47 racquetball terms defined, including the tiebreaker, kill shot, splat, Z-ball and hinder, each explained in a single line.
Almost all racquetball terminology describes one of two things: where the ball hits the walls, and who is allowed to stand where while it does. The words related to racquetball below cover the serve, the rally and the calls, and the racquetball glossary underneath collects the words associated with racquetball that a first lesson skips, from splat and pinch to the short line and the receiving line.
Must-Know Racquetball Terms, Phrases and Slang:
- Ace
- Back wall
- Boast
- Ceiling shot
- Drive serve
- Fault
- Forehand
- Game point
- Hinder
- Kill shot
- Lob serve
- Match point
- Nick
- Pass shot
- Rally
- Serve
- Side out
- Splat
- Stroke
- Pinch shot
- Wallpaper serve
- Z-ball
- Angle shot
- Cross-court
- Doubles
- Front wall
- Handout
- Penalty hinder
- Rollout
- Service box
Racquetball Glossary: Every Term A to Z
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Ace | A serve the receiver cannot touch, worth an immediate point. |
| Angle Shot | A shot played into the front wall at an angle so it rebounds away from where the opponent is standing. |
| Avoidable hinder | Interference the referee judges the player could have prevented. Unlike an ordinary hinder it is not replayed: the rally is awarded against the offender. |
| Back Wall | The rear wall of the court. Balls coming off it give the deepest, easiest setups in the game, which is why players try not to leave them. |
| Backhand | The stroke played across the body on the non-dominant side. Most rallies are aimed at finding it. |
| Boast | A shot hit into a side wall first so that it carries on into the front wall, used to change the angle. |
| Ceiling Shot | A defensive ball played up into the ceiling so it drops deep in the back court and drives the opponent off the front. |
| Center court | The area just behind the short line in the middle of the floor. Whoever holds it reaches everything first. |
| Cross-court | A shot sent diagonally from one side of the court to the other. |
| Crotch ball | A ball that strikes the seam where two surfaces meet, such as the front wall and the floor. It dies or kicks unpredictably, and a crotch serve is a fault. |
| Dig | Retrieving a ball that looked like a winner, usually low and stretched out. |
| Doubles | Four players, two per side, sharing the same court. Positioning and calling become as important as the strokes. |
| Down-the-line | A shot driven straight along one side wall from the same side of the court. |
| Drive Serve | A hard, low serve driven at the back court to leave the receiver no time. |
| Eyeguards | Protective lenses. The ball travels fast enough in a closed court that most sanctioned play requires them. |
| Fault | An illegal serve, such as one that does not carry past the short line or lands out of the service zone. Two faults in a row lose the serve. |
| Forehand | The stroke played on the dominant hand side, the most powerful one for most players. |
| Front wall | The wall every shot must reach. A ball that fails to carry to it loses the rally. |
| Game Point | The point that would win the current game for the player who is serving or receiving it. |
| Handout | In doubles, the loss of serve by one partner. The side keeps serving until both partners have handed out. |
| Hinder | Accidental interference that stops an opponent playing the ball. The rally is replayed with no penalty. |
| Jam serve | A serve angled off the side wall so it comes back into the receiver's body and cramps the swing. |
| Kill shot | A ball hit so low into the front wall that it bounces twice before the opponent can reach it. |
| Lob serve | A soft, high serve that drops deep into a back corner, used to slow the rally and take away the attack. |
| Match point | The point that would decide the whole match rather than just the current game. |
| Nick | The join where two surfaces meet, wall to floor or wall to wall. A ball landing in it rebounds at an angle nobody can plan for. |
| Out serve | A serve that loses the rally outright rather than giving a second attempt, such as one that never reaches the front wall. |
| Pass shot | A ball driven past the opponent, usually tight to a side wall, so they cannot cut it off. |
| Penalty hinder | Interference serious enough that the rally is awarded to the player who was blocked. |
| Pinch shot | A ball hit low into a side wall close to the front corner so it comes off the front wall and dies quickly. |
| Rally | The exchange from the serve until one player fails to return the ball legally. |
| Rally scoring | Scoring in which any rally can win a point, whoever served it. Traditional racquetball scores only on serve. |
| Receiving line | The broken line five feet behind the short line. The receiver may not break it until the serve has passed the short line or bounced. |
| Rollout | A kill shot so low that the ball rolls out along the floor with no bounce at all. As close to unreturnable as the sport gets. |
| Screen | A ball passing so close to a player that the opponent cannot see it leave the racquet. It is called as a hinder and replayed. |
| Second serve | The second attempt allowed after one fault. A second fault loses the serve. |
