New to racketball?
Racketball in Hampshire is played to be enjoyed. The league is competitive, but the format is built so that everyone gets plenty of court time, nobody is left sitting out, and the evening finishes with a meal and a chat with the other team. If you can hit a ball, you can play.
Every player plays a singles match and a doubles match on the same night, so you are on court for much more of the evening than in a traditional one-match fixture.
There are no player rankings and no set order. Clubs choose who plays for which team, and players can go out in any order they like.
A team is just three players. That makes it simple to get one together from friends, colleagues or club members.
Each team has three players. The match is made up of six short matches, played in three rotations. In each rotation one player from each team plays a singles match while the other two players from each side play a doubles match.
| Rotation | Singles | Doubles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Player 3 | Players 1 & 2 |
| 2 | Player 2 | Players 1 & 3 |
| 3 | Player 1 | Players 2 & 3 |
That means every player plays one singles and one doubles match, and there are no player rankings, so teams are free to line up however they like.
A match night needs two courts. In each rotation one court is used for the singles match and the other for the doubles match, and both are played at the same time. Courts are normally booked in 45 minute slots, and a typical evening books six court bookings in total (three slots on each court), for example 7pm to 9:15pm. The night finishes with both teams sitting down to a meal hosted by the home team.
Court prices vary by club, but a typical 45 minute court is about £11. Two courts for three slots is six bookings, so around £66 a night. Shared between all six players, that is about £11 each, or around £33 a team if the cost is split evenly between the two sides. The meal is on top of the court cost, so allow for that too. Depending on the club's facilities, the home team can cook themselves, order a takeaway or eat out at a local restaurant, so the cost is up to them. Check your own club's rates and who pays before the season starts.
Because every game counts, a team that loses the night can still pick up valuable league points, which keeps matches interesting right to the end.
Racketball is played with either a black or a blue ball. The league uses them as follows.
The black ball is used for every match.
The home team chooses the colour of the ball, black or blue.
Need balls? Get Karakal racketball balls Our sponsor Karakal supplies racketball balls. Buying through our link supports Hampshire racketball. The leagues usually start towards the end of September or in October and run until the end of March or April. Fixtures are arranged around the squash league calendar, so racketball is played on the Tuesdays and Thursdays that clubs have free. Clubs hosting in other county leagues may have dates that are not available, so a little flexibility goes a long way.
Three players, a squash court and a night or two to host is all it takes. Get in touch and we will help you enter the league and find opposition nearby. Take a look at which clubs already play and where a team is needed.
