounded Warriors is be a day that won't be soon forgotten. In October, the M RF hosted a one-day demonstration to the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) at Fort Benning, GA. With 110 soldiers participating at Wright Hall Fitness Center, the Battalion was broken up into three smaller groups for the demonstration. From there , the soldiers were introduced to fundamental racquetball drills. Under the instruction of Steven Harper, they used frisbees donated by Ektelon to develop a beginner's backhand. They also used special practice balls to understand how to hit a forehand . The soldiers also learned the concept of "footwork" and court position then were given the opportunity to play among themselves to experience racquetball participation. Thanks to Wi lliam Gil l and Pedro Maladero from E-Force and Jata Johnson and CDR (Ret) David Flynn who all helped the soldiers with stroke fundamentals. Also , a huge thank you goes to Ms. Cobb and SFC (US Army) Black of the WTB for coordinating these efforts. The MRF looks forward to working with the bases mentioned above and other bases in the near future . If you would like to be part of the MRF and become a volunteer on any of our upcoming programs, please contact us via our web-site : http://www. m i I itaryracquetball .com .

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acquetball has been heavily influenced by talented military players for many years . With over 300 fitness facilities worldwide, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen , Marines, and Coast Guard men and women have access to the greatest game on earth! With thousands of courts in the military infrastructure, battles on the challenge court continuously rage. Chances are that most tournament players have competed against one of our nat ion 's military members. Over the years, there are a few standouts from the military ranks that have risen to top national, and even professional, levels of play. Each fulfilled their obligations to defend our nation through countless deployments and rigorous work schedules. Desp ite formidable challenges, their exceptional skills and love for the game propelled them to incredible heights.

Dan Fowler served four years in the Army and is arguably the most accomplished military member to ever play the game. He competed on the I RT tour in the 1990's and rose to #6 in the world. His discipline , shot selection , and incredible court coverage made him one of the world 's greatest players and a threat to win any tournament. He remains active in the sport as a professional instructor and host to satellite pro stops and annual tournaments at his home club in Laurel, MD. He is married to Doreen Fowler, who is one of the world's top female players and is still competing on the women's professional tour.

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From our highest ranking on the tour, to our highest ranking title holder in the ~ military, Brigadier General Barbara "Barb" Faulkenberry is known as the most decorated female racquetball player in military history. She won the women 's division of the inter-service military tournament no less than twelve times and also made an impact outside DoD, earning a silver medal at the Pan American Games and placing third in the Women's Open at the USRA National Singles in 1981. General Faulkenberry is currently the Deputy Director for Operations and Logistics, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany. Her duties don't allow her as much court time as she once enjoyed , but she has never lost her love for the game and can still hand out a donut to the unwary.

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â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ Army Colonel (Ret) Frank Taddonio has been a huge influence on the sport. He has served as the president of USAR and a USAR board member and took on coaching responsibilities for the U.S. Junior Team . Colonel Taddonio also has a

strong game featuring a booming serve and a deadly overhead pinch that earned him the US Open title for the Men 's 60+ division in 2010. The hard hitting colonel also won 55+ and 60+ at the IRF World Seniors Racquetball Championships. He closed the 2010 season by receiving the Bud Muehleisen Male Age Athlete of the Year Award . Our next standout shows no signs of slowing down. During his 20 years of service in the Army, Jimmy Lowe drew a crowd whether he was playing a challenge match on base or winning a national title . He has amassed 16 national titles and frustrated thousands of players along the way with his truly unorthodox but extremely effective play. He is a brilliant strategist who keeps his .......,.:--_ _...., opponents off balance by constantly changing direction with three wall Z shots, awkward angles, and cutting off ce il ing balls. Jimmy always seems to be in the correct defensive position to retrieve or kill the ball with incredible consistency. He is now a civilian contractor for the Army living in Hawaii . A regular on the national scene and the CPRT, there are certainly more titles to come for this Army veteran . Our next veteran dispensed with the angles and dealt his opponents a "photon serve" at 160 miles per hour. If they could get past that, Rob DeJesus would go on the attack , flying around the court like a cat and delivering crushing kill shots and textbook splats with demoralizing consistency. He won three U.S. national titles between singles and doubles play. He also represented the Puerto Rican national team, twice earning bronze medals at the Pan Am games and the Tournament of the Americas. Rob served four years in the Air Force as a maintenance crew chief on the F-111, a fast-moving bomber, and the F-16 Falcon. His professionalism and love of flying served him well through Delta flight training, and he is now living his dream as a CRJ pilot for American Eagle. Another Air Force veteran, Tom Fuhrmann , has collected seven national age division titles by executing kill shots from anywhere on the court and demonstrating an "ESPN highlight reel" of retrieval ability that may have him airborne multiple times during any given rally. Like many champions, his court positioning and retrieval skills put extreme pressure on opponents to hit the perfect shot. Tom picked up the call sign "Legend Slayer" at the 2008 Team Qualifiers by taking out the legend himself, Ruben Gonzalez, in a grueling tie-breaker recognized as much for the sportsmanship by both players as the play. Tom served ten years as an air traffic control officer before joining Johnson & Johnson as a pharmaceutical sales representative. He still competes in regional, national and some professional events.

National Masters Racquetball Association Hall of Fame member Dick Kincade is a military veteran and a staple in the 75+ divisions and up. Kincade earned silver in the men's 80+ division and gold in the 80+ doubles division at the 2008 IRF Pan ;.....;__ ...._ . Am games. He also holds titles in the NMRA's 70+, 75+ and 80+ divisions. This stalwart has been a familiar fixture in the top national rankings for almost two decades.

