The game of racquetball was founded back in 1949 by Joe Sobek, a tennis player looking for an alternative to tennis when snow covered the courts in his hometown of Connecticut. He called his game "paddle rackets." His rules were a blend of those followed by handball and squash players and were simple enough — hit the ball hard enough that it came in contact with any one of the five surfaces — four walls and ceiling — before the ball hit the floor. The opponent was allowed one bounce on the floor before returning to one of the five surfaces.

The court itself is 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and the ceiling is 20 feet high. Handball is played on the same court. The court for squash is slightly different.

The equipment used in racquetball includes a racket, which is slightly smaller than a tennis racket, and a soft, spongy ball that comes in a variety of colors — green, blue or purple. Eye protection or goggles are a must. Court attire is left to the discretion of the player.

As noted, the game is easy to pick up. Simply hit the ball as hard or as soft as desired and wait for a return from the opponent.

A match consists of three games. The first two are played to 15 points, with a two-point spread needed to retire the game. The third game is a tiebreaker played to 11. Only the server can score points.

As noted, starting out is simple enough, but taking the game to the next level requires a lot of strategy and time on the court.

"It comes down to not only hitting the ball, but knowing the angles and how to keep the opponent out of position and learning the percentage shots. It's a game of chess on a court. All of these things take time to learn," said Strout.

Probably the biggest change in the game in recent years has been equipment, especially the rackets. They are slightly larger and much lighter than earlier ones. There is also footwear available now that is designed for racquetball that allows for more lateral movement.

As for learning the game, most of the centers with racquetball courts offer lessons. And most offer some type of league play at varying levels of competition.

For the most part, players like to hook up with friends of similar ability level for a game of singles or doubles. Then it's simply a matter of learning the shots and making sure the opponent is where the ball isn't.

Those interested in learning more can go online to utahracquetball.org.

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E-mail: grass@desnews.com