| Serve | The stroke that starts each rally, struck from the service zone to the front wall and back past the short line. |
| Service box | The marked area the server must stand in to deliver, and stay inside until the ball has been struck. |
| Short line | The line across the middle of the floor. A serve must carry beyond it to be good. |
| Side Out | The loss of serve. The other player or side takes it over. |
| Skip ball | A shot hit so low it strikes the floor before the front wall. The rally is lost, and it is the usual cost of chasing kill shots. |
| Splat | A ball struck hard into the side wall very close to it, so it squirts out low and wide along the front wall. |
| Stroke | The swing itself, forehand or backhand, and the technique behind it. |
| Tiebreaker | The deciding third game when each player has won one. It is played to 11 rather than 15. |
| Tin | A squash term rather than a racquetball one. In squash the tin is the out of bounds strip at the base of the front wall. A racquetball front wall is playable all the way down to the floor. |
| Wallpaper Serve | A serve that hugs the side wall so tightly the receiver cannot get a racquet head behind it. |
| Z-ball | A shot that goes front wall, side wall, then the far side wall, tracing a Z and spinning off at an angle that is hard to read. |
#1 Ace
In racquetball, an ace is a serve that the opponent is unable to return, resulting in a point for the server. It is a powerful weapon that can give players a significant advantage.
#2 Back Wall
The back wall is the rear boundary of the racquetball court beyond which the ball cannot go if hit directly without touching the front wall first. It often comes into play for defensive shots and rebounds.
#3 Boast
A boast is a shot in racquetball where the ball is hit against a side wall at an angle so that it then strikes the front wall. It’s typically used to catch an opponent off guard and create difficult angles.
#4 Ceiling Shot
A ceiling shot in racquetball is a defensive move where the ball is hit upward towards the ceiling, causing it to drop in the back court. It’s used to push opponents away from the front wall.
#5 Drive Serve
The drive serve in racquetball is a hard, low serve shot directly towards the back wall, attempting to limit the opponent’s return options. It’s intended to be offensive, putting pressure on the opponent.
#6 Fault
A fault is a serve that does not meet the legal requirements of play in racquetball, such as not crossing the short line or hitting the ball out of bounds, resulting in a second serve or side out.
#7 Forehand
In racquetball, the forehand stroke is used to hit the ball with the racquet held on the same side of the body as the dominant hand. This is the most natural and powerful stroke for most players, used for both offensive and defensive shots.
#8 Game Point
Game point refers to the situation where a player or team is one point away from winning a specific game within the match. Holding game point means that scoring the next point will secure the game for the player or team.
#9 Hinder
An unintentional interference by the opponent that negatively impacts a player’s ability to play the ball. When a hinder occurs, it typically results in the rally being replayed to ensure fairness in the competition.
#10 Kill shot
A powerfully hit shot that bounces twice on the floor before the opponent has any chance to reach it, usually aimed low on the front wall. This type of shot is often used to end a rally with authority.
#11 Lob serve
A strategic serve where the ball is hit in a high arc, intended to land deep in the court, giving the server time to position themselves while challenging the receiver’s backcourt skills. It is used to create a defensive setup.
#12 Match point
A situation in which the serving player or team can win the entire match by winning the current rally. This high-pressure point can conclude a competitive engagement with victory for the server upon successful execution.
#13 Nick
Refers to the corner where the wall meets the floor or two walls meet. A ball that hits a “nick” will often rebound at an irregular angle, making it difficult for the opponent to return and can end a rally.
#14 Pass shot
A shot that travels past the opponent, typically close to the side walls, designed to prevent the opponent from making a valid return. It’s an essential shot for maintaining offensive pressure during a rally.
#15 Rally
A rally in racquetball is a sequence of play where the ball is in motion between players, starting with the serve and continuing as players alternately hit the ball against the front wall until one player fails to make a legal return.
#16 Serve
The serve in racquetball initiates play and involves one player hitting the ball so that it first strikes the front wall and returns past a designated line on the floor, ideally in such a manner that it challenges the opponent to make a good return.
#17 Side Out
A situation in racquetball where the serving player loses the point and the service possession, handing over the serve to the opponent. This pivotal moment can shift the momentum of the game.
#18 Splat
A splat is a ball driven hard and low into the side wall very close to it, so the ball squirts out along the front wall and stays low. It is one of the hardest shots to return because it crosses the court sideways instead of coming back at the returner.
#19 Stroke
A fundamental term for the motion used to hit the ball with the racquet in racquetball, strokes can be forehand or backhand, and correct technique is crucial for effective play. Mastering various strokes is essential for strategic shot-making.
#20 Pinch shot
A pinch shot is hit low into a side wall close to the front corner, so it rebounds off the front wall and dies within a step or two of the floor. Players use it to end a rally when the opponent is caught deep in the court.
#21 Wallpaper Serve
A serve in racquetball where the ball is hit so closely to the side wall that it ‘sticks’ like wallpaper, making it extremely difficult for the opponent to return. This advanced serve requires precision and control.
#22 Z-ball
A shot in racquetball in which the ball is hit in such a way that it ricochets off the front wall to a side wall, then the other side wall, creating a ‘Z’ pattern. It is used to confuse the opponent and is difficult to anticipate.
#23 Angle Shot
A tactical shot in racquetball where the player hits the ball towards the front wall at an angle, causing it to rebound away from the opponent. This creates a challenging shot for the opponent to return and can open up the court.
#24 Cross-court
A shot or pass that travels from one side of the court to the other, diagonally crossing the playing area. Cross-court shots are often used to outmaneuver opponents by making the ball travel the greatest distance.
#25 Doubles
Racquetball played with four players, forming two teams of two. Communication and coordination between partners are crucial in doubles, as players have to share the court and alternate shots.
#26 Front wall
The primary playing surface in racquetball where most shots are directed and from which the ball must bounce back into play. A good strategy often involves hitting the ball at specific points on the front wall to control the rally.
#27 Handout
In doubles racquetball, when the serving team loses a point, control transfers to one of the players on the serving team. A handout does not result in the opposing team gaining service, simply the other partner on the serving team.
#28 Penalty hinder
A rules violation where a player’s actions prevent their opponent from having a fair chance to hit the ball. The result of a penalty hinder is a loss of rally or point for the player committing the hinder.
#29 Rollout
A shot that hits the front wall low and rolls out directly without bouncing, making it nearly impossible for the opponent to return. Rollouts are often the result of perfect kill shots and are highly celebrated.
#30 Service box
The service box in racquetball is the area within which the server must stand to deliver the serve. The server must not step on or over the lines of the service box until after striking the ball. The service box is a key area in dictating the initial dynamics of each rally.
FAQ
What do you call a tie in racquetball?
Racquetball has no ties. Games are played to 15 points and must be won outright, and if each player wins one game, the match is settled by a tiebreaker played to 11.
Do people call racquetball R-ball?
Yes. R-ball is common shorthand among regular players and in club listings. It means the same sport, with no difference in rules or format implied.
What is it called when a shot rolls out along the floor?
A rollout. It is a kill shot hit so low into the front wall that the ball comes off without bouncing and simply rolls, which makes it effectively unreturnable.
What is a serve that cannot be returned called?
An ace. The serve wins the point outright without the receiver getting a racquet on the ball, and the usual ways to earn one are a drive serve into a back corner or a wallpaper serve tight to the side wall.
What is it called when the ball hits the crack between the wall and the floor?
A crotch ball. It hits the seam where two surfaces meet and either dies flat or kicks off at an unreadable angle. A serve that crotches out is a fault.
What is a pinch shot in racquetball?
A ball hit low into a side wall close to the front corner, so that it carries into the front wall and drops dead near the front of the court. It is an attacking shot, and missing it low into the floor is a skip.
They fall into serves (drive serve, lob serve, jam serve, wallpaper serve, ace, fault), shots (kill shot, pass shot, pinch, splat, ceiling shot, Z-ball, rollout) and calls (hinder, penalty hinder, screen, side out, handout). The glossary above lists every one of them.
What are some Racquetball terms for beginners?
“Ace,” “Kill shot,” and “Serve” are some Racquetball terms beginners should start with. They represent scoring without return, a winning shot, and the game’s initiation, forming the foundation of basic Racquetball vocabulary.
What are some funny Racquetball terms?
“Rollout” and “Wallpaper serve” are some funny Racquetball terms that inject humor into the sport. These terms whimsically describe an almost unreturnable shot and a serve that runs closely along the wall.
What is a famous Racquetball phrase?
“Keep it off the back wall,” is a famous Racquetball phrase, emphasizing the strategic advantage of keeping shots low to prevent opponents from returning the ball easily, a crucial tactic in competitive play.