John O'Donnell, Jr., a former Air Force pilot, served one tour of duty in Korea and two tours in Vietnam . He served 33 years, rising to the rank of colonel and flying for 24 of those years. John began playing racquetball during his second tour of duty in Vietnam when he was based in Thailand . Tournaments became his passion beginning in the late '80s and he has consistently won title after title ever si nee. For example, in 2005 , John placed first in Men's 75+ at National Singles, NMRA Championships, Midwest Senior Masters and the US Open. He was inducted into the ISRA Hall of Fame in 2006. At age 80, John continues to consistently medal at national events, most recently taking the gold medal at the 2010 US Open in Men's 75+ . Formerly the Director of Facilities at the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, John conducts numerous free clinics each year at the facility, runs leagues, and has recently been named Coach of the U of I Racquetball Team.

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Retired Air Force Major and World War II veteran Dr. Robert McAdam is a Purple Heart recipient and ex-POW. Always associated with fitness, he helped develop the fitness testing program at the Air Force Academy.

Dr. McAdam became a university professor in his second career. He was a dominating player in USAR as the reigning 80+ champion from 2001-2005 and the 85+ gold medalist in 2006-2007 , and he also holds multiple NMRA singles titles in the 80+ and 85+ divisions. Dr. McAdam was inducted into the NMRA Hall of Fame in 2005. Retired Army Colonel Ben Marshall is a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He has gained acclaim as a gold medalist at NMRA and National Singles events, and he was named the NMRA Sportsman of the Year in 2010 . At the age of 94, Colonel Marshall demonstrates that racquetball is truly a sport for all ages . He is setting the example of service, longevity, and sportsmanship for all players in this great sport.

Brigadier General Earl Acuff is racquetball's resident hero. He served in the defense of Alaska in 1942, living off the land and conducting reconnaissance missions instrumental in the defeat of the enemy in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands. Earl later served in the Korean and Vietnam wars , making him a rare owner of three combat infantry badges . He closed out his legendary career as the commandant of cadets at Virginia Tech from 1973-1980. The general continued his amazing drive for excellence on the racquetball courts. He earned his first big win in the Men's 60+ division in 1984 and went on to medal 34 times at major national and world senior events, including 20 gold medals. He simply dominated the 70-80+ age divisions, earning world titles and three world seniors crowns. In 1999, the general joined his wife Mary Low in the USRA Hall of Fame -the two are the only husband-and-wife pair to have shared this honor.

he military has a long history of racquetball competition, and this year was no exception. In what was a notably deep field of would-be champions, two stood out at the USAR National Singles Championships in the Military division . Captain Travis Passey collected his second all-military championship, holding off Colonel Troy VanBemmelen in the final in a well-fought tie breaker. Passey's court coverage and quick hands in the front court were the difference as he fended off VanBemmelen's booming drive serves and notoriously strategic play. Fierce competitors, both can draw from their professional careers for focus and success on the court. Captain Passey is a former F-15 Eagle driver and now an F-22 Raptor fighter pilot in Langley AFB Virginia, specializing in air-to-air combat. Preparation and intense training provide him the fundamentals required to get through the fight both on and off the court. As an F-22 pilot, his job, simply put, is air dominance! His Raptor represents the leading edge of air-to-air combat for the United States. They focus on shooting down enemy aircraft so the rest of our forces can accomplish their missions. His squadron flies and trains with several different aircraft within the Air Force, within other services, as well as with our international allies. The F-22 brings new and exclusive capabilities to the fight such as stealth, supercruise (sustained supersonic flight), increased maneuverability, and integrated avionics. With these tools, there is an increased ability to detect, shoot and kill enemy aircraft before being seen. Captain Passey began com-

VANBEMMELEN

PASSEY AND VAN

ELEN

EXCEL IN MILITARY CAREERS, RACQUETBALL --petitive racquetball at the intercollegiate level at Brigham Young University and continues to participate in state and regional events as his schedule allows. Colonel VanBemmelen "VB" is the senior ranking team member on the 2010 Air Force racquetball team. He is an experienced pilot flying T-38, B-52 and B-2 bombers. Colonel VanBemmelen had the rare opportunity to fly America's most recognized bomber, the B-52 (in service for over 40 years) and the B-2, the most advanced bombing platform in the world today. The B-2 is a $2.2 billion stealth bomber known as the "Spirit." The colonel earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for a 44-hour mission in his B-2 where he and his pilot delivered the first ordnance in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to his military career, VB competed on the pro tour during the '82-'83 season with the likes of Dave Peck, Mike Yellen and Marty Hogan. That experience became the baseline for a very long list of amateur achievements including his latest gold medal in the 45+ division at the International Racquetball Federation's 22nd World Senior Championship held in Albuquerque, NM in August. Both of these Airmen are exceptional athletes who show no sign of slowing down; in fact, both continue to improve their games. Like most racquetball players, it is a "game for life" to them, and they will continue to employ aspects of their unique military training to retain their competitive edge!

