PSU Racquetball

Challenging Overview: The team rankings determine who can go to tournaments, who plays in which division, and, to a lesser extent, who your doubles partner will be. All challenges should be played as soon as possible-- purposefully stalling a challenger demonstrates poor sportsmanship and is also frustrating. We all have schoolwork and that comes first, but please play as soon as you can.

Use your racquetball skills and not your skills of manipulation in order to maintain your rank. Refrain from continuously challenging above you just to prevent the lower players from challenging you. Sorry you have to watch for challenges so often, but it comes with the territory. If you are playing someone you do not get along with, ask a club officer to help you find an impartial referee.

Rules: Please read over the new challenging rules carefully, as numerous items have changed. The rules apply to the men’s and women’s team.

Challenge a player by sending an e-mail to them from the list online; efforts will be made to ensure this is updated often. Also send a carbon copy of your challenge to Eric Nissley and The WebMaster so we can keep track of it.

Men's Team

Players ranked 1 through 8 can only challenge up 1 spot at a time

Players ranked 8 and lower can challenge up to 3 spots ahead. Since the 8th spot is the cut off before 1 spot challenges take effect, the 8th player can be challenged by the 9th, 10th, or 11th player.

Women's Team

Players ranked 1 through 4 can only challenge up 1 spot at a time

Players ranked 4 and lower can challenge up to 2 spots ahead. This means that the player in 3rd will be able to be challenged by the players ranked 4th and 5th.


The challenged person has 48 hours to respond to the e-mail and 4 days to play the match from the time of the challenge.

The match will be best of three-- first 2 games to 15, last game to 11. Decide who serves first in a way you both agree on for the first game. The other person serves first in the second. For the tiebreaker, the person who scored the most points in the previous 2 games serves first. For rules, see USRA Rules.

If the players do not agree about the point and there is no ref, PLAY IT OVER.

If the challenger wins the match, the loser is moved down the ladder one place to make room for the winner. If the challengee wins, both players stay where they are. The winner of the match should report the result to Eric Nissley and The WebMaster.

You cannot challenge the same person more than twice every 4 weeks.

You can only challenge one player at a time.

If you challenge a person on a club night, you cannot come to club and demand that the challenge be played that night. If both players agree to play that night then the challenge will be allowed.

If you challenge someone who in currently in a challenge, your challenge is not valid. You must wait for those people to play the match, and then you may challenge. You are "fair game" unless you are in a challenge. The roster is updated almost daily, so make sure you check to see who is in a challenge and who is not.

lf you were challenged 48 hours before an official club time and you come to club, you need to play the match. We need to keep things moving. For instance, if you are challenged Sunday afternoon and you come to club on Tuesday, you need to play or you forfeit, regardless of whether or not you did not know you were challenged or if you did not see the other player there. The exception is if you contacted your opponent and tried to arrange a time but he or she could not make it.

SPECIAL WEEKEND RULES: Players challenged on Friday have 72 hours, or until the same time Monday, to answer the challenge. You still have 4 days to play the match. However, if you come to club on Sunday and the person who challenged you is there, you need to play him or her.

ANOTHER NOTE: There is no mention in these rules about stalling a challenger, but if someone is stalling you, LET ME KNOW.