Jai Alai

I

Introduction

Jai Alai (Basque, “holy day”, “merry festival”), ball game of Basque origin, played by opposing individuals or teams who alternately bounce a small, hard ball against one, two, or three walls and catch it upon its return. Jai alai is, therefore, a type of handball. It is one of the fastest of all games and requires great agility and coordination. The objective of the game is to amass a given number of points by forcing the opponent to miss the ball or to hit it out of bounds. The ball, or pelota, is caught and propelled with a glove-like, scoop-shaped wicker basket, the cesta, which is strapped to the player's wrist. Jai alai matches are usually played in a large auditorium known as a fronton; the court on which the game is played is called a cancha.

II

Playing Space and Equipment

The cancha is rectangular in shape, with walls about 12 m (40 ft) high. Although the court can vary in dimension, the shorter sides of the rectangle, the front wall (or frontis) and the back wall (rebote) are usually about 17 m (55 ft) wide. They are connected along the left side of the court by a sidewall (lateral) that ranges in length from 49 to 61 m (160 to 200 ft). Along the right or fourth side of the rectangle is a wire screen behind which the spectators sit. The frontis is made of granite blocks; the other walls and floor of the cancha are of cement.

The jai alai ball is made of a core of strands of hard rubber wound under tension, covered with an inner layer of linen thread and two outer layers of goat skin. It is about 5 cm (2 in) in diameter and weighs 128 g (4.5 oz). During the fast rallies the ball travels at speeds exceeding 240 km/h (150 mph). Professional players therefore wear protective helmets. Otherwise, the regulation uniform consists of white trousers, coloured sash or belt, numbered shirt, and white rubber-soled shoes. Cestas, constructed of reeds woven over a frame of chestnut, are custom-made to player specification; they vary somewhat in size and are usually about 60 cm (24 in) long.

III

Scoring and Betting

The number of points required to win a jai alai game varies according to local custom and the number of participants. Singles matches are usually played to 30 points and doubles to 40 points. Two types of jai alai matches are played, a partidos or a quiniela. The former is a match between two individuals or two teams of two players each, similar to a singles or doubles match in tennis. A quiniela is a betting version in which the gambler chooses two players or teams to finish first and second in any order. A perfecta is also played—in which gamblers must pick first and second.

IV

Rules of Play

A game of jai alai commences when in one continuous motion the server, stationed in the centre of the court, bounces the pelota on the surface of the court, catches it in the cesta, and hurls it forcibly against the front wall. The ball must fall between short and long lines painted usually in red across the court, or the server loses the point, which goes to the opponent of opposing team. If the ball lands on the floor, or against the spectator's screen, or the side or back wall in foul territory, the server loses the point and the right to serve reverts to the other team. If the ball lands in fair territory and bounces twice before the receiver can return it to the front wall, the server gains a point and continues to serve. A contestant may hit the ball either before it reaches the playing surface or after it has bounced once. Balls must also be caught and returned in one nearly continuous motion. If the ball is juggled in the cesta the player loses the point. If the receiver returns the ball successfully, a rally ensues in which both teams hit the ball alternately until one or another loses the point by missing the ball, by allowing it to bounce twice, or by driving it out of bounds. Probably the most difficult manoeuvre in a jai alai game is that in which a player catches the ball as it comes off the back wall and returns it in a single motion to the side or front wall.

Professional games are refereed by three judges who stand facing the sidewall.