36 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

AMERICAN EUROPEAN

RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION

BY MIKE BOWERS

ilitary racquetball in Europe remains alive despite the challenges of overcoming a limited pool of military players caused by the drastic decreases in installations. At the forefront of promoting a once-thriving sport is the American European Racquetball Association . The organization was most active in the 1980s and resurrected itself in 2001. Now, the AERA has members-at-large at five major military installations, mostly in Germany, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom. Sponsored by Ektelon, the AERA is seeking ties with the European Racquetball Federation to provide players with additional playing and ranking opportunities. While the days are gone when AERA tournament parti cipants numbered in the hundreds, military players sti II have the chance to showcase their skills at more than a dozen military-sponsored tournaments and an equal number of European events hosted by the ERF. The highlight of the military calendar is the U.S. Forces Racquetball Championship now hosted at Ramstein AB, Germany. This year's event was October 9-10 with military players participating from Italy, England and host Germany. New AERA president James Johnson said the AERA came into existence to bridge the gap between American and European players . "Now we're focused on keeping racquetball alive in the sparse European military communities left, while encouraging participation and cooperation

with our host nation players ," he said . "Becoming a member of the Military Racquetball Federation was a big step in attaining credibility and recognition stateside ." Johnson said that the benefits of being a part of the MRF is not only for the military players but also for military family members, Department of Defense civilians and other American civilians stationed in Europe. Still, Johnson believes ties with host nation Germany and the ERF are vital to the AERA's future. "Being a part of the ERF will give us the chance to grow the sport even bigger," he said . " More people involved equals more interest. We want to attract the tennis and squash crowd. Europeans always think racquetball is squash . However, when they see the game played , their views change ." Attracting military players remains the main focus of the AERA . Johnson said that although the tournaments are smaller in scope and fewer in number, racquetball remains great exercise and a source of competition in places resembling a Eu ropean vacation . Tournaments are held in Paris , The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Ireland and Italy. Pro players such Alvaro Beltran, Ruben Gonzalez, Cliff Swain and Tom Travers have traveled to Europe to showcase their ski lls at European events . "The AERA will continue striving to keep the sport alive by fostering relationships in Europe and maintaining connectivity with our stateside counterparts ," vowed Johnson. Johnson can be contacted in Germany at +1-49-621730-2486.

FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

I 37

BY MIKE BOWERS

ports have long been regarded as one of the most powerful facilitators of dialogue, understanding and trust. The concept dates as far back as Ancient Greek civilization and the creation of the Olympic Games. Sports can be considered a starting point when getting two cultures together and can act as the common denominator among local, regional and international communities. Therefore, sports can be used to promote a network of sustainable cooperation, dialogue, understanding, ethics and trust. Racquetball continues to gain in popularity across the Republic of Korea . Koreans love the sport, as was demonstrated with the recent sponsoring of the 15th IRF World Racquetball Championships, August 14-21, 2010 . There were many great matches , and Team USA dominated . Even though August is a busy month for the U.S. Armed Forces in Korea, we had three active duty military personnel, one military retiree and one family member participate and medal in the Friendship Cup Division during the Worlds. During a break in their matches , Team USA had the experience of a I ifetime with a tour of the Joint Security Area and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) . We also continue to grow interest of racquetball on our military camps. Professional players Chris Crowther and Tim Doyle came to U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan for a well attended oneday clinic. We hope to have similar events in the future . So, where does racquetball fit in with sports diplomacy? There is a part of diplomacy called "grassroots diplomacy" which is when unofficial parties work with people from all walks of life and sectors of their society to find ways to promote peace and understanding. As part of grassroots diplomacy, the United States Forces in Korea have developed a Good Neighbor Program on the Korean peninsula. It has been key to maintaining a successful Republic of Korea- United States relationship that has lasted over 60 years. However, being a good neighbor is more than informational events , speaking engagements by United States military personnel , and tours of U.S. military installations. It is also sports racquetball diplomacy, as a part of the Good Neighbor program, that has occurred over the years "under the radar." Not much press has been given to our events, but it has continued. Racquetball events have directly improved our mutual understanding of one another's cultures, customs and lifestyles.

38 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

As U.S. racquetball players in the Republic of Korea, known as the "USA ROK'ers," we participate in racquetball events and tournaments at U.S. military installations and Korean athletic facilities across the Korean peninsula. The USA ROK'ers have been involved in the Korean national racquetball scene for a few years. and we've had some great experiences. We 've come to represent the American racquetball players in the Republic of Korea and serve as ambassadors of our country, our military and our great sport. We coordinate the annual Korea-US Forces Open Racquetball Tournaments at Camp Humphreys in Pyongtaek , Korea, which attract all the top players from the Republic of Korea and the U.S. military. Racquetball tournaments in Korea normally run over a two-day period. There are normally 100+ Korean players with USA ROK'ers participating . The formats vary from event to event but they are always fun and exciting . As with Korean culture, socializing is a big part of the event : food , drink, and more food accompany each event. We have established close relationships with many of the Korean players and the tournaments become a sort of reuni on. Even though military personnel schedules are con stantly changing, we continue to soli cit involvement from as many U.S . players to these events as possible. The Korean players want to test their skills against U.S. players and enjoy the "international" competition. Racquetball diplomacy is about changing attitudes and building relationships through common interests, helping to break down stereotypes and generalizations of the other side. Participants develop a deeper understanding of the other's customs, behavior and standards. Participants learn more about the others and often realize we aren 't that different. We share experiences and develop better understandings of the experiences, perspectives , and needs of the others that form the basis for trust and friendship . These grassroots diplomacy efforts should be supported by all levels of the U.S. Government as they spread the seed of goodwill at minimum cost for maximum benefit. Korea is not unique . Any sport can be used to connect with the local community. We are always looking for players. If you know a racquetball player coming to the Republic of Korea who may be interested in getting connected, have them contact us. They won't regret it. Play racquetball !

BY BECKY MELVIN

supportive environment where warriors can share their he Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) began when severstrengths and challenges with peers, Wounded Warrior Project al individuals took small, inspired actions to help othstaff, and Vet Center counselors . WWP believes that nature ers in need. While watching the evening news, a and recreation are powerful tools for healing the spirit and group of veterans and brothers were moved by the difficult mind. Soldier Ride is a WWP initiative that provides adaptive stories of the first wounded service members returning cycling opportunities for wounded warriors across the country. home from Afghanistan and Iraq. They realized that someGenerally two to four days long, rides are geared toward warthing needed to be done for these brave individuals riors of all abilities, with both adaptive and standard cycling beyond the brass bands and ticker tape parades. They equipment provided. In addition to the physical benefits, wanted to provide tangible support for the wounded to Soldier Ride raises public awareness of the issues warriors help them on the road to heal both physically and menface through public events held throughout the ride. tally. What they viewed as a small contribution comAdvocacy on behalf of our wounded warriors is providpared with what the warriors had sacrificed became ing injured service men and women a voice in local and WWP's founding program : WWP backpacks delivered national issue and ensures current legislative and govbedside to wounded warriors. These backpacks conernment policies reflect sensitivity to the unique tain essential care and comfort items including needs of wounded warriors. Earlier this year, the clothing, toiletries, calling cards and more, all Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services designed to make a warrior's hospital stay more Act went into law. For the first time in history, comfortable. The backpacks are provided to families of veterans severely wounded in wounded service members arriving at military WOUNDED WARRIOR Afghanistan and Iraq will receive compretrauma centers throughout the country. PROJECT ., hensive, coordinated support that will enable them Transitional Care Packs, a smaller version, were to provide these warriors with needed home care. Caregiver later developed to be sent directly to Afghanistan and Iraq Retreats are essential to the well-being of spouses, parents, to provide immediate comfort during a warrior's relocation and siblings, and these retreats ultimately benefit the warto a U.S. military trauma center. What started as a proriors who rely on their care. WWP's caregiver retreat series gram to provide comfort items has grown into a complete provides these unsung heroes with an opportunity to get rehabilitative effort to assist warriors as they recover and physical and mental rest and rejuvenation as well as contransition back to civilian life. nect with others facing the same challenges. TRACK is the Since its founding, WWP has sought to maintain profirst and only education center in the nation designed grams and services that are innovative and meet the develspecifically for wounded warriors. The program consists of oping needs of today's wounded warrior. As the conflicts in classroom-based learning with ancillary support services like Afghanistan and Iraq continue and the landscape of veterans of these wars evolve, so, too, do WWP's priorities and health and wellness training, personal finance workshops, and resume and interview preparation. An externship cominitiatives. Over 39,000 of our nation's armed forces have ponent with a local employer is also an integral part of the been physically wounded during the current conflicts. twelve-month program. Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recoverTRACK focuses on the "whole warrior" and provides a ing from invisible wounds of war, including post traumatic bridge from previous military and combat life to a new sucstress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic brain cessful civilian life. injury (TBI). The physical and mental stress warriors face Thousands of warriors and caregivers each year participate has long-lasting effects on their readjustment. Physical in any one or many of the various programs offered by WWP, recovery is not enough; these brave individuals need designed to nurture the mind and body and encourage ecoempowerment to succeed and thrive in life after injury. nomic empowerment. Wounded Warrior Project is continually Project Odyssey brings veterans with PTSD and readjustworking towards honoring and empowering American heroes ment challenges together for outdoor activities that supand making this generation of warriors the most successful port the healing process. Through outdoor recreation activand well-adjusted in our nation's history. To learn more and ities, warriors discover their inner strength and find the get involved, please visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org. courage to continue their journey. Project Odyssey is a

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SPECIAL NOTE -USA RACQUETBALL WILL TEAM WITH THE WOUNDER WARRIOR PROJECT AS THE OFFCIAL CHARITY OF THIS YEARS "FINALS" IN FULLTERTON CALIFORNIA"

CARRABBA'S CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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EVENT TITLE

EVENT START

FACILITY NAME

2010 ROSE CITY PROAM 2010 NMRA DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP 2010 MO HIGH SCHOOL RACQUETBALL LEAGE WINTER ROLLOUT 2010 VA MISTLETOE HOPE TOUR RAM STATE DOUBLES 2010 MARTY HOGAN SUPER SERIES EVENT 2010 ND HAPPY JOE'S OPEN 2010 LA TURKEY SHOOT 2010 SAN ANTONIO RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS TRI-STATE OPEN 2010 MD ST. NICK SPLAT 2010 HOLIDAY MAGIC TOURNEY 2010 IN STATE DOUBLES 2010 GA STATE DOUBLES 2010 18TH ANNL CHRISTMAS CLASSIC WPRO PRO-AM TOURNAMENT 2010 MASSACHUSETIS STATE DOUBLES NAUTILUS CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT 2010 NO MINOT OPEN IRT TIER 4 SATELLITE EVENT 2010 TX MAVERICK HOLIDAY RACQUETBALL SHOOTOUT TOYS FOR TOTS FUND RAISER 2010 JRMC'S2ND ANNL ONE DAY SHOOTOUT 2010 6TH ANNL KRA WINTER SHOOTOUT TURNING STONE SPORTSPLEX RACQUETBALL CAMP 2010 FLORIDA SENIOR GAMES 2010 USAR-IP CERT CLINIC CINCINNATI 2010 CO JUNIOR BENEFIT 2010 MO VETIA SPORTS HOLIDAY CHARITY CLASSIC 2011 FL HARBOUR ISLAND OPEN 2011 OH WINTER FREEZE BAC DOUBLES 2011 MO RACQUETBALL BLIZZARD 2011 CO WSMRA CHAMPIONSHIPS LONGHORN OPEN lOTH ANNL YMCA SPIRIT TOURNEY 2011 ORANGE &BLUE SHOOTOU SALINA YMCA MID-AMERICAN CLASSIC 8TH ANNL CARDILE BROS. STATE DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP 2011 USAR-IP CERT CLINIC VIRGINIA 2011 LAWLER SPORTS IRT PROAM 2011 USAR-IP CERT CLINIC OHIO- TOM TRAVERS MAC OPEN 2010-2011 MERC TOURNAMENT #2 2011 WILSON TOUR FOR HOPE- CINCINNATI 2010-2011 EASTERN COLLEGIATE RACQUETBALL CONFERENCE- MEET #4

1211110-12/5110 12/2/10-12/4/10 12/3110-12/4110 12/3110-12/5110 12/3110-12/5110 12/3110-12/5110 12/3110-12/5110 12/3/10-12/5110 12/3110-12/5110 12/3/10-12/5/10 12/3110-12/5110 12/3110-12/5110 12/4110-12/5110 12/10/10-12/12/10 12/10/10-12/12/10 12/10110-12/12110 12/10/10-12/12/10 12/10/10-12/12/10 12/11/10-12/11/10 12/11/10-12/11/10 12/11/10-12/11/10 12/11/10-12/11/10 12/11/10-12/12/10 12/11/10-12/12/10 12/17/10-12/19/10 12/18/10-12/18/10 12/18/10-12/18/10 117/11-119/11 1/7111-1/9111 1/8111-1/8111 1114111-1115111 1114/11-1/16/11 1114111-1116111 1114/11-1/16/11 1114111-1116111 1/14/11-1/16/11 1/15111-1116111 1115/11-1/16/11 1/20111-1/23111 1/21111-1/22/11 1/21111-1/23111 1121111-1123/11 1128111-1130111 1/28/11-1/30/11 1/28111-1/30111 1/28111-1/30/11

SUNSET ATHLETIC CLUB MERIDIAN SPORTS CLUB - FULLERTON VETIA SPORTS- CONCORD GREENBRIAR NORTH YMCA TOTAL SPORTS RICHEY RACQUET CENTER COURT FITNESS CLUB ELMWOOD FITNESS CENTER HARAHAN TRITON SPORTS CENTER i PHILADELPHIA SPORTS CLUB AT HIGHPOINT SEVERNA PARK RACQUETBALL AND FITNESS CLUB PREMIER AT SAWMILL ATHLETIC CLUB OMNI41 RECREATION ATL CRYSTAL GATEWAY SPORT &HEALTH CLUB METRO SOUTH ATHLETIC CLUB NAUTILUS FITNESS CLUB MINOT YMCA MAVERICK ATHLETIC CLUB CLUB SPORT SAN RAMON JRMC WELLNESS CENTER THE ATHLETIC CLUB TURNING STONE SPORTSPLEX NAPLES FITNESS CENTER HYDE PARK CLUB YMCA - LITILETON FAMILY VETIA SPORTS - CONCORD TBD TBD BRONSON ATHLETIC CLUB VETIA SPORTS - CONCORD HIGHLANDS RANCH REC CENTER GREGORY GYM YMCA UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, SOUTHWEST REG CENTER SALINA FAMILY YMCA KIRKWOOD FITNESS &RACQUETBALL CLUB GREENBRIAR NORTH YMCA INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY BALDWIN WALLACE COLLEGE MICHIGAN ATHLETIC CLUB BALDWIN WALLACE COLLEGE COURTHOUSE FITNESS CENTER PENN STATE UNIVERSITY SARASOTA BATH AND RACQUET SIOUX FALLS FAMILY YMCA

