Don't Blink: Super Sonic Sport of Jai Alai

Jai alai (pronounced Hi-Lie) is a little known sport among the mainstream sports fans. It is widely
popular in Florida; especially among gamblers. This centuries old game is fast-pace; billed as the
fastest game in the world. It was included in several Olympics as display sports; in 1924, again in
1968 and the most recent in the 1992 Barcelona games. In 1900 it was an official sport in the
Olympic Games with Spain taking the gold medal.
The American version of the sport of jai alai comes from the Basque region in the Pyrenees
Mountains of Northern Spain. In the Basque language jai alai means "merry festival" and the name
was used for the game because it was often played at festive events; usually against the sides of
churches. There are several theories concerning the origins of the sport of jai alai:
It originated in ancient Greece and Egypt.
It originated in pre-Columbian Central America and was brought to Spain by the Conquistadors.
It originated as a game that grew from the ball and court games of France which evolved into tennis.
Various versions of the game were popular in 18th century Spain, but eventually the enthusiasm for
the sport blew out; that is, except in the Basque regions where the sport continued to be quite
popular. This is where the modern version was developed and thus where many cite it
originated.
Toward the end of the 19th century playing jai alai spread to other countries, predominately the
Philippines, Latin America and Indonesia. In particular, the sport was extremely popular in Cuba
and when immigrants made their way to Florida in the United States, they introduced the sport to
that region. When it made its first public appearance in St. Louis in 1904, there was little fanfare
for the game. It wasn't until 1924 when the first court (called fronton) was opened in Miami.[4]
This was largely due to one man--Pedro Mir. Mir was born in Cuba and had a Basque
grandfather who ran a fronton there. Mir became a professional player as a young teenager and
when he arrived in Florida at the age of 23; he heavily promoted the sport. The Miami fronton
was built with the purpose to showcase Mir's talents.[4] Mir served as the chief judge and match-
maker at the Miami fronton until he retired in 1975. He is credited with developing the rules for
the game in the United States.[4]
Gambling on Jai Alai
In 1934 Florida legalized parimutuel betting (bets pooled together before an event and then
distributed amongst those who bet correctly once the outcome has been determined) on jai alai. It
is patterned after horse race betting; win, place or show. In addition, perfecta and quiniela bets
are allowed. In a perfecta bet, the first two players or teams must finish in the chosen order. In a
quinela bet, two players or teams must finish first or second in any order.[4]
Betting for win, place or show has the singles players and doubles teams assigned post positions, 1
through 8 as in horse racing. The players are paired for round-robin competition. Once the
players have been eliminated down to three finalists, those three play until one player or team
reaches seven points.
Betting on
jai alai increased the popularity of the sport. In the 1920s frontons were built in Chicago and New
Orleans, but later closed when betting was not legalized in Illinois or Louisiana. Connecticut
opened three frontons and betting was legalized in 1971; however, competition from other gambling
venues forced them out of business. Likewise, the fronton in Newport, Rhode Island (where
betting on the sport was legalized in 1976) sees much competition from other gambling venues and
while the fronton is still open, much of its revenue comes from slot machines on site.[4] In Florida
five frontons are open as of this date. (At one time there were ten frontons open in Florida.)
Equipment for Jai Alai
Players of jai alai wear uniforms consisting of a tee shirt with their post number on the front and
their unique number on the back; white pants with a red sash (belt); tennis shoes; elbow pads and
since 1968 a helmet. Three pieces of equipment are needed for the game:
The ball (called the pelota)
The wicker basket glove (called the cesta-punta in Spainish and xistera in Basque)
The court (called the fronton)
The ball, or
pelota, used for this sport is similar to the ball used for hand-ball or racquet ball. It is about three
quarters the size of a baseball and considered the hardest ball of any sport.[1] The core is made of
virgin rubber from Brazil. Layers of nylon are added and then it is covered with two layers of goat
skin covers. The pelotas hit the walls of the court with such force, (up to 180 miles per hour [1])
their play life is only about 15-20 minutes before the cover splits and needs replacing.
The catching glove, or cesta, is made from woven reeds and a frame work of chestnut wood.
Top
players usually have custom made cestas. It is between 30-70 centimeters (about 11-27.3 inches)
long and is held by a leather glove and strapped onto the forearm. The cesta cannot be longer than
60 cm when measured straight or 110 cm when measured around the curve.[3] The cesta was
invented by French Basque player, Gantchiqui Diturbide, in the 19th century.
The fronton is used to describe the court of jai alai. In some countries, the courts are called canchas,
especially the outdoor courts. In some places, a building with several courts
is called the fronton and the individual courts inside are called canchas.[3] The court is three-
walled with walls on the front, back and left side, leaving the right side open; thus all players play
right-handed. The court is divided by 14 parallel lines numbered from front to back. A red area
around the front wall surface indicates "out of bounds" and on the right side of the court, a 10-15
feet wooden floor area is out of bounds. Spectators are protected by a screen over the open
section. The court can be varied in length, but is usually about 40 feet wide and 176 feet long.
The Game of Jai Alai
The object of the game is to score points by throwing the ball against one of the walls in such a
manner the opponent is unable to catch the ball before it bounces more than once. The game
starts with one player serving the ball. The server is required to bounce the ball behind the
serving line and hurl the ball using the cesta directly to the front wall in such a manner it rebounds
and bounces between lines Number four and seven. If the ball bounces elsewhere, it is considered
an "under" or "over" serve and the opponent is awarded the point. Players then alternate catching
and throwing the ball. It must done in one fluid motion; juggling or holding the ball is called by the
referee. Points are awarded if the opposing player:
Does not serve the ball so it bounces between lines four and seven
Does not catch the ball in the air or after the first bounce
Juggles or holds the ball (no fluid motion)
Throws the ball out of bounds
Interferes with a player's attempt to catch and hurl the ball
Most games are played until a player or team reaches seven (Spectacular Seven) in a round-robin
rotation with eight teams or single players; though some go to nine points (Superfecta). Once
the first round is completed, points double. In tie situations, there is a play-off to determine the
winner. In doubles (teams) there is a front-court and a back-court player. The front court
player serves the ball to start the game. The winner of each point stays on the court to meet the next
team in rotation with losers going to the end of the line to await their next turn. The first team to
the seven score, wins. In the Spectacular Seven, round-robin style of play, players or teams with
the lowest post numbers usually have the advantage as the
higher
numbers see less court time.[1]
In the United States, initially most of the jai alai players were from Cuba; then Basques from Spain
were brought in for the sport. When the number of frontons increased (after WWII), a training
facility was built in Miami to accommodate the increased need for top players. The program
entailed a four-five year training regime before the students were capable of entering the
professional realm.[4]
Professionals usually start young, between ages eight to ten, and train for years before becoming
good enough to be a professional player. However, the youngest recorded professional player in
the history of the sport was Piston I who began his professional career in Spain at the age of nine in
1922.[1]
Spectators of jai alai will not want to blink lest they miss the speeding ball bouncing wickedly into a
player's cesta only to smoothly be launched out within a nano-second. Analyze the players well
before making bets; money may disappear as fast as the pelota.

The copyright of the article Don't Blink: Super Sonic Sport of Jai Alai is owned by Cheryl Weldon and
permission to republish in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.