Racquetball
Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek is credited with inventing the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velocity and control. Unlike most racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, there is no net to hit the ball over, and, unlike squash, no tin to hit the ball above. Also, the court's walls, floor, and ceiling are legal playing surfaces, with the exception of court-specific designated hinders being out-of-bounds. It is very similar to 40×20 handball, which is played in many countries. Joe Sobek is credited with inventing the sport of racquetball in the New Britain Connecticut YMCA, though not with naming it. A professional tennis and handball player, Sobek sought a fast-paced sport that was easy to learn and play. He designed the first strung paddle, devised a set of rules, based on those of squash, handball, and paddleball, and named his game
paddle rackets. In February 1952 Sobek founded the National Paddle Rackets Association, codified the rules, and had them printed as a booklet.