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EVENT PHONE

CITY

STATE CONTACT NAME

503-245-7588 714-767-4622

PORTLAND FULLERTON

757-366-9622

CHESAPEAKE MT. CLEMENS NEW PORT RICHEY GRAND FORKS HARAHAN SAN ANTONIO CHALFONT SEVERNA PARK COLUMBUS

OR CA MO VA Ml FL ND LA

701-746-2790 210-573-2324 610-716-0643 614-365-0959 404-317-7992

LILBURN ARLINGTON

814-881-5320 701-837-0961 817-275-3348 650-867-2174

ERIE MINOT ARLINGTON SAN RAMON

913-383-9060 315-361-8074

603-491-1494 937-284-2753

303-738-9797 512-351-4342

OVERLAND PARK VERONA NAPLES CINCINNATI LITTLETON ST. LOUIS TAMPA DAYTON KALAMAZOO ST. LOUIS HIGHLANDS RANCH AUSTIN

904-534-5165

GAINESVILLE SALINA

4406697723 812-264-2053 440-669-7723 616-540-7925

CHESAPEAKE TERRE HAUTE BEREA GRAND RAPIDS

513-383-4882 978-273-3110 605-868-2813

CINCINNATI STATE COLLEGE SARASOTA SIOUX FALLS

MD OH IN GA VA MA PA ND TX . CA AR KS NY

FL OH

co MO FL OH Ml MO

co TX KY FL KS DE VA IN OH Ml OH OH PA FL SD

PAUL MADUELL STEVE COHEN DAN WHITLEY MALIA BAILEY WELDON BLAKESLEE KIM ROY MICHAEL ORR ANTHONY ZERINGUE LANCE GILLIAM TOM GAFFNEY REBECCA WILMOTH JERRY MURTLAND WILL COSTANZA BILL MILBACH ROB VANSCHALKWYK KEITH ELLER STEVE KNOWLES LEO VASQUEZ JACK HUGHES JOE CLARK MIKE WEDEL JIM WINTERTON JARED FLEET JIM WINTERTON MARCIA RICHARDS DAN WHITLEY KIM ROY MARTIN VANDEWEERD DAN WHITLEY MARCIA RICHARDS SOLY KOR BARRY STEWART MICHAEL KNUDSEN MICHAEL OHR TOM TRAVERS MANNY RODRIGUEZ TOM TRAVERS TWAYNE HOWARD

CONTACT EMAIL PAUL@MADUELLASSOCIATES.COM SCOHEN@NMRA.INFO MBAILEY@YMCASHR.ORG RACKETBOATl @AOL.COM MORR@CENTERCOURTFITNESSCLUB.COM LANCE@GILLIAMCPAPC.COM TOM@ARCHWAYPRESS.NET JMURTLAND@GMAIL.COM GRPATOURNAMENTS@EARTHLINK.NET BILLRACQUETBALL@GMAIL.COM KEITHELLER2@GMAIL.COM KNOWLES007@YAHOO.COM LEO@THEMAV.COM RACQUETBALLPLUS@COMCAST.NET MWEDEL@ATHLETICCLUBOP.COM COACHRBALL@GMAIL.COM GEOFF@NAPLESFITNESSCENTER.COM COACHRBALL@GMAIL.COM

KIMBERLY_ROY@HOTMAIL.COM YKSFODLIW@YAHOO.COM JVANDEWEERD@AOL.COM

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IAMACOACH@MSN.COM SKOR@COXANDKOR.COM GATORSRBALL@GMAIL.COM

COACHTRAVS@AOL.COM MANNY@LAWLERSPORTS.COM COACHTRAVS@AOL.COM PRESIDENT@MICHIGANRACQUETBALL.NET

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ANDREW KULBACK ROB VANSCHALKWYK JEAN TRIMBLE DAN STEE

AMKULBACK@YAHOO.COM VANSCHALKWYKR@HOTMAIL.COM

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DAN.STEE@USIOUXFALLS.EDU

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41tlH NATIONAL DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS February 9-13, 2011 Arizona State University Student Recreation Center

400 East Apache Blvd. Tempe, AZ 85287 480-965-8918 HOST HOTEL: Twin Palms Hotel

225 East Apache Blvd.

TEMPE,AZ

Tempe, AZ 85287

800-367-0835 $109.00 per night- Mention USA Racquetball All entries must be completed online or over the phone (no mail/faxed in entries will be accepted) Register onl ine at WWW.USARACQUETBALLCOM Click on link for Nat ional Doubles

TH NATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS

TH NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 2-6, 2011

Apri l 5-9, 2011

Vetta Sports Concord

Arizona State University

12320 Old Tesson Rd.

Student Recreation Center

St. Lou is, MO 63128

400 East Apache Blvd. Tempe, AZ 8'5287 480-965-8918

314-842 ~ 3111

HOST HOTEL: South County Center Hol iday Inn

HOST HOTEL:

6921 South Lindbergh Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63125 314-892-3600 $86.00 per night- Mention USA Racquetball

Twin Palms Hotel

225 East Apache Blvd . Tempe, AZ 85287

800-367-0835 $109.00 per night- Mention USA Racquetball

ENTER ONLINE OR DOWNLOAD COMPLETE ENTRY FORMS FOR MORE INFORMATION AT WWW.USARACQUETBALL.COM

42 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

Powered br

-Pro.penn.

APRIL 15-17, 2011 Sportset- Syosset Club

Long Island, NY

Tom Keogh

516-305-5670

The Athletic Club of Overland Park

Overland Park, KS

Mike Wedel

913-383-9060

Cascade Athletic Club

Gresham, OR

Brian Ancheta

503-665-4142

Richey Racquet Club

Port Richey, FL

Kim Roy

603-491-1494

Vetta Sports Concord

StLouis, MO

Dan Whitley

314-842-3111

Recreation ATL

Lilburn, GA

Will Costanza

404-317-7992

Severna Park Racquet and Fitness

Millersville, MD

Susan Flaesch

410-365-6144

Boston Athletic Club

Boston, MA

Rob Van Schalkwyk

978-273-3110

Bally's Beachwood

Cleveland, OH

Doug Ganim

614-890-6073

Greenbrier North YMCA

Chesapeake, VA

Malia Bailey

757-366-9622

Triton Sports Center

San Antonio

Lance Gilliam

210-979-7055

The Glass Court Swim & Fitness

Lombard, IL

Geoff Peters

773-251-4413

APRIL 29-MAY t, 2011

ETBALL

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'RACQUETBAL _,,_ Mouse Pad - $11 .95 Window Cling - $2.98 Racquetball Sculpture - $100 License plate- 14.95

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HEAD.

