Rules Rule: I am Thankful for Racquetball

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family, and to me, there is nothing more important. Thanksgiving also represents the beginning of the holiday season, when we come together in celebration of joy and happiness. Plus, Thanksgiving is an excuse—as if I needed one—to eat as many mashed potatoes as possible.

Joshua Jones

So, for the November Rules Rule! article I wanted to use this platform to express to you—the members of the racquetball community—why I am thankful. I know many of you look forward to the monthly rules discussions, and I promise that next month’s article will, once again, return with in-depth rules analysis (and perhaps a touch of sarcastic humor). Until then, I hope you allow this sentimental fool a chance to express my thanks.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for . . .

The sport of racquetball. The world is changing too rapidly, including global armed conflicts, technological innovations, and economic uncertainties. Trying to keep up with it all is anxiety-inducing. But sports—and especially racquetball—keep me grounded. Regardless of what is happening in the world, I know that 1.4 miles from my home is Vetta Sports Concord, where I coach a group of amazing students and play in various leagues. The club is a place where the stresses of everyday life are put on hold—if even for a few hours—and the focus is on this amazing sport we all enjoy.

USA Racquetball. In May 2025, USA Racquetball took a chance on a guy in St. Louis who few had ever heard of to be the next Rules Commissioner. I cannot thank the leadership enough for its trust in me. More importantly, I cannot thank you enough—the members of USA Racquetball—for welcoming me into this position. I have received numerous thoughtful emails, some asking questions about the rules, and some giving feedback to the Rules Rule! articles. The fact that so many of you would take time to read the articles is heartwarming.

Cheryl Kirk. Thank you for your mentorship, leadership, and partnership these past several months. And, thank you for your friendship.

Dan Whitley. The future of racquetball is in the hands of today’s youth. You lead a racquetball program that allows over 600 junior players to get involved in our incredible sport. You are a good friend and a fantastic leader, and I look forward to many more years of partnership.

The youth racquetball coaches, including those in Oregon, Missouri, Colorado, Texas, Maryland, Illinois, and across the country. Many believe racquetball’s best days are behind us. I disagree. I firmly believe racquetball’s greatest days are yet to come, and it’s largely due to the tremendous hard work of coaches working to introduce this sport to the next generation of players. If you don’t believe me, check out the images from the 2025 High School National Championships or National Junior Championships. You can witness the energy and passion from the facial expressions of these kids as they play racquetball.

USA Racquetball’s top-ranked athletes, including Rocky Carson, Adam Manilla, Erika Manilla, Thomas Carter, Jake Bredenbeck, Sam Bredenbeck, Michelle Key, Lexi York, Bobby Horn, Annie Sanchez, Naomi Ros, Robbie Collins, Hollie Scott, Daniel de la Rosa, Erik Garcia, Charlie Pratt, and so many more. Just a few months ago, my oldest daughter and I were watching a semi-final mixed doubles match featuring Michelle Key and Rocky Carson. After an incredible get, my daughter exuberantly exclaimed that Michelle is “fierce.” (Rocky, if you’re reading this, never fear . . . she thought you were good, too). My daughters and I love watching all of you play, allowing me a chance to bond with my children while watching your amazing athleticism.

Writing. I love writing. For reasons that make no sense to me, humanity has invented technology that can “write” for us. I’ll never understand why we decided to surrender that part of human agency to a software program, but I also know no software can write with the same passion or emotion of a human being. I am thankful to USA Racquetball for giving me the chance to write a few pages every month about one of my favorite topics:  racquetball rules. And rest assured, the words you are reading are 100% the words of a living, breathing human being.

Aimee Roehler. Thank you for always putting up with me emailing you multiple drafts of articles, up until the last minute. And thank you for the awesome work you do to promote the sport.

For those of you who read this far, a special rules treat . . .

In October, Frank Lopez emailed me with a fantastic rules question. He asked, “can the non-serving doubles partner touch or stand over the line of the service box so long as they do not step over it and touch the floor outside of said box?” He further clarified that “some people are flat on the floor, but their foot might be touching or on top of the line without going over the line.”

Here’s the answer:

If the non-serving partner’s foot is on the short line (but not over the line, as in, any part of his or her foot is not over the line), then no fault has occurred. This is similar to a foot fault by the serving player. A serving player may have his or her foot on the short line when he/she begins the service motion, but not part of his/her foot may be over the line. The same thing applies in doubles:  the non-serving player may have his/her foot on the short line but may not be over the line.

From my family to yours, I wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

National Rules Commissioner Joshua Jones welcomes questions from members and will respond timely along with occasionally featuring a few in USA Racquetball’s Serving Up the News. Write to Josh at rulescommissioner@usaracquetball.com, and you may see your question in a future issue of this newsletter!