Racket & Paddle Sports
Face-off games decided by ball-striking control and court coverage — tennis, badminton, table tennis, pickleball, squash, padel and their cousins.
19 sports in racket & paddle sports.
Badminton
The fastest racket sport in the world — hit a feathered shuttlecock over a 1.55 m net using a light racket; win by driving the shuttle to the floor of your opponent's court.
Beach Tennis
Beach volleyball court, tennis rules — a soft-perimeter foam racket, a depressurised tennis ball, no bounce allowed.
Crossminton
Hybrid of badminton, tennis and squash — no net, played across two 5.5 m squares with a wind-resistant "speeder".
Eton Fives
Doubles wall-and-hand sport played on a three-sided court with a stepped ledge — the quirkiest of the three fives games.
Jai Alai
Explosive Basque ball sport — players hurl 125g pelota at 300+ km/h against 3-walled court using curved wicker cesta strapped to arm. World's fastest ball sport by verified ball speed. Popular in Basque Country, Spain, France, Florida, Philippines.
Matkot
Israel's unofficial national beach sport — two players sustain the longest possible rally with wooden paddles and a rubber ball.
Paddle Tennis
Miniature tennis on a smaller court with a solid paddle and depressurised ball — the American beach-club classic.
Padel
Fast-growing racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed 20×10m glass-and-mesh court where the ball can bounce off walls — hybrid of tennis and squash.
Pickleball
Paddle sport on a small tennis-sized court using a perforated plastic ball and solid paddles — combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The fastest-growing sport in the United States.
Platform Tennis
American winter tennis on a heated raised platform surrounded by chicken-wire screens — you can play the ball off the fence.
Rackets
The 18th-century English public-school forerunner of squash — hard ball, all four walls, brutally fast pace.
Racquetball
Fast indoor court sport played with a stringed racquet and a hollow rubber ball on a fully-enclosed 40×20×20 ft court — every wall (including ceiling) is in play.
Real Tennis
The ORIGINAL tennis — 12th-century French monastic sport played in enclosed courtyards with sloping roofs, buttresses, galleries + windows. Predecessor to modern lawn tennis. Only ~50 active courts worldwide; played mainly in UK, Australia, France, USA. Considered father of most racket sports.
Rugby Fives
Fast four-walled hand-and-ball sport from Rugby School — strike a small hard ball with gloved hands.
Soft Tennis
East Asian tennis variant using a soft rubber ball and a lighter racket — huge in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Squash
Racquet sport played on a four-walled indoor court where two players alternate hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall — fast, tactical, and endurance-demanding.
Table Tennis
Fast-paced indoor racket sport played on a 9-foot table divided by a low net — hit a lightweight ball with a rubber paddle before it bounces twice.
Tennis
One-on-one (or doubles) racket sport played over a low net — win points by making the ball bounce untouchable in the opponent's court.
Wheelchair Tennis
Grand-slam tennis in a wheelchair — same court, same rules, but the ball may bounce twice.