HEAD Blackjack Stack the Deck in your favor with HEAD's new YOUTEK Blackjack racquetball racquet. This 160g lightweight frame offers exploding power and features revolutionary technology d3o which allows the racquet to adapt to every shot you hit so you can overpower every opponent! More info at head.com. H EAD Rap tor Eyewear Official Eyewear Choice of HEAD Pros. The Raptor features a new modern and lightweight impact resistant frame that includes interchangeable anti-scratch, anti jog treated lenses for any court condition (clear-for all court conditions, amber-idea/ for glass courts and darker play ing conditions, and smoke-ideal for outdoor or extremely bright conditions). The Rap tor offers fitted temples for a comfortable fit and an adjustable elastic strap to hold your eyewear in place during play. More info at head.com Pro Penn Racquetballs The Official Ball of USA Racquetball makes the Pro Penn the most widely used ball in tournament play. The bright green color has great on-court visibility and the consistent speed, playability and durability make Pro Penn the choice of players who know The Ball Matters. More info at pennracquet.com

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Check out Gearbox Racquetball's Holiday Promos available at participating dealers and www.gearboxrb.com.

Gearbox Racquetball's New Movement glove has a Hot New Look and features such as an Improved Neopreneâ&#x20AC;˘ backing to retain a Snug Fit. A great stocking stuffer! .

This holiday don 't forget to ask Santa for the Ultimate Racquetball Racquet. The Teardrop 165g is Gearbox Racquetball's first light teardrop and is sure to put a smile on even the Grinch 's face this holiday season.

Available now at Gearbox Deniers across the nation. For more info check out www.gearboxrb.com.

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Hope Ball The perfect economical gift for both men and women. The fluorescent pink color was tested as the best color for your eyes to see for both the younger and older players. Perfect color - perfect speed perfect ball. And a portion of all sales goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. WarlockBLX One of the most popular selling racquets this fall, the Warlock BLX is not only cool looking but perfect for the player that wants power and control with a little extra feel on your shots. The Warlock features Basalt volcanic fibers along with 5 frame technologies to give your game everything you need to take out your next opponent. You may find the Warlock BLX at one of the authorized Wilson Internet Dealers or at your local pro shop. nVue For the players that say eyeguards are not comfortable we say you haven't tried the n Vue yet. Adjustable nose bridge and side arms customizes this piece to fit everyone's face. And it comes with three lenses (clear, smoke and amber) so you may wear them for other activities as well.

~EKTEIDH Carry it all in Style! The mtimate all-in-one bag loaded with 12 compartments including: 2 separate racquet compartments (easily holds 3 frames each), vented shoe compartment and cell phone pocket. Special removeable mesh laundry bag included. Designed to carry as a backpack, over the shoulder or with reinforced handle. Size: 27.5" x 16" x 12" Retail Price: $60.00

by Steve Crandall Vice President, Sales & Marketing Ashaway Racket Strings

is Zyex, Anyway?

ne of my pet peeves are those TV ads that tell you a product is wonderful because it "contains Hydromethoxoflam," or some such miracle ingredient, but then never tell you what "Hydromethoxoflam" is or why it makes the product so good. Well , it should be no secret by now-at least, I certainly hope it's not a secret-that Ashaway is introducing a new line of Zyex® strings. And we're making claims about how wonderful they are (which in our case are all true, of course). So , I think it's a reasonable question to ask, just what is Zyex, and why does it make such wonderful string? Actually, Zyex is rather neat stuff, and I'll try to describe it with as little technical jargon as possible . Zyex is the trade name for a high temperature , engineering grade polymer known as polyetheretherketone , or PEEK. According to the online encycloped ia, Wikipedia , "Polyketones are a family of high-performance thermoplastic polymers . The highly polar ketone groups in the polymer backbone of these materials give rise to a strong attraction between polymer chains, which increases the material's melting point. Such materials also tend to resist solvents and have good mechanical properties ." In layman 's terms, this means that PEEK materials like Zyex have several physical properties of interest to manufacturers. Specifically, PEEK monofilaments and fibers are very tough and durable, and have excellent abrasion resistance, particularly at higher temperatures. The material's melting point is 633°F (334°C)-which is very high for plasticand it has a maximum continuous service temperature of 500°F (2 60°C). Short-term service can be up to 570°F (300°C) . This means that when exposed to hot air, PEEK retains approximately 90% of its strength up to 570°F. By contrast, the material typically used for soda bottles, PET, loses strength rapidly as temperatures reach 200°F. And even vaunted aramid fibers begin to lose it around 450°F. So PEEK is hot stuff! In terms of abrasion resistance, PEEK also offers good performance. In tests measuring "thread on thread" abrasion conducted at room temperature, PEEK multifilaments outlasted aramid fibers by a factor of approximately 5.5 . PEEK also has very low moisture uptake at 0 .1% , which means you don 't need to worry about carrying your racquets around in thunderstorms. And if perchance you want to play outside in thunder and lightning, PEEK is also a very good insulator. In fact, one of the original applications for PEEK was for aerospace insulation designed to protect electrical wiring from abrasive damage, especially at extremes of

