Sport and Games Atlas

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Racquetball

Racket Sports

Racquetball is a racket sport played with a short-handled racket and a hollow rubber ball on a four-walled enclosed court, in which players alternate hitting the ball against the front wall while it may also strike any other wall in play. The sport was invented in the United States in 1950 by Joseph Sobek, who combined elements of handball, squash and paddleball. It is governed internationally by the International Racquetball Federation and, while it has been a demonstration or exhibition sport at some multi-sport games, is not part of the Olympic program.

Facts
Origin Year
1950 1
Originating Region
United States 1
International Governing Body
International Racquetball Federation 1
Classification
Olympic Programme Status
Not an Olympic Sport 1
Connections

Derived From

Handball, Sports
Source Racquetball, Wikipedia
Squash, Sports
Source Racquetball, Wikipedia
Sources
1. Racquetball, Wikipedia
  • Invention section
    Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball.
  • Location section
    Joseph Sobek is credited with inventing the sport of racquetball in the Greenwich, Connecticut, YMCA.
  • Governance section
    The International Racquetball Federation (IRF) is the international sports federation, recognized by the IOC, that governs the sport of racquetball.
  • entity record, description (olympic-status)
    It is governed internationally by the International Racquetball Federation and, while it has been a demonstration or exhibition sport at some multi-sport games, is not part of the Olympic program.
  • Derived From: Squash, History section
    devised a set of rules, based on those of squash, handball, and paddleball
  • Derived From: Handball, History section
    devised a set of rules, based on those of squash, handball, and paddleball
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