46 I FALL 2010 I USA RACQUETBALL

temperature . PEEK monofil braids have also been successfully used in automotive and nuclear installation wiring. According to the Zyex website, the material can be ideal in "any enclosed situation when toxic fumes from burning wiring could pose a threat to life." I don't know if this will help with those old socks in the bottom of your gym bag, but you can't be too careful. Other interesting applications include very fine filaments tightly woven into precision filters for fuel or clean air systems . Tougher versions of PEEK yarns are woven in multi-layers to withstand the pressure dewatering of chemi cal slurries or the heat compaction of fibrous board . In composite structures, PEEK fibers are mixed with carbon fibers at between 40% and 60% by weight. The PEEK fibers melt and coat the carbon fibers, encasing and protecting them. These are used to make advanced aerospace components, lightweight surgical tools and other medical devi ces, taking advantage of PEEK 's inherent cleanl iness and biocompatability. But perhaps the most interesting application for Zyex-other than racquet strings, of course-is in musical instrument strings . A number ~.., of manufacturers now offer Zyex violin , gu itar and other musical strings. Zyex provides a subtle but appreciably fuller tone than other synthetic string materials such as nylon . It also stays in tune much longer on a guitar or violin than is possible with other conventional music strings . So when users of Ashaway's UltraKill® say they love the sound their Zyex strings make, they have good reason . In racquet strings, Zyex offers low dynamic stiffness which allows it to deform and recover more completely than other synthetic materials. It can also be made to have exceptionally low creep under continuous tension , allowing racquet strings to maintain tension and playability longer. And as noted previously, the manufacturer of Zyex continues to improve and "tweak' the material, making it even better for string applications. Recent advances have produced Zyex filaments that are even finer and stronger than before . However, it takes more than Zyex to make a string. We've been working with these new filaments in our R&D lab to develop even thinner multifilament core packages with increased linear density and more cross-sectional strength . The result, we feel, is a significant advance in string technology: thinner, softer, lighter-weight strings that provide superior feel, more power, and improved ball control, while still offering the well-known Zyex playing characteristics and tension holding properties. Any questions?

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NEWS & NOTES

201.1.

European

Championships Venue Set he European Racquetball Federation (ERF) has granted the 2011 European Championsh ips to Bad Tolz , Germany. It will be the third time after 1990 and 1999 that Bad Tolz will host an ERF event. The date for the EURO 2011 has been provision ally set for th e first week of August. Bad Tolz is a town in Bavaria , Germany. The city sits on the lsar River, 670 meters above sea level. This historic medieval town is known for its spas and spectacular views of the Alps. It is about 50 km south of Munich. ERF President Erik Meyer (Belgium) thanked the German Racquetball Federation and th e local officials in Bad Tolz for their willingness to host the EURO 2011. "Bad Tolz is a wonderful venue for ou r major event. We have had great events in the past and in 2011 we expect nothing different," Meyer sa id. Players from ten nations are expected to compete in Bad Tolz next year. The EURO 2011 consists of three major competitions. With the Open Individual and National Team Competition for Men and Women and the Senior Competitions in various divisions (30-85 years) as well as the Junior Championships (12-18 years), the three courts in Bad Tolz will be filled with many matches in just one week. A free day right in the middle of the action will ensure that all players and delegates will have the time to enjoy the famous Bavarian hospitality and side trips to Munich or Salzburg (Austria) .

Ektelon Expands Its Popular T-22 Footwear Line

Racquetball Canada Chooses Ektelon as Official Ball

he wildly popular Ektelon T-22 Low introduced last season is the genesis for a line of new styles in 2010, and players are psyched. Beginning this fall, the company will introduce two new Mid styles in two color-ways to complement the T-22 Low, allowing even more players the opportunity to take advantage of the high performance features of this model. The new T-22 series is currently available at retail outlets nationwide with a Suggested Retail Price of $89.99 (Mid) and $79.99 (Low). The entire line of Ektelon footwear, as well as all other Ektelon products, can be found by logging onto www.ektelon.com.

ktelon is proud to announce that Racquetball Canada (RC) has chosen Ektelon Racquetballs to be the "Official Ball of Racquetball Canada" effective immediately and continuing through August 2013. Racquetball Canada will use both the Ektelon Classic (black) and Premium Select (blue) as its balls for tournament play throughout the term of this agreement. "Racquetball Canada looks forward to our new partnership with Ektelon," added Racquetball Canada President Ron Brown. "This will be a real team effort as we promote and grow the great sport of racquetball across Canada. â&#x20AC;˘

Weekend Racquetball Fantasy Camps 2010 Atlanta, GA Chicago, ll 2011

• 20+ Year Camp Experience • 2004 Racquelball Hall of Fame • US Nalional Team Coach 1990-96, 2002, 2003 • United States Olympic Committee National Coach of the Year 1997 • Coaches Jason Mannino and Sudsy Monchik • Coached Jrs. to over 20 National and World Titles

January 21-23 los Angeles, CA January 29-31 las Vegas, NV February 4-6 Seattle, WA March 4-6 Ohio Apri11 -3 Mobile, Al June 10-12 San Diego, CA July 29-31 Woodbridge, NJ August 5-7 San Francisco, CA August 26-28 Sarasota, Fl Spring/Summer MD/VA Spring/Summer New England

Week long Racquetball Fantasy Camps December 2-9, 2010 Aruba (Caribbean lsland ... Advanced Camp) December 1-8, 2011 Aruba

Possible Future Cities...AZ, NM, MD/VA, NewEnglond + more The above dotes ore subject to the IRT S<hedule

UltraKill® 18 • UltraKil j® 17 • PowerKilj® 17 • Kill Fire® Pro • Kill Fire® XL • SuperKill®XL • SuperKill® II • SuperKill® 17 ® Zyex is a registered trademark of Zyex